My WebMD Sign In, Sign Up
WebMD Home
Report ProfileReport ThisAsk A Question
Rounded Top

Matthew Hoffman, MD

Matthew Hoffman, MDMatthew Hoffman, MD

Internist, WebMD Medical Expert

Internal Medicine

131 Answers25 Followers27,003 Helpful Answer Votes
FollowingUnfollow
 

Bio

Matthew Hoffman, MD, has written for WebMD since 2006.

He worked for CNN as a medical consultant during the 2004 U.S. presidential campaign, and also contributed to production on health-related programs such as House Call with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. As a freelancer, he has also written for numerous publications in Atlanta and North Carolina.

Credentials

Organization Affiliations:
  • Emory University
 

My Answers

Q. Does coffee stunt your growth?
A. There’s no good evidence to back up this commonly held belief. The few studies that have tried to link the amount of caffeine consumption and height...
Q. What is arthropathy?
A. Arthropathy just means “joint problem.” Doctors often use arthropathy interchangeably with arthritis, which means "joint inflammation...
Q. Why am I craving salt?
A. There’s a reason why junk food manufacturers fill their products with salt: It tastes good! As anyone with taste buds knows, a little salt makes...
Q. Does alcohol affect antibiotics?
A. Usually, no. Alcohol doesn’t reduce the effectiveness of most antibiotics. However, alcohol can worsen side effects caused by some antibiotics, like...
Q. What is INR?
A. INR stands for international normalized ratio. The INR provides some information about a person’s blood’s tendency to clot (which is often described...
Q. Does Prozac cause weight gain? What about Zoloft?
A. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of antidepressant medications that include citalopram (Celexa) fluoxetine (Prozac)...
Q. What is the benefit of aloe vera?
A. Aloe promotes wound healing. Applied to damaged skin, some studies show aloe penetrates into the tissues and exerts anti-inflammatory effects. Aloe...
Q. How do you break a fever in a toddler?
A. Remember that any fever in a newborn infant (under 3 months of age) needs prompt medical attention, because at that age it’s hard to tell when a...
Q. How long is stomach flu contagious?
A. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that comes on suddenly, becomes severe, then begins to get better within a few days is usually due to a viral...
Q. Does MRSA itch?
A. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is an increasingly common cause of skin and soft-tissue infections. MRSA has  become a...
Q. What is a normal platelet count?
A. Platelets are the tiny blood cells that help stop bleeding by binding together to form a clump or plug at sites of injury inside blood vessels. A...
Q. What is a tracheotomy?
A. In medical terms, the suffix “-otomy” means to cut or separate. In a tracheotomy, a surgeon cuts a small hole in the front of the trachea (windpipe)...
Q. Is bacterial pneumonia contagious?
A. Usually not, but some types can be. Most pneumonias come from bacteria we carry in our noses and throats. The bacteria can occasionally gain entry...
Q. What is pharyngitis?
A. Pharyngitis is inflammation of the pharynx (pronounced FAIR-inks) – what’s commonly called a sore throat. Pharyngitis is an extremely common problem...
Q. What is TSH?
A. TSH is thyroid-stimulating hormone, produced by the pituitary gland in the brain. TSH stimulates the thyroid gland to produce and release thyroid...
61-75 of 131 Answers