Dr. Donald J Portocarrero D.O.

What is a gallbladder?The gallbladder is a hollow and pear-shaped structure situated under the liver and on the right side of the abdomen. Its primary function is to store and concentrate bile, which is a yellow-brown colored digestive enzyme produced by the liver. The gallbladder belongs to the...

At least three million Americans are affected by Celiac Disease. Most of the time the disease is hereditary; people with immediate relatives have a higher chance of developing it. According to the University of Chicago Medicine, 60% of children and 41% of adults who were diagnosed with celiac...

Medical research shows that more women than men suffer from IBS. In addition these studies demonstrate that certain gynecologic disorders accompany IBS in women. These are disorders such as dysmenorrhea. This has given birth to the question whether there exists a difference in IBS symptom severity...

A hernia is marked by a bulge in the groin or abdomen, which occurs when an organ protrudes through the muscle opening that keeps it in place. Hernias are a very common problem and can occur in men or women of all ages.For instance, in the case of an incisional hernia, the intestines may protrude...

Research in several different medical fields—most notably including mental health and autoimmune disease—have begun to trace the roots of their problems back to an unlikely source. Mental health disorders like depression and anxiety, and autoimmune disorders like Crohn’s disease, have been...

If you are suffering from IBS-D, you may experience belly pain that is usually associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and you will be forced to make several trips to the bathroom. The letter "D" stands for "diarrhea".General CausesThere is no actual cause of IBS-D. However, the following are...