You already know that having a personal physician is an
important part of preventing sickness and promoting a long, healthy
life. Ravinia Associates includes the expertise of board-certified
internists. These internal medicine physicians can detect health
problems in patients of all ages long before the patient becomes aware
that something is wrong.
Internists are specially trained not only to diagnose and treat disease,
but to prevent the initial onset of those diseases by recognizing and
controlling risk factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Internists are also proficient in the detection and treatment of cancer
as well as problems of the digestive, respiratory, joint, vascular,
internal organ and cardiovascular systems.
Why choose an Internist?
Having a personal physician is an important part of preventing sickness
and promoting a long, healthy life. Regular checkups are key to
detecting health conditions early, making them easier to treat. But what
are the benefits of choosing a doctor who specializes in internal
medicine?
An internist can alert you to problems before you know they exist. Internists are specially trained to not only diagnose and treat diseases, but to prevent the initial onset of those diseases by controlling risk factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol. Internists are also proficient in the detection and treatment of cancer, as well as problems related to the digestive, respiratory, joint, vascular, internal organ and cardiovascular systems.
Who benefits from an internist?
By focusing on comprehensive adult health care and
addressing a wide range of conditions, from common colds to heart
attacks, internal medicine physicians can treat patients from the age of
15 onward. A long-term, patient-physician relationship provides the
internist with extensive understanding of a patient’s unique medical
history and enables them to address specific, ongoing health concerns
that factor into a patient’s overall health equation.
Physician training
While an internist is often confused with a general
practitioner, there are distinct differences between the two. For
instance, an internist devotes three years of education to studying
adult medicine, specifically as it pertains to the health of internal
organs and disease prevention. Subsequently, they may choose to become a
general internist or to practice within a subspecialty of medicine, such
as cardiology or endocrinology. On the other hand, a family practitioner
spends only nine months of residency training studying adult disease
under an internist.
An internist is specially trained in:
- General medicine
- Respiratory system
- Vascular system
- Heart problems
- Blood problems
- Kidney problems
- Joint/rheumatologic problems
- Digestive problems
- Endocrine/hormonal problems
- Cancer
- Urinary problems
- Neurological problems
- Infectious disease