About
Bio
I graduated from the MD/Phd Program at Northwestern University - and trained in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at UCSD. Currently I practice at UCSD in San Diego as well as Kindred LTAC and Scripps Encinitas. I also do research on stem cells trying to harness them as a potential therapy for chronic lung diseases like COPD and IPF.
I am currently not accepting clinic patients (I am currently practicing solely in the ICU).
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Pulmonary Critical Care
Doctor Q&A
142 Answers
38 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Meds?: By far the likeliest answer would be medications in particular viagra/sildenafil type meds. However, other possibilities should be entertained that r... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Not so easy: Pneumonia is an infection of the lung or lower respiratory tracts. A cold (usually caused by viruses) is an infection of the upper respiratory tract ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Diuresis/peeing: This question describes the symptoms of heart failure and should be evaluated by a physician/nurse practitioner - esp if this is a new problem. Howev... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Virus: SARS is a severe acute respiratory infection caused by a coronavirus. There were several cases in 2003 and 2004 but no documented infections since th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
ACLS: The advanced cardiac life support algorithm recommends chest compression, starting and IV and giving Atropine and Epinephrine and checking a rhythm on... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Severe Heart Attack: Heart attacks - the lay term for myocardial infarction - comes in two levels of severity..Non-st-elevation (nstemi) and st-elevation (stemi) which ref... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Yes: Some folks have coronary arteries that are particularly spasmotic which can lead to poor blood flow to the heart (a heart attack) - also known as prin... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Hep C hard to catch: Hep c is transmitted via blood, or sexual contact - like hiv. It is mostly transmitted amongst IV drug users. Even though you a hep c patient may g... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Shortness of Breath: The short answer is shortness of breath and decreased exercise capacity - some will also develop trouble clearing secretions and chronic/repeat infect... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Many poss causes: Almost all heart attacks are the result of fatty deposits on the inside of arteries that break open and cause clotting which will blocks the artery (a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Chest pain = ER: All chest pain, especially unfamiliar chest pain, should be evaluated in an er by ekg, blood work, and physician exam. Time is tissue and anyone who ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Depends on the cause: Ild comes in many subtypes - a few - especially those related to smoking or that have an hypersensitivity/allergic component can be reversed with the ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Aggresiveness: In general the terms malignant vs benign refer the tumor's propensity to extend out from the central tumor and metastasize to lymph nodes and through ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Other forms: Exposure to other toxins including wood fires etc can also lead to COPD and there are some genetic syndromes that also predispose patients to COPD wit... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
See below: Restrictive lung disease is a broad category with many possible causes - it can be caused by obesity, neuromuscular injury, interstitial lung disease ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Not unheard of: Its rare - but we should distinguish between a true heart attack - blocked artery - and sudden cardiac death (usually cause by a problem with the hear... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Depends on the cause: Pulmonary hypertension can be caused by a large variety of illnesses - chief amongst them heart failure and chronic respiratory disease. These are be... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old male asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Quit: Nicotine in cigarettes can cause tachycardia - quit smoking, it is truly awful for your health.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Normal,then elevated: Cardiac markers including ckmb and troponins measure damage to the heart muscle which occurs in a heart attack - the damaged/dying muscle will leak th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Yes: While teenagers are more prone to getting "pimples" or acne due to hormonal changes affecting the environment of the skin, it is still possible and co... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Gift horse: Congratulations! if a person can enjoy good health with poor diet and poor sleep (many young people enjoy this - for a while) imagine how much health... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Older term: This is an older term for women with an abnormal disinterest in sex or an inability to orgasm even during masturbation. Regardless of the nomenclatur... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
No one is immune: While teenagers are more prone to getting "pimples" or acne due to hormonal changes affecting the environment of the skin, it is still possible and co... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Big spaces: Emphasema comes in a variety of different subtypes - in bullous emphysema, lung tissue is destroyed and leaves behind large spaces that don't contribu... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Not usually: Many women have light or irregular periods, this usually doesn't indicate illness but your primary care doctor can screen for other possibilities. Bi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
