The long list of medical specialties shows many options you could choose when you are ill. Certainly, this can be very confusing.
So, when to choose to see a physician?
Internal Medicine Physicians
Sometimes known as medical specialists or Doctors of Internal Medicine, are experts in complexity. They specialize in adult medicine, and are specially trained to solve diagnostic problems, manage severe long-term illnesses, and help patients with multiple, complex chronic conditions.
They provide comprehensive, longitudinal patient care. They have life-long relationships with adult patients, and their recommendations are based on each patient’s unique situation.
Physicians use medications or drugs to treat patients, in contrast to surgeons, who generally treat the patients by performing surgery.
Physicians are trained to see certain subspecialties such as:
Cardiovascular Diseases, Abnormal heart beats, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and heart failures.
Respiratory Diseases, Chronic cough, lung infections (pneumonia), asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease (smoker lungs).
Kidney Problems, Kidney infections (Pyelonephritis), chronic kidney failures, urinary tract infections including sexually transmitted diseases.
Endocrinology, Usually type II diabetes in adults, or complex diabetic control in the elderly. Physician also treats thyroid diseases, gout etc.
Elderly Care, Specializing in dementia, frailty, bone health, Parkinson’s disease. The patient will be treated comprehensive as a whole.
Rheumatic Diseases, Lupus erythematous, rheumatoid arthritis. Other severe autoimmune diseases which involving more organs should always be treated by a rheumatologist.
Gastroenterology, Gastritis, chronic constipations, diarrhea, hepatitis.
Neurology, Most commonly migraine, cluster headache, post stroke follow up, sciatica and peripheral neuropathies (numbness of limbs).