Internist is a doctor who deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of internal organs. This is a very broad specialization - an internist is often the first doctor to see patients with complaints related to each of the systems. Read what an internist - general practitioner does and what is the difference between an internist and a general practitioner.

Internistis often called a general practitioner, because he is the one we go to when we experience disturbing ailments. The internist deals with the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and diseases: respiratory, digestive, osteoarticular, urinary, immune, as well as diseases of the thyroid gland, metabolic diseases and allergic diseases.

What diseases does an internist treat?

Patients with many ailments are under the care of an internist. Often the doctor orders blood and urine tests and, if necessary, refer the patient to another specialist (e.g. a cardiologist, endocrinologist or gynecologist). Some patients are transferred to another doctor, but some of them continue to be treated by an internist after consulting him. The diseases that an internist deals with include:

  • respiratory diseases - tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchial asthma, respiratory tract infections, sarcoidosis;
  • heart and circulatory system diseases - hypertension, hypotension, thrombosis, atherosclerosis, arrhythmias, myocarditis;

"Internus" is Latin for "inner".

  • endocrine system diseases - hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto's disease, neutral goitre, hyperparathyroidism, hypoparathyroidism;
  • urinary tract diseases: urolithiasis, cystitis, cholecystitis;
  • diseases of the osteoarticular system: osteoporosis, degenerative changes of the spine and joints, systemic scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis;
  • diseases of the digestive system: diseases of the intestines, diseases of the pancreas, liver diseases, diseases of the stomach and duodenum, diseases of the esophagus;
  • diabetes and its complications: diabetic foot, angiopathy.
Worth knowing

In Poland, there is 1 doctor per 434 inhabitants. It's even better in Romania

The He alth at Glance report for OECD shows that there are 2.3 physicians in 1,000 inhabitants, i.e. 1 physician per 434 Poles. This is the worst result in Europe. It is even better in Romania (2,7). Against the background of non-European countries, we also do not fare well.

We are at the bottom of the rankings between Mexico (2,3) and Korea (2,2).

Who is a family medicine doctor? Internist and family doctor

An internist is often referred to as a family medicine doctor, but they are two different speci alties. A family doctor is authorized to diagnose, perform tests and treatment in the field of gynecology, paediatrics, internal medicine and the so-called minor surgery. There is also talk of a general practitioner (POZ - primary he alth care) - this in turn is the name of a function, position, and not a specialization. A general practitioner may therefore be an internist, pediatrician or a doctor without specialization, but with the authorization to work in the he alth care center.

Worth knowing

What are the powers of the primary care doctor?

  • directs you to tests (e.g. ESR, blood count, urine test, ECG, X-ray, stool test, gastroscopy, colonoscopy);
  • directs you to rehabilitation;
  • directs you to treatments;
  • refers you to another specialist or to a hospital, as well as to treatment in a spa or sanatorium;
  • lists prescriptions.
About the authorAnna SierantEditor in charge of the Psychology and Beauty sections, as well as the main page of Poradnikzdrowie.pl. As a journalist, she cooperated, among others. with "Wysokie Obcasy", the websites: dwutygodnik.com and entertheroom.com, the quarterly "G'RLS Room". She also co-founded the online magazine "PudOWY Róż". He runs a blog jakdzżyna.wordpress.com.

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