Internal Medicine

Conditions Treated

• •Pyrexia of Unknown Origin (PUO) — Fever lasting more than 3 weeks without a clear diagnosis despite initial investigations. Common in India due to diverse infections.
• •Autoimmune Diseases — Conditions where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues — lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis.
• •Electrolyte Imbalances — Abnormal levels of sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium in the blood, causing varied symptoms.
• •Complex Diabetes Management — Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes with complications or requiring insulin pump therapy and multi-drug regimens.
• •Resistant Hypertension — Blood pressure remaining above target despite 3 or more antihypertensive medications including a diuretic.

Health Tips

• •Get annual comprehensive health check-ups after age 40
• •Keep a master list of all your medications
• •Don't treat multiple symptoms with multiple OTC medicines
• •Manage stress — it worsens almost every chronic disease
• •Stay up-to-date with vaccinations

How to Prepare for Your Visit

• •Bring ALL reports from every specialist you've seen — internists need the complete picture
• •Prepare a complete medication list with doses and timings
• •Write down your symptoms chronologically — when they started, progression, what helps or worsens
• •Note any recent travel, animal exposure, or sick contacts if you have fever
• •Describe symptoms in detail — don't assume anything is irrelevant
• •Mention all systems — appetite, sleep, bowel habits, urination, mood
• •Discuss family history of chronic diseases, cancers, and autoimmune conditions
• •Ask about consolidating your care if you are seeing too many specialists
• •Follow up with recommended investigations before the next visit
• •Don't self-modify medication doses — consult before changing
• •Keep a symptom diary if asked — patterns help diagnosis
• •Bring new investigation reports to follow-up visits for comparison

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

• •Could my symptoms be connected to one underlying condition?
• •Are any of my medications interacting with each other?
• •Which specialist do I actually need?
• •What preventive screenings am I due for at my age?
• •Can any of my medications be stopped or reduced?
• •Is my fever infectious, autoimmune, or something else?

When to See a Specialist

An Internist (Internal Medicine specialist) manages complex adult medical conditions, especially when multiple diseases coexist.

• •Multiple chronic conditions — diabetes + hypertension + thyroid
• •Unexplained symptoms not diagnosed by GP
• •Complex medication management
• •Pre-surgical medical clearance
• •Autoimmune conditions needing coordination
• •Unexplained fever lasting more than 2 weeks

Internists are ideal when you have multiple health problems that need coordinated management by one specialist.