Internal Medicine Doctors in Warren and East Brunswick, NJ
Dr. Jenny Liu is a board-certified internist in East Brunswick, New Jersey who is equipped to deal with any health condition for which you might visit your primary care doctor.
She employs a variety of treatment strategies using a personalized and comprehensive approach that combines conventional and alternative medicine. When natural, holistic therapies such as dietary supplements, IV therapy, and acupuncture prove ineffective for your condition, Dr. Liu’s extensive experience in conventional internal medicine will help her identify the right treatment for you.
What Is an Internal Medicine Doctor?
A doctor of internal medicine, also known as an internist, must meet demanding standards that require intensive study and evaluation. In order to become certified, internists must undergo special training and devote several years of their already rigorous medical education to studying the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the many different diseases and conditions that affect adults.
Internists are highly trained in the treatment of the following chronic ailments, among others:
A common collection of lung diseases that can make it difficult to breathe is known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Most patients with COPD have some combination of emphysema (inflamed air sacs of the lungs) and chronic bronchitis (inflamed bronchial tubes, which carry air to and from the lungs). Symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing.
Smoking is the primary cause of COPD, but long-term exposure to pollutants or toxic fumes may also lead to the disease.
While COPD cannot be reversed, certain treatments can control symptoms and keep the condition from getting worse. Treatments include the use of nebulizers that deliver inhaled medications directly to the lungs, oxygen therapy, and pulmonary rehabilitation.
This type of heart disease is very common, with an estimated 3 million Americans affected each year.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the buildup of plaque inside the heart’s major blood vessels, which restricts blood flow to the heart. If blood flow is completely blocked, it can cause a heart attack. Symptoms may be nonexistent or include chest pain and shortness of breath. For some, a heart attack is the first sign of CAD.
Treatment of CAD often includes making lifestyle changes such as maintaining a healthy weight, as well as controlling blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
One of the most prevalent mental health disorders, depression involves prolonged periods of sadness or depressed mood and loss of interest in usual activities. The condition impairs daily life, often affecting a person’s appetite, energy level, ability to concentrate, self-esteem, and sleep patterns.
Treatment typically involves therapy and medication. Alternative medicine remedies for depression may include dietary changes, acupuncture, exercise, and more.
Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose. People with diabetes either do not create insulin (type 1 diabetes), which processes the glucose we consume, or do not produce enough insulin or are otherwise unable to properly absorb insulin (type 2 diabetes), leaving too much glucose in the blood.
High blood sugar levels can cause symptoms such as excessive thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, and fatigue. If blood sugar levels are not well controlled, diabetes can result in significant complications like kidney damage, blindness, nerve damage, and amputation.
Therefore, the aim of diabetes treatment is to control blood sugar levels, which typically focuses on good nutrition, weight loss, exercise, medication, or some combination thereof.
Being extremely tired is referred to as fatigue. It can occur due to a broad spectrum of health conditions as well as lifestyle issues such as not getting enough sleep. When severe or prolonged, fatigue can cause damage throughout the body, as well as impact your emotional and psychological well-being.
Treating fatigue often relies on a multifaceted approach, including identifying possible underlying causes and treating those issues as well as the fatigue itself. Fibromyalgia is a common condition that is associated with fatigue and widespread pain throughout the body. Diet, nutrition, exercise, and acupuncture are often recommended for patients with fatigue.
“Headaches” is a broad term encompassing pain felt in the head. There are some types that are more well-known than others such as migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches, and the location and sensation of pain may differ for each.
Treatment for headaches can run the gamut from medications, to hot and cold compresses, massage, acupuncture, and nutritional dietary supplements.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common condition in which the force of blood traveling through the bloodstream is too high. It indicates that your heart is working too hard to force the flow of blood through the body. High blood pressure is often called a silent killer because most people do not have any symptoms until heart or organ damage occurs.
To help lower blood pressure and keep it within an acceptable range, medications may be needed, in addition to lifestyle changes such as losing weight, exercising daily, and consuming less salt in your diet.
Having too much cholesterol (a waxy substance in fat) in the blood increases your risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death for men and women in the US.
High cholesterol levels can be the result of genetic predisposition and/or poor lifestyle choices such as consuming a high-cholesterol diet. A blood test is the best way to determine if you have high cholesterol because otherwise there are no symptoms of the condition.
In many cases, changes in diet can reduce cholesterol levels in the body. Medications and other therapies may also be recommended.
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck that produces hormones that help regulate your metabolism, among other things. Disorders involving the thyroid gland include an underactive (hypothyroidism) or overactive (hyperthyroidism) thyroid. In the US, hypothyroidism is far more prevalent than hyperthyroidism.
With an underactive thyroid gland, not enough thyroid hormone is produced, leading to signs and symptoms such as unexplained weight gain, fatigue, sensitivity to cold, and constipation.
Most often, patients with hypothyroidism will need to take medication to maintain adequate thyroid hormone levels. In addition, dietary changes are often recommended to counter a hormonal imbalance or a patient’s hypothyroidism symptoms.
For example, you may be advised to reduce your consumption of sugar and caffeine, and to ensure you’re getting adequate amounts of protein, healthful fats, and other nutrients.
Carrying around excessive body fat can lead to a host of medical problems. Obesity increases your risk of developing serious health problems like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and even cancer.
A body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater is considered obese. BMI is a calculation that estimates the amount of body fat you carry, based on your height, weight, and gender.
Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise are key to combatting obesity. For many people who struggle with losing weight, physician-monitored medical weight loss programs may offer the motivation, strategy, and safety needed to lose the weight and keep it off.
Osteoporosis is a degenerative condition in which the bones of the body become progressively weaker and more brittle, increasing the risk of fracture. It is much more common in women than men.
The progression of osteoporosis can be reduced with treatment, which often includes medications, nutritional supplements, diet, and weight-bearing exercises.
When a person’s breathing temporarily stops then restarts repeatedly during sleep, it is called sleep apnea. While it may sound like a benign condition – and many people aren’t even aware they have it – it is a serious disorder that can have some serious health consequences.
In addition to daytime drowsiness, headaches, and difficulty concentrating, sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
Sleep apnea occurs due to obstructions in the nose or throat that block the airway, resulting in the brain and rest of the body receiving inadequate oxygen.
The condition is often managed with lifestyle changes and the use of a breathing device called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.
Internal medicine doctors often serve as primary care physicians because such a diverse skill set makes them able to address all of a patient’s needs.
Unlike your typical primary care physician, however, Dr. Liu can provide treatment using both conventional and alternative medicine techniques. This multifaceted approach, combined with her dedication and experience as an internist, makes her especially capable of providing excellent care for each and every one of her patients.
In addition to relieving symptoms of many common conditions, Dr. Liu can provide critical information and guidance in the areas of general wellness, mental health, women’s health, diet and nutrition, and many other aspects of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Visit our insurance information page to see if our internal medicine services are covered by your insurance carrier.
Looking for a Primary Care Provider? Contact Dr. Jenny Liu at UniMed Center
If you’re in the market for a primary health care provider, you’ve come to the right place. Dr. Jenny Liu at UniMed Center is board certified in internal medicine and uses a combination of contemporary and alternative medicine to treat the whole person. Schedule your appointment with Dr. Liu by calling
(732) 828-9988 or you can request one online.
