Internal Medicine Norfolk

内科是医疗保健的一个分支，其重点是保持成年人的健康. A physician of internal medicine, called an internist, is dedicated to the health and well-being of adults. 在很多方面，你可以把内科医生看作你的主治医生.

对大多数人来说，内科医生将是你的主要医疗保健提供者. 

Internal Medicine vs. Family Doctor

许多病人想知道内科医生是否等同于家庭医生或全科医生. From the practical perspective of patients, these two fields are so similar that they may as well be one. But there are some subtle differences:

• A focus on adult care: An internist will focus only on adult patients. 家庭医生将能够治疗青少年、幼儿以及介于两者之间的所有儿童. 
• Lab work: 内科医生接受过将实验室工作纳入医疗实践的专门培训. 这意味着你的内科医生将能够快速运行测试(如血液检查)，并使用结果来帮助指导你的护理.

What Does Internal Medicine Cover?

内科是一门为成人提供全面护理的医疗保健专业. 所有你认为你会去看“家庭医生”的事情，你也会去看你的内科医生. 

一般来说，你可以去看内科医生，原因如下:

• Routine care for adults 
• Well checks or annual exams 
• Preventative screenings and vaccinations
• Diagnose chronic conditions 
• Manage multiple chronic conditions
• Cholesterol screening and treatment
• Men’s health screenings and care
• Women’s health screenings and care

When Should You See Your Internist?

Because internists specialize in adult care, 你通常不会开始看内科专家直到你至少18岁. 如果你超过这个年龄，你可以在任何时候开始看内科医生.

你应该经常去看内科医生，就像你经常去看其他初级保健提供者一样. 对许多病人来说，这可能意味着每年安排一次健康检查. For others, more frequent appointments may be necessary. 你多久看一次内科医生可能取决于多种因素, including your overall health, your medical history, and your age.

一般来说，以下指导原则可以作为经验法则:

• If you have no immediate health concerns: 你应该每年去看一次内科医生，做一次年度体检. (In some cases, you may only need a physical every three years, 尤其是如果你的年龄在50岁以下，但一定要听从医生的建议.)如果你有健康问题或需要更定期监测的情况, your internist may recommend more frequent visits.
• If you have a health concern: 你可以马上预约内科医生. For example, if you’ve had a sore throat for a few days, you may want to schedule an appointment for a strep test. 内科医生既能为病人看急症和常见病，也能为病人看长期疾病.

If you aren’t sure how often you should see your internist, 和你的初级保健医生谈谈，看看他们的建议.

Benefits of Primary Care

对大多数病人来说，内科医生将成为你的主要医疗服务提供者. 当人们想到“家庭医生”或“他们的医生”时，这就是他们的意思. 初级保健医生是照顾你的基本健康的医生, routine, and non-specialized medical needs. 当您需要更具体的护理时，您的初级保健医生可以将您转介给您需要的专家. As a result, 你的初级保健医生也是你最有可能与之建立全面和长期保健关系的医生. 

你的初级保健医生越了解你和你的病史, the more likely you are to receive prompt, effective treatment when you need it.

有一个初级保健医生和定期看初级保健医生有显著和长期的好处. Those benefits include:

• Early detection of problems严重疾病或病症的早期症状往往很微妙. Because you see your internist on a regular basis, 他们会对你的基本健康状况有更好的了解. 这使得检测任何偏离基线的情况变得更加容易. 通常，早期发现意味着更有效的治疗选择.
• Better management of chronic issues: Whether it’s asthma, high blood pressure, or fibromyalgia, 如果没有医疗干预，慢性病往往难以控制. 你的初级保健医生可以帮助你监测和治疗许多这样的情况, 从长远来看，可以更有效地控制你的症状.
• Improved health and wellness: 你的内科医生可以为你提供有关健康生活方式选择的信息. 如果你想要更好的饮食或开始锻炼，你的内科医生可以告诉你怎么做. 这些健康的生活方式选择对你的长期健康和健康有重大影响.
• Preventative medicine: 治疗疾病或病症的最好方法就是从一开始就避免得病! Your internist can help you practice this prevention. 例如，你的内科医生可以为你提供流感疫苗或Covid-19增强剂.
• Mental health screenings: 你的内科医生也会帮助你进行心理健康和健康检查. 这有助于发现抑郁、焦虑或多动症等问题. 识别这些问题可以为您提供治疗方案，如药物治疗.

您的内科医生也将能够为您提供继续或专门护理的转介. For example, if you often wake up feeling tired, 你的内科医生可以把你推荐给睡眠研究专家来检测睡眠呼吸暂停. Talk to your internist today!

Day to Day Wellness and Preventative Care

你的内科医生可以做很多事情来帮助你从一开始就避免生病. Some of that preventive care will include the following:

• Vaccinations and immunizations: 疫苗是有史以来发明的最强大、最有效的医学疗法之一，因为它们可以防止你生病. 虽然我们大多认为接种疫苗是童年的事情, the reality is that you need vaccines as an adult, including for influenza (the so-called Flu Shot) and COVID-19.
• Diet and lifestyle: As with your wellness visits, 预防保健有时会涉及到如何管理你的饮食和生活方式，以优化你的健康. 例如，这可能包括改变你的饮食，以帮助控制心血管疾病或糖尿病.

What Does an Internist Treat – At a Glance

You can see your internist for the following conditions:

• Cold and flu
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Thyroid disease
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Vascular disease
• And more

Start Seeing Your Doctor Today

今天就联系YMC预约内科医生.

For appointments  402-316-4606

Charles Harper, M.D. – Board Certified

Alan Spanel, M.D. – Board Certified

Kelly, Jueden, CNP

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