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About
Bio
I am a Family Physician with 23 years experience, did my undergraduate degree in biochemistry at UCLA, MD at New York Medical College, residency at UC San Diego, and have worked in a variety of civilian and military healthcare settings over the years. I am married with four boys, volunteer in youth coaching and service groups, and enjoy running, biking, and open water swimming. I practice full scope Family Medicine with patients of all ages and medical conditions, with special interest in sports medicine, geriatrics, diabetes, asthma, and preventive medicine.
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.
Family Medicine
Licenses
United States: California, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
66 Answers
4 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 39-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
ECG repolarization: That is not a clinically concerning ECG finding and in no way related to your GERD or costochondritis.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Lab: looks like normal lab, but you ask doctor who ordered lab to tell you for sure, because it takes clinical correlation with your history, physical exam... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 20-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Black spots vision: Your Ophtho sounds right, but if you are doubtful get a 2nd opinion
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
112 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 55-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Back stiffness: only 2 possible causes - osteoarthritis or lack of daily regular exercise (or combination) -- download back exercise handout from Mayo Clinic or other... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
138 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Pregnancy: Depends on your insurance. Call 800 number on back of your insurance card. Many insurances allow you to direct refer to OB/Gyn, others mandate PCP ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Refractory GERD: short answer ... go see GI doc or surgeon ... you might need minor surgery to tighten lower esophageal sphincter (muscle between your stomach and esop... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
138 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Fatigue: Lab tests are normal. Differential diagnosis includes obstructive sleep apnea, depression, insomnia, other issues. First, ask someone else (spouse? ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Nostril sore: Doubt it's anything serious over 7 days. I have had the same. It's kind of like oral aphthous ulcers - lasts 14-21 days then disappears. Many think... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Bowels: Description is too short to give educated answer - you need complete history & physical exam including review of systems to get any good idea of w... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 54-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Addison's: Absolutely- any stress affects body cortisol levels, but for specific management, contact your Endocrinologist.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Foot rash: Differenti.al diagnosis of this rash includes tinea (fungus), psoriasis, with possibly superimposed bacterial infection. Often, lactic acid cream at ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Cough: That's probably just a strain of your abdominal muscles, but if you have abdominal pain when you're not coughing that's more concerning. You can also... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Hair loss: go see your doctor and get thyroid blood test (TSH) and other appropriate laboratory testing - if all normal, consider Dermatology consultation for ot... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Pregnancy rash: 1st - go see Urgent Care or PCP in person to diagnoses - takes eyes to make sure accurate diagnosis. It's probably Pruritic urticarial papules and pl... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Thrombocytosis: that's a very specific Hematology-Oncology specialist question, not Primary Care ... go see or ask your father's specialist for detailed answer to tha... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
138 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Diaphragm mass: that mass is called your xyphoid process (small bone just distal to your sternum - totally normal finding) - flutters probably small muscle spasm - go... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 51-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Partial Tear: First, I am a primary care and urgent care doctor, not a surgeon or specialist, so all answers will be framed around primary and urgent telemedicine c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Needle foot: Requires in person ortho exam- differential diagnosis includes plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, bunion, osteoarthritis, or other cause
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
OCP's: correct answer is everyone is different and bleeding can be extremely variable - you might have weeks to months of spotting or irregular bleeding - yo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Belly button pain: Hi, pretty hard to answer extremely specifically via telemedicine, but most likely musculoskeletal or soft tissue cause, but you always need to be car... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
138 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Pregnancy hemorrhoid: All pregnant women are constipated - I may be exaggerating a little bit, but not much. When I was an intern, my hospital pharmacy gave all pregnant w... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Spider : bumps or lymph nodes in same arm as spider bite or infection is perfectly normal and just indicates you have good immune system fighting your infectio... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Hip / shoulder pain: not sure what "plate" means - do you have hardware in place from surgery? If not, you are describing either arthritis or tendonitis most likely. Thi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
112 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Pineal cysts: probably never need to check any MRI or imaging ever again, but get specific written recommendation directly from Radiologist or Neurologist based on... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Eyelid red splotches: This is most likely a benign skin condition and not a connective tissue disease and all laboratory testing will not be useful. Go see Dermatologist i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Twitching: 38 years old finger twitching is not ALS or MS. Go see PCP in person for complete history and physical exam for good in person diagnosis. Probably n... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Toe itch: clarification- lamisil is brand name and some stores put different creams in "same" name tubes - flip over package/ tube and look for active ingredien... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
