What Does a Family Doctor Do?

If you’re wondering exactly what a family practice handles, we can help. At Matthews Internal Medicine, we have the knowledge and experience required to provide treatments for a wide range of medical issues. Here’s a look at some of the things that you can rely on your family doctor to handle.

 

Chronic Illness

A family doctor is generally able to handle many types of chronic disease. Millions of Americans are living with conditions like diabetes, asthma, and heart disease, and a family doctor can help you manage conditions like these. They can determine how a disease is progressing, what you need to do to get healthier, and how you can live with your chronic illness.

Preventative Care

Family doctors can also help with preventative care. This covers things like smoking cessation programs and weight control, which can help you live a healthier lifestyle and avoid bigger health problems later on. You can’t prevent every ailment, but taking some steps now can help you when you’re older.

Common Health Problems and Concerns

A family doctor is here to handle some of the most common health problems. If your child has the flu, a trip to your family doctor is usually in order. If you need vaccines and immunizations, those are often covered by your family doctor. Minor injuries can often be taken care of by your family doctor as well. And if anything seems off at all about any of your family members and their health, the family doctor is likely the first stop.

Diagnose New Diseases

Because you go to your family medicine practice often, the doctors there are likely the best at diagnosing a new disease or medical problem when it develops. They know what your baseline is and they can spot anomalies, like a rise in blood pressure, that could portend the development of something more serious. A family doctor can even screen for serious diseases like cancer.

Care for Patients of All Ages

Doctors like pediatricians specialize in one age group, while a family doctor is well-versed in treating patients of all ages. In some cases you might see the same doctor as a teen as you do when you hit your midlife crisis. That means that they have to have a wide breadth of knowledge and the ability to figure out what could be ailing patients of all types.

They Find the Specialist You Need

Eventually you might need to see a more specialized medical professional. When this happens your family doctor is often the one who finds the doctor that best suits your particular medical needs. If you have cancer, need more specialized treatment for heart disease, or have an ailment that requires surgery, your family doctor will likely serve as an introduction to the specialist you require. Because your family doctor has a long history with you, they’ll likely be able to pick a specialist based not just on your ailment, but based on your complete medical history and personal treatment preferences as well.

 

Family Medicine in Charlotte, NC

So if you’re looking for a skilled family doctor that can help you live a healthier life, our Charlotte, NC family practice can help. Call Matthews Internal Medicine at (704) 750-2329 or make an appointment through our website today.