Most doctors recommend that adults have an annual physical exam so the physician can check for any new health conditions or monitor any known pre-existing conditions. Internal medicine doctors – also called internists, general practitioners, or primary care providers (PCPs) – diagnose and treat all types of adult diseases by checking physical symptoms, bloodwork, and urinalysis.
Internal medicine doctors provide healthcare for everything from common illnesses to complex medical conditions. They can write prescriptions as necessary, and they can refer a patient to a specialist if the patient exhibits unusual symptoms that may require specialized treatment. They are also trained to make sure you are up-to-date on your immunizations, including an annual flu shot.
A patient should begin to see an internal medicine doctor at 18 years old and have a lifelong doctor-patient relationship with them. This is the right kind of health practitioner to see when you become too mature to see a pediatrician anymore.
What Do Internal Medicine Doctors Do?
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.
They focus on disease prevention and health promotion in adults, and they aim to maintain each patient’s optimum health. If you are diagnosed with a condition that your internist wants to keep track of, or if the doctor wants to periodically check how your body is reacting to prescription medications, they may ask you to have more frequent checkups.
Some of the most common chronic illnesses that are diagnosed and treated by internists include the following:
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, or hypertension, usually does not display any obvious symptoms. However, it can cause cardiovascular and organ damage, so it is important for it to be diagnosed and properly treated on an ongoing basis by your primary care physician.
To only way to detect whether you have high blood pressure is to get tested by your doctor. An internal medicine physician can prescribe any medications your body needs to keep you healthy, including medicine for hypertension if necessary.
High Cholesterol
High cholesterol occurs when there is too much cholesterol – which comprises fats, or lipids – in the blood. Like high blood pressure, high cholesterol has no symptoms. Your doctor can conduct a blood test to check your cholesterol levels.
Ideally, you should have high levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and low levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in your blood. LDL has more fat than protein, and HDL has more protein than fat. The high-fat cholesterol (LDL) can collect in your blood vessels and create blockages, whereas HDL helps to move cholesterol out of your body.
Untreated high cholesterol poses a risk for heart attack and stroke. With the recommendations of your internist, high cholesterol can be successfully treated.
Allergies
Different types of allergic reactions have different causes and symptoms. Some allergic reactions can be life-threatening, such as peanut or latex allergies which can cause anaphylactic shock in susceptible people, while more minor allergies can cause itching and rashes.
It is vital to let your internal medicine doctor know about any unusual reactions you’ve had to foods or medicines, including relatively minor reactions. Your doctor will make sure that any medications which are prescribed to you do not include the allergen that is harmful to you, such as eggs.
Internal Medicine Doctors in South Carolina
Internists provide primary care to adult patients throughout their lives. With their thorough and generalized medical training, internal medicine doctors can diagnose and treat patients who have just about any kind of disease or illness.
Our doctors at SC Internal Medicine Associates & Rehabilitation are committed to supporting your care and well-being through a lifelong relationship. To book an appointment, you may call us at (803) 749-1111 or request an appointment now via our online form. We look forward to partnering with you for a lifetime of health and wellness.
