Signs That a Patient Needs to See an Internal Medicine Doctor
Internal medicine is the study and practice of the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of adult diseases.
Internal medicine is a relatively broad term. There are many sub-areas within the field, such as cardiology, gastroenterology and endocrinology.
When to visit an internal medicine doctor
It is helpful to know when it is recommended to visit with an internal medicine doctor to ensure good short-term and long-term health. By doing so, you can make a more informed decision about medical treatment.
The following are four signs that indicate a visit to the internal medicine doctor might be beneficial.
Chronic illness
One of the main roles of an internal medicine doctor is to treat patients who have chronic illnesses. The fact is a chronic illness that is left untreated is likely to get worse. Prompt and effective medical intervention can help treat the symptoms as well as the underlying cause, improving the severity of the condition altogether.
Since internal medicine is broken down into various specialties, it can treat just about any illness a patient might have. internal medicine doctors are also skilled in working with one another to treat patients with multiple chronic illnesses as effectively as possible.
Severe fatigue
A patient who has a chronic illness has likely already been diagnosed with a condition. However, there are times when the warning signs are less obvious, such as with patients whose main symptom is fatigue. Severe fatigue is an early sign of a number of long-term health conditions. It may turn out to not be an issue that poses a long-term threat to the patient’s overall health. But it is encouraged for anyone with severe fatigue to visit with an internal medicine doctor to find out why the fatigue exists.
Chronic pain
Pain is a way of telling the body that something is wrong. Subsequently, it should not be ignored, especially if the pain becomes chronic or progresses suddenly to an almost intolerable level. Regardless of where the pain exists, any pain that is not caused by an injury and is chronic warrants a visit with an internal medicine doctor.
During the first appointment, the internal medicine doctor can assess the pain and start the diagnostic process to determine the underlying cause.
High-risk of disease
Essentially anyone who is at an increased risk of disease should consider visiting an internal medicine doctor. Internal medicine is about more than treating issues that already exist. Visiting a doctor is also a great way to prevent adult diseases from developing in the first place. A person might be at an increased risk for a variety of reasons, including hereditary and lifestyle concerns.
Talk to an internal medicine doctor today
If you experience any of the signs above, then we encourage you to get in touch with us today.
We can schedule a time to come in for an initial consultation. We can help with the diagnosis of the symptoms and help come up with an effective treatment and prevention strategy moving forward.
Request an appointment here: https://hillendale.millenniummedicalcare.com or call Millennium Medical Care Woodbridge at (703) 945-1942 for an appointment in our Woodbridge office.
Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Internal Medicine in Woodbridge, VA.
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