You may: Most people that are hypoxic - start to feel whoozey and may see "stars" before they pass out. Rarely they feel hunger for air - this feeling is muc... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Possibly: In general Macrobid is good choice for treatment of a urinary tract (bladder) infection. Untreated utis can progress to kidney infections (pyelonephr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
No evidence: There is no study demonstrating reversal of emphasema with any supplement. Having said that good nutrition is important for general health and in the... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Complex Q: Everyone is different. If a person has been diagnosed with hht they should see a doctor regularly who can direct their care and screen for complicati... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Birth control: Estrogen (and related hormones) are used for birth control, as well as for symptoms from hormone dysregulation and deficiency including dysmennorhea,... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
No simple way: Serotype/genetic testing is the only way to determine this and it can only be done in a laboratory. Symptoms alone are not sufficient however avian f... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Atypical: Generally heart attacks occur with dull pain or pressure which usually doesn't change with palpation (touching). Of course only a full eval including ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Not usually: Today most bronchoscopies are done with topical anesthesia and under moderate sedation (drugs that make a person very groggy but do not completely kn... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Complex Q: If a person has been diagnosed with hht they should see a doctor regularly who can direct their care and screen for complications. More information c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Work your legs: The simplest answer is to avoid sexy thoughts (impossible for most teenage boys - men too!) however if you are stuck in a potentially embarrassing sit... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Somewhat: Intrusive? Well it usually involves putting a large bore needle into your femoral artery - however if you can benefit from it (because you can stent ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Seizure threshold: Everyone has a seizure threshold - people can increase their risk (lower their threshold) through lack of sleep, drugs, fevers, stokes and structural ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Not enough info: So many things can cause this that it is impossible to guess - if it persists a person with this symptom should see a doctor.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Fever, neural sympts: Beyond generalizable symptoms of infection ie. Fevers and signs like elevated white count, elevated platelets, CRP etc. Brain abscesses will also mani... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Fiber/water: Constipation and hemorrhoids can be treated by changing a diet to include lots of fiber (fruits and vegetables are best for this - pills/powders not a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Yes: Since the current formulations of flu shots are produced in eggs anyone who is truly allergic to eggs should probably avoid these. Many people confus... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
See a doctor: Anyone who has had a heart attack/mi should be under the care of a physician who can evaluate their risks and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Usually yes: In general pulmonary embolisms (like most illnesses) are less common in younger people. Having said that some underlying illnesses (including having ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Damaged heart tissue: Cardiac markers including ckmb and troponins measure damage to the heart muscle which occurs in a heart attack - the damaged/dying muscle will leak th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Heart attack: Myocardial infarction is the technical term for what is commonly known as a "heart attack.".
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Very: Depending on the age bracket and what diseases the prevalence is quite high. As an example chronic lower respiratory disease is the 3rd leading cause... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
No: Bird flu, or avian flu, feels just like seasonal flu but can be more severe - if a person is passing whitish or grayish stools then he/she may have a ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Good if not severe: While sepsis, blood poisoning from an infection and low blood pressure, is still often a fatal disease - if the person is overall healthy, if the infe... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 53-year-old female asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Provoked clot: Most likely your clot came from the immobility associated with you injury. Typically in this scenario, lifelong anticoagulation is more harmful than ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old male asked:
Dr. Asaf Presenteanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 18 years experience
Normal: This is well within the range of normal behavior. If it starts to interfere with time for other activities then cut back, otherwise this will not harm... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
2
Recommendations
339
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Presente is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Presente is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! I love this site it is the best one ever.May God Bless all that work together on here.THANK YOU
HealthTap member
Thank you Dr. Presente. Im hoping the new antibiotics will help, but my physician mentioned it could also be allergies acting up.
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer or tip was very helpful! I just got out of DUnedin hospital, in New Zealand. Trying to learn
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, IL
Graduated 2005MD
Awards
HealthTap Founding Doctor
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
Answer emailed
in 24 hours or less