Internal medicine is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases that affect adults. A doctor of internal medicine, sometimes called an internist, will treat patients ranging in age from late adolescence to old age.
Despite the name, internists don’t treat just diseases affecting the internal organs; they treat the whole patient. They can treat conditions as commonplace as the flu to more complex conditions such as diabetes. When doing the latter, they may work with medical professionals who have more specialized knowledge. Since an internist is frequently a primary care physician, they often see the same patients for years.
Doctors of internal medicine will take medical histories and perform physical exams. If necessary, they will either perform tests or order them. After diagnosing a condition, they will prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Internists can treat both acute and chronic conditions. They also perform preventative medicine like cancer screenings. Similarly, they will advise their patients on how to manage and improve their health. Internists can spot risk factors like high cholesterol or blood pressure, and they can advise their patients on how to control them.
A lot of people don’t know the difference between internal medicine and family medicine. Both doctors of internal medicine and family medicine can serve as primary care physicians. The main difference between the two is that internists treat adults exclusively, while doctors of family medicine treat both adults and children.
It’s important to keep in mind that very different diseases can have similar symptoms. An internist will be able to make the correct diagnosis and get the patient started with the appropriate treatment plan. A patient who tries to guess which specialist they need may guess wrongly and end up wasting their time and energy on tests or treatments they don’t need.
At Herrera Medical Group, we are proud to offer internal medicine, family medicine, geriatric medicine, and preventative medicine services. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg. We also provide such treatments as hormone replacement therapy, pain management, and BOTOX. If you’re seeking first-class care in the area, contact us today and schedule a consultation at our office in Flower Mound, TX.
