COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a progressive disease that impacts the lungs and makes it increasingly more difficult to breathe over time. In COPD, less air is able to flow in and out of the airways due to a loss of elasticity in the airways and air sacs, deterioration of the walls between air...
Doctors and Medical Specialties
If you have questions about doctors, or you’re looking for information about different medical specialties, our experts have put together some great basic information about each of the fields of medicine listed below. From weight loss procedures in bariatric surgery to sports medicine to locum tenes physicians, you’ll find the information right here.
Numerous studies have shown that most Americans do not eat a healthy diet. In fact, according to the CDC, fewer than 1 in 3 adults and an even lower proportion of adolescents eat the recommended amount of vegetables each day. Yet just as many studies have demonstrated time and again that a balanced and healthy...
According to the American Diabetes Association, medical nutrition therapy (MNT) plays a critical role in managing existing diabetes and preventing (or at least slowing down) diabetes complications. A good diet can help someone with diabetes achieve and maintain blood glucose levels in the normal range (or as close as normal as possible), as well as...
After the age of 40, the risk of many health conditions for both men and women increases, which makes taking good care of yourself more important than ever. Healthy habits like exercising, sticking to a nutritionally dense diet, avoiding smoking and excessive drinking, and getting plenty of rest can go far in reducing your risk...
For most of us, stomach pain is a part of life and comes and goes depending on what we’ve been eating and/or our current level of stress. However, the body does use pain as a warning system, and there are certain types of stomach pains and discomforts that can be a strong indication that something...
The general physician, also known as a general practitioner or family physician, handles the bulk of the healthcare contact for a large number of families and individuals in the country. The general physician is trained during his or her residence in a variety of rotations including emergency medicine, pediatrics, orthopedics and geriatrics. This broad training...
Hematology (or haematology) is the field of medicine involved in the study of the blood. Blood is composed of particles, proteins, and fluids that are made in the lymphatic organs and bone marrow. Patients are normally under a hematologist’s care via referral from a primary caregiver or hospital. A hematologist is called in when symptoms...
Pathology is the study of diseases and is one of the oldest disciplines in medicine. It is referred to as the backbone of medicine and is performed in conjunction with primary physicians to examine blood, bone, and body fluid samples and biopsies for abnormalities to help diagnose and treat patients. Pathologists rarely have direct contact...
General physicians, also known as general practitioners or family physicians, are a patient’s main link with the healthcare system. General physicians receive broad training in areas ranging from pediatrics to geriatrics in order to be able to handle any of the everyday needs of an entire family. Additionally, it is general physicians who typically refer...
An infectious disease physician is a doctor of internal medicine or pediatrics, who has completed a full range of instruction in infectious diseases, and is qualified in their diagnosis and treatment. Infectious diseases are illnesses that pass from person to person rather than having been contracted genetically or environmentally (for example influenza or sexually transmitted...