High potassium: ECG always good idea if you have high potassium. But 1st thing to do is repeat the lab test, since often tube is left out for too long or delayed in ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Penis lump: This requires video or photo telemedicine consult, or in person visit. Only way to diagnose any rash is for an experienced provider to actually see i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 63-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Urine glucose: Probably, but please call doctor who ordered this urine test to ask that specific question, since it is very important to correlate clinically with yo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Sleep hygiene: This is challenging issue - I have worked graveyard shift. It's an actual diagnosis. Try melatonin, exercise at your lunch or before you start work ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Chest pain 32 yr old: probably musculoskeletal at your age, but if you do any vaping or any drugs, go immediately to ER - might be good idea to go to Urgent Care regardless... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Adrenal nodule: You need to see an Endocrinologist as well as a General Surgeon (or other Surgeon who specializes in Adrenal masses) -- appropriate lab testing and su... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
112 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Brusism: bruxism does not cause hearing loss - it's a joint problem, not an ear problem - but agree with all the other doctor's great advice
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Baby piercing: my wife is Mexican, so I perfectly understand many cultures are going to pierce baby girls' ears very young regardless of what doctors say - very safe... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Cloudy stool: Probably nothing to do if no other symptoms. Eat a good diet, no carbs if you can, go see doctor in person if you get fevers, abdominal pain, watery ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Ulcers: Hi, not quite sure what you are asking, but ask your PCP for Gastroenterology consult for evaluation and treatment of this condition, possible upper e... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Ibuprofen-blood: This would be "red flag" for most doctors - go to Urgent Care now or PCP and they will consider Gastroenterology consult for consideration of upper en... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Armpit lump: not cancer if it goes down / decreases with size - probably small abscess / infection- go to Urgent Care or PCP quickly to get antibiotics and possibl... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 58-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Shoulder pain: This can be few things- differential diagnosis includes peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage), osteoarthritis of shoulder or other joints in arm, tendo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 51-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Elevated BUN/creat: Probably nothing serious , just dehydration/ not drinking enough fluids, but with your complicated issues, call your Nephrologist for more detailed an... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Pregnancy bowel move: Absolutely - you have bowling ball sitting on your bladder and intestines. Also, pregnancy affects your entire body, bowels, hormones, blood volume, ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Lacrimal nerve: Good question- first, objectively identifying lacrimal nerve damage is very difficult if not impossible, but if it's damaged it will cause problems wi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Flonase: Couple of weeks probably. Maybe never if you have bad seasonal allergic rhinitis and require topical nasal steroid to control it. Flonase quite harm... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Benzos: don't take more than 1 for any minor procedure - highly addictive, yes
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 64-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Hippocampus: that would be Neurology question ... I am assuming someone ordered an MRI for you ... if abnormal or any concerns, get Neurology consult and pose that... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
PCOS/Infertility: You need to see PCOS/ Infertility specialist, not just general OB/Gyn doctor. Start with your OB/Gyn doctor and get recommendation for PCOS/Infertili... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
139 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 64-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Spotting: spotting on all forms of hormonal birth control is extremely common and not abnormal - always good idea to see your PCP or OB/Gyn for medication revie... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Skin wart lesions: that is huge differential diagnosis without in person visualization by experienced clinician or high resolution photos - possible causes are hand/foot... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Blainanswered
Family Medicine 27 years experience
Sugar / breakout: I am assuming you are talking about skin breakout or acne. Not sure that's related to diet or sugar, though. That being said, skin breakout, assumin... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
133 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.
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Thank you notes
HealthTap member
This was very helpful. Thanks! Thank you. I wouldn't worry about addiction. My mom got the prescription for her jaw and has only taken 5 of 16. She is scared, and anything that might take the edge o...Read More
HealthTap member
This was very helpful. Thanks! Thank you ! I made arrangements to see a Dermatologist. In fact my appointment is tomorrow. Once again thanks!~
HealthTap member
Your answer made me feel good, thanks! Thank you so much! Hadn’t heard of that before, put my mind at ease
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
New York Medical College, NY
Graduated 1996MD
Residency
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO MEDICAL CENTER
Completed 2001
Awards
2002-2005- AMA Physician's Recognition Award
Fellow of the American Academy of Family Medicine
HealthTap Founding Doctor
Affiliations
American Academy of Family Physicians
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