General Medicine
Overview
What is General Medicine?
Internal medicine covers a wide range of diseases and disorders that affect the body's internal organs, including the heart, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and urinary tract, as well as the brain, spinal column, neurological system, muscles, and joints. While the majority of diseases, such as arteriosclerosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer, are common and affect several internal organs in the body, there are some diseases that affect specific organs.
Role of an Internist
The internist's job is to be able to recognise, classify, and finally manage a wide range of illnesses, some of which may be chronic, with a single patient having multiple disorders at any given moment. This is especially true in a population that is ageing. Internists do the majority of their work in hospitals as internal medicine patients, who are usually extremely unwell or require extensive investigations.
As a result, the internist's role is to treat the individual as a whole, not just their internal organs, by focusing on complete medicine. Patients might be of any age group, however the common age range is from late adolescence to senior citizens.
Note: Internists don't operate, treat youngsters, or deliver babies.
Internists are responsible for preventing diseases in adults by diagnosing and treating them. Interns are taught to recognise and control risk factors, such as increased blood pressure and cholesterol, in order to prevent the initial onslaught of these diseases. Internists undergo training and are experts at diagnosing and treating chronic illnesses, especially when a patient has many problems at the same time.
General Medicine – Areas of Care
Internists will need to be trained in specialised sub-specialties or areas of care for conditions that affect certain organs or organ systems.
Lung experts, also known as pulmonologists, treat illnesses such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis, often known as COPD. Pulmonologists are also skilled at treating sleep disorders, especially those that are related to breathing, with sleep apnoea being one of the most common.
Endocrinologists are specialists who specialise in the treatment of hormone and gland-related disorders. Conditions of the thyroid gland, such as over- or under-active thyroid, diabetes, and other hormone problems, are common ailments that fall under the ambit of endocrinology.
A physician known as a Cardiologist treats conditions involving the heart and blood arteries. The goal of treatment is to keep you from having a heart attack. In addition, treating patients who have already had a heart attack is an important area for cardiologists to focus on. A cardiologist may be consulted by patients who have been diagnosed with CHF or Cohesive Heart Failure. CHF is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump as effectively as it should. As a result, the patient's legs and lungs retain more fluid, causing a slew of health issues that require rapid medical attention.
Gastroenterologists specialise in the treatment of digestive system diseases such as the oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, pancreas, and liver. A gastroenterologist may be consulted by patients who have chronic or severe heartburn, indigestion, stomach discomfort, chronic diarrhoea or constipation, or irritable bowel syndrome.
Hepatologists specialise in the treatment of chronic or severe liver diseases such as Hepatitis A, B, or C. A hepatologist should be consulted if the patient requires a liver transplant owing to liver failure.
Haematologists and oncologists treat patients with blood diseases and cancer. When treating patients with blood problems like anaemia or malignancies of the breast, lung, and colon, these two subspecialties are frequently combined. If chemotherapy is required as part of the treatment, the Haematologist / Oncologist will usually be the one to deliver it. Surgical treatments to remove malignant tumours are not performed by haematologists or oncologists on their patients.
Patients with partial kidney disease, also known as renal insufficiency and kidney failure, are treated by kidney specialists or nephrologists. Dialysis may be recommended to patients with renal failure in order to control sodium, potassium, and calcium, which are all electrolytes, as well as regulate water and waste products in the body. Dialysis is managed by nephrologists, who are experts in the field.
Rheumatologists treat conditions known as "Autoimmune Diseases." The development of an autoimmune disease occurs when the body's immune system battles itself rather than the external virus or bacteria. Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are frequent. The discomfort and swelling in the joint areas are common symptoms of autoimmune illnesses. Rheumatologists can also help with joint problems that aren't caused by injuries or procedures.
An professional Allergist / Immunologist will do any type of allergy testing to establish which chemicals or foods the patient is allergic to, such as pollen, nuts, or mould. Allergy shots are given to patients in an attempt to desensitise them to certain substances, hence lowering the intensity of their allergies. Allergists/immunologists can also treat rare immune deficiency disorders in which the body's immune system isn't operating properly.
Medical practitioners that specialise in infectious illnesses treat chronic and severe infections such as HIV/AIDS, bone infections, and major dermatological infections. While short-term infectious illnesses like strep throat and sinus infections can be treated by a general practitioner, more serious infections like strep throat and sinus infections require professional treatment.
Geriatricians are doctors who specialise in treating illnesses that affect the elderly. While there is no set age at which an adult should seek medical counsel from a geriatrician, patients aged 80 and over often make up the majority of a geriatrician's patient list. A geriatrician is a doctor who specialises in treating cognitive and mental illnesses such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease. He or she also works to maintain their overall health and quality of life by coordinating the number of medications they take, checking for and preventing drug interactions, and limiting severe side effects.
When to Consult an Internist?
Diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol, as well as a common disease like the flu, mental health issues like anxiety, or even aches and pains, are all frequent medical concerns that may necessitate the intervention of an Internist who may function as your point of contact. If your internist believes that a specialist should be consulted, your internist will make a referral on your behalf, which will be followed by care coordination to ensure that you understand your diagnosis and treatment plan completely.
Centre for General Medicine
A check-up should be done at least once a year for the majority of the population. Many people,however, are unsure whether to see a general practitioner or an internist. Most of the time, a single healthcare provider fulfils both duties.
Internists, often known as doctors of internal medicine, are doctors who specialise in internal medicine.
About the department of General Medicine at Parvathy Hospital
The primary care activities of Parvathy Hospitals in Chennai are housed in the Department of Internal Medicine, which includes both in-patient and outpatient services, as well as promoting education and awareness with a focus on illness prevention. This is in addition to the auxiliary activities carried out by our specialists in the allied medical departments in Parvathy, Chennai. The Department of Internal Medicine at Parvathy, Chennai, provides screening, diagnostic, and therapeutic services for people. If the diagnosis and treatment require it, our trained internists can provide advisory services in referring patients to specialists. A comprehensive range of services, ranging from preventive medicine to screenings and health promotions to critical care, have been designed for patient care and are conveniently placed inside our facilities.
Committed to providing excellence, the Department of Internal Medicine offers a multidisciplinary, comprehensive, and innovative patient care across all of the medical specialities.
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