Internal medicine specializes in all aspects of adult health care. It provides preventative care and diagnoses and treats the full scope of health problems affecting adults.

Your internal medicine provider at Providence Medical & Mental Health Clinic also serves as your primary care provider. Primary care providers take care of your day-to-day medical care. They give you a medical home to call whether you wake up feeling sick or need chronic disease management.

What services does internal medicine provide?

Internal medicine offers comprehensive services for adults throughout their lifetime, including:

• Sick visits
• Annual preventive exams
• Women’s wellness exams
• Sexually transmitted disease (STD) diagnosis and treatment
• Upper respiratory infection treatment
• Thyroid disease management
• Urinary tract infection treatment
• Smoking cessation plan
• Spine or joint pain treatment
• Gastrointestinal and heart burn treatment
• Weight loss management
• Nutrition and lifestyle goals
• Immunizations

Though this list isn’t comprehensive, it gives you a good idea of the services you can receive at Providence Medical & Mental Health Clinic.

What health screenings does internal medicine offer?

Health screenings assess your risk of developing a chronic disease and detect early signs of a problem while you still have time to prevent the disease. Examples of health screenings include:

• Blood pressure screening
• Blood tests for cholesterol and sugar levels (diabetes)
• Evaluating your risk for heart disease
• Breast cancer screening
• Pap tests
• Skin checks

The team also refers you for screenings as needed based on your age and risk factors. For example, you may need a colonoscopy or a bone scan for osteoporosis.

How does internal medicine manage chronic disease?

There are currently no cures for chronic diseases such as: 

• Diabetes
• Asthma
• Arthritis
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Heart disease
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Once you have a chronic disease, you need a plan to keep it well controlled. Otherwise, the condition keeps getting worse. For example, if you have diabetes, you need to keep your blood sugar within the normal range to prevent nerve and blood vessel damage.

Your internal medicine provider creates a management plan that meets your needs, combining lifestyle recommendations with medications. 

In the early stages of a chronic disease, making lifestyle changes such as following a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and losing weight can stop the disease from progressing. As the disease gets worse, you need medications to protect your health. 

When you have a chronic disease that needs specialized medical care, your provider refers you to a trusted physician. 

If you need an annual exam, chronic disease management, or prompt treatment for an acute illness, call Providence Medical & Mental Health Clinic or book an appointment online today.