Health-Wellness
by Nurse Jill
For millennia the role of doctor has been considered a generalist career. There were only so many ailments known to man and so a doctor studied all of them. However as history has progressed so has research and with it—specialization of medicine.
In the 1800s, more and more doctors began to focus on researching specific events and/or diseases. As these individuals became more and more educated in one aspect of human health—specialties became a natural side effect. While many doctors’ research benefitted the masses who practiced general medicine, more and more began to see patients with a specific set of symptoms that had been sent to them due to their unique knowledge.
Fast forward to today and even a general practice doctor seems to be their own type of specialty. The American Board of Medical Specialties officially recognizes only 24 specialties but within those specialties are over 120 subspecialties.
So this begs the question: When should I see a specialist?
Sometimes this is obvious and sometimes not. And sometimes this depends on how far you want to chase your symptoms to see if there is an answer.
One of the telltale signs that you should see a specialist is that your general practitioner tells you to make an appointment with one. Many patients see a cardiologist in addition to their primary care physician to keep on target with blood pressure medication, cholesterol medication, and regular monitoring of their heart health.
Another sign that you may benefit from a specialist is if the issue you are dealing with is isolated to one area of the body. If you have a foot problem you see a foot specialist (in the form of a podiatrist or an orthopedic who is trained in feet). If you have persistent stomach symptoms you seek out a Gastroenterologist or GI doctor. If you can pinpoint where the issues are then a specialist may be able to better address the problem.
If you are dealing with a chronic situation and don’t already see a specialist then that may be a sign to seek one out. Often times even if a chronic condition can be effectively managed by a general practitioner, it can still be helpful to see a specialist in the beginning of a chronic diagnosis for education, comprehensive testing, and advice on the recommended course of treatment. Once your chronic condition is well managed a general practitioner can sometimes step in and keep you on the treatment path until you have a complication or other concerns arise.
Well-known specialties include: Cardiology, Otolaryngology or ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat), Orthopedic, Psychiatry, Gynecology, Ophthalmology, and Pediatrics.
Lesser-known specialties are:
Allergist or Immunologist. These doctors not only diagnose and treat allergies but can also manage autoimmune diseases. They can be a key part in figuring out respiratory, skin, or intestinal difficulties.
Rheumatologist. A rheumatologist specializes in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. These doctors are often the sleuths to find the culprit behind chronic issues in a patient’s health.
Surgery. While most people know that surgeons exist many are unaware that there are many, many different subspecialties of surgery. The more advanced our medical knowledge gets the more specialized surgery becomes. The more specialized surgery becomes the more education and experience it takes to preform it. Hence, more and more subspecialties in surgery. Anything from taking out non-functioning body parts to reconstruction of ligaments to replacing joints.
Pulmonologist. This is a physician who specializes in lungs. This can be either short-term or chronic issues in the lungs and the section of the circulatory system that goes into, around, and out of the lungs.
Endocrinology. These practitioners specialize in the glands of the body including the pancreas, the thyroid, pituitary gland, adrenal glands, gonads, and parathyroid glands. The balance of the hormones released by all these can be tricky and diagnosing and treating imbalances can be a life-saver for many.
These are just a few of the helpful specialities in medicine. We have a few that come to Livingston to share their knowledge and help with our community but there are even more specialists in the state and country that can also be helpful to achieving and maintaining health.
The question you can always ask in your appointment with your doctor is, “Is there a specialist for this?” While your general doctor may be more than capable of addressing your concerns sometimes a visit with a specialist with all their unique knowledge and skill can be a step on a road to even better health. If you can’t get into your regular doctor, give a quick call and just ask if a referral to a specialist is appropriate for your situation. Some insurances will even let you make that appointment without a referral.
As knowledge of ailments has increased so has the need for individuals who specialize. Both specialist and generalists are needed in today’s medicine in balanced tandem to help each of us competently deal with health concerns as they arise.