What is internal health care?
Internal medicine is the study, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions that affect the internal organs — conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and lung disease. Internal medicine specialists often care for people with complex, chronic, and multisystem disorders.
What does an internist take care of?
Internists routinely see patients with conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and chronic lung disease. An internist may consult with doctors in other fields of medicine, or may be called to consult on a patient by another specialist.
What is the difference between internal medicine and primary care?
Internal medicine doctors are different from other primary care doctors because they only care for adults. These doctors, also called internists, are trained to treat both simple and complex conditions from early adulthood through old age.
Why would you see an internist?
Internists are well-trained in the long-term care of patients who are healthy, have a chronic disease, or have allergies. You can also see an internist for consultation and medicine prescription for common ailments such as a cold, flu, sore throat, earache, allergies, and stomach ache.
What happens at an internist appointment?
As part of your physical exam, your an internist typically will:
- Look at your general appearance, including your posture and how you move.
- Listen to your heart, checking for a heart murmur, irregular heartbeat, or other unusual sounds.
- Listen to your breathing, checking for crackles, wheezing, or shortness of breath.
What is the difference between an internist and a general practitioner?
One of the biggest distinctions between an internist and a general practitioner is that while internists typically only treat adults, general practitioners are trained to provide care for patients of all ages. A general practitioner may treat adults, adolescents, and also children.