Dr. Ronald Sherman
Infectious Disease
Irvine, CA
40 years experience male
About
Bio
Ronald Sherman is an internist specializing in Infectious Diseases / HIV, and wound care. Other interests include parasitology/tropical medicine and public health. Dr. Sherman's research centers around the therapeutic use of living animals ("biotherapy"): maggot therapy, leech therapy, been venom therapy, helminthic therapy, fecal microbiota transplants (FMT), bacteriophage, guide and service dogs, etc.
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.
Infectious Disease
Travel Medicine
Licenses
United States: California
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
31 Answers
13 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Yes, thankfully.: Because leeches drain blood effectively, efficiently, and nearly painlessly, they are very effective at treating problems where blood has pooled to a ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Probably not: There is no evidence that leeches transmit hiv. However, you can not prove that something never happens, just because it has never happened. The fda r... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A male asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
A deeper cause: If this has never gone away, perhaps the antibiotics selected are not the best for your infection, or perhaps there is a "reservoir of infection" belo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 51-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Absolutely: Parasites like intestinal worms can cause anemia, usually by causing bleeding into the gut. Chronic infections can also cause anemia through low blood... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
It only takes one...: You need not worry about toilets; but you still must be concerned about partners. Even just one. Like gambling, it only takes one to win (or loose); a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Not always bugs!: Several causes for "bug bites." detailed history (how, when, who else) and exam (what the lesion looks like, and what the rest of you looks like) is o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
BETTER, not stronger: Your question likely stems from a wound that is not getting better, despite neosporin. Maybe neosporin is the the BEST antibiotic for that infection (... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Infection from Cats: Cat scratch disease, also known as cat scratch fever, is an infection, usually transmitted by a cat scratch or bite, manifested by a raised sore or wo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
901 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Possible gut infect: Your symptoms suggest a gut infection (sometimes called colitis, enterocolitis, dysentary, etc). Sometimes non-infections can also cause these symptom... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Not yet: Note yet, at least not with any degree of certainty. However, research is ongoing, looking at which species and strains of microorganisms might someda... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Absolutely: Some bacterial infections can affect the developing child directly, by spreading to the womb. More commonly, though, bacterial infections can have an ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Ask, then move on...: First, ask your Dr why s/he refuses to treat you. Then, if you are unsatisfied with the answer, gather up all your study results and take them to anot... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Unlikely: The actual frequency of false positives and false negatives varies with the type of test, but in general, false negative Chlamydia test results are mo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Drum intact?Water OK: If the drum is intact (and it sounds like it is) you need not worry about water in the shower. Dry your ears afterwards, but do not stick anything int... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Possible but unusual: Wise to question the long time interval. Bite reactions are generally a direct or indirect inflammatory response to chemicals injected. Itching, swell... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Yes- for some things: Leeches are used to treat meany ailments. They have been critically tested only for some of these. For example, a controlled prospective clinical tria... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Yes, but . . . : Yes, but rarely. Most wounds attributed to spiders actually result from infections or minor trauma. If you did not see the spider bite you, consider o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Not likely chlamydia: Not usually a symptom of chlamydia. It is something else. but it still could be a STD, for example: scabies. Many other things also cause itchy red bu... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Your Dr can culture: Bumps with fluid can contain viruses, bacteria, fungi (very unlikely in this location), or no infection at all (ie, contact dermatitis; eczema). What ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Yes, but . . .: Yes, they are possible side effects, but don't stop your medication before contacting your doctor. They could be does-related (you may need a smaller ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Many possibilities: 9 poops/day & tender abdomen is not normal. Many causes- diet, infection, metabolism, altered gut physiology/inflammation... Start food & poop... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Looking 4 infection: The swab was most likely for a culture of infectious microbes like gonorrhea or chlamydia (two common sexually transmitted diseases). There are now al... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
See doctor ASAP: If you can feel spot and it does not move around the eye, likely it is on/in the cornea overlying the iris. Such a thing could be something sticking o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Yes, & so should he!: Treatment may be quick & simple, but it may take several days before all the germs die. After treatment, you remain potentially infectious for up ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Yes - sort of: Leech therapy is used to treat wound-related problems (vascular congestion after flap or replantation surgery, arterial insufficiency), but not the wo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Returning symptoms: 2 common reasons for returning symptoms: 1) antibiotics did not work (because it was not an infection, or it was an infection that was resistant to th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Med not the problem?: There are dozens of alternative antifungal preparations. However, often failure is due to problem with the medication reaching the fungus rather than... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 51-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Anarobes can B nasty: Anaerobic infections (infections with bacteria that live with little or no oxygen) tend to be under the skin or deep in the body. They may manifest as... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Oral HPV is possible: It is possible. But how likely it is depends on your risks of exposure to this infection (i.e., oral sex), and what it looks like ("lesion" could be a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
See Dr. because ...: There are many causes for inverted nipple; most causes are normal or benign: Normal Nipple Variation from Birth, Breastfeeding, Trauma, Breast Sagging... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ronald Shermananswered
Infectious Disease 40 years experience
Time to see your Doc: If this is "just" your eczema, it sounds like it is not responding to current Rx, and you may require more intensive Rx (such as systemic (oral or inj... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.4k 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.
5
Recommendations
68
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Sherman is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Sherman is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Nov 5, 2015
explains everything clearly without making you feel dumb.
HealthTap member
This checklist was very helpful! Thanks :) I really needed to hear from a doctor and Dr. Ronald helped me out.
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thanks for taking the time to explain your answer. Much appreciated!
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thank u so MUCH doctor! Have a great evening!!
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
UCLA School of Medicine, CA
Graduated 1983MD
Residency
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER
Awards
Top Infectious Disease Specialist, Second Place, California - Spring
2015
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