In this complicated world of healthcare, it can be difficult to know who to talk to, given someone’s situation or symptoms. If you’ve found that you’re unsure where to turn to schedule your appointments or which doctors to reach out to, we can help.
While the various types of health practices go beyond this list of three, these are perhaps the most commonly needed by people. So, before you head in for an appointment, ensure you’re seeing the right person. Below are some details on specific practices that are available to you.
1. Primary Care
Primary care is a great first step to take if you aren’t sure where to start. A primary care physician might have a variety of methods that you can use to get in contact with, like direct primary care, or a phone number via a webpage.
Once you are able to schedule a time with your primary provider, then you can talk with them about any symptoms that you might be dealing with. There, if the potential cause of the problem is general enough, then it can be taken care of in one visit.
There are unfortunate cases, however, where primary care physicians can’t diagnose or can’t treat the issues that a patient may be having. In this case, they may refer you to a specialist. Some examples of specialists that they might recommend are listed below.
2. Pediatric Care
Pediatric care is a specialty that focuses on helping babies, children, and teens. If you have a child and need any type of checkup or are concerned about symptoms, then asking a pediatrician is the best course of action.
Often, kids and teens dealing with puberty will have unique situations where the treatment for their conditions is not the same as what would be used for an adult.
Turning to a pediatrician is especially necessary for babies and infants because their bodily systems are so vastly different than those of adults. It’s best to make sure that you talk with a doctor who is an expert at helping young babies.
3. Psychiatric Care
For some symptoms, a primary care doctor may refer you to a psychiatrist or a psychologist. These doctors are very similar, and they will focus on treating ailments of the mind, such as depression, grief, anxiety, and many more.
There are a number of mental conditions that will result in physical distress, such as anxiety disorders and personality disorders.
When you see a psychologist, they can help you with methods like talk therapy, walking you through how to handle stressful situations, or working through trauma. But a psychologist can only help you to this extent. In cases where medication might be necessary for your situation, only a psychiatrist can prescribe medication.
For example, if you are seeing a psychologist and they believe you have ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, then there are medications that can help in this case. But you would have to follow up with a psychiatrist for the medication to be prescribed.
Know What Doctor You Need
As healthcare changes so rapidly, you might need some help knowing who to talk to because of the concerns you may have.
Above is a brief description of just a few common areas of practice. You should call your primary care doctor for the most accurate advice. Otherwise, turning to a specialist like some listed here is a good starting point too.
Getting started with the right doctor or specialist is one of the hardest aspects of healthcare. Hopefully, this information can help make that stage of care a little easier for you and get you into healing and treatment faster!
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