Internal medicine facts for kids

Internal medicine is a special part of medicine. It focuses on diagnosing and treating diseases in adults. These doctors, called internists, mainly deal with problems inside the body.

Internists go through a lot of training. After medical school, they spend at least three more years learning how to prevent, find, and treat illnesses that affect grown-ups.

What Do Internists Do?

Internists are like medical detectives. They are trained to figure out tricky health problems. They also help people manage long-term illnesses. Sometimes, a patient might have several health issues at once. Internists are skilled at handling these complex situations. They look at the whole person, not just one part.

Special Doctors: Subspecialties

After their general training, internists can choose to become even more specialized. This extra training is called a "fellowship." It usually takes one to three more years. This allows them to focus on a specific area of the body or a certain type of disease.

Here are some of the areas internists can specialize in:

Heart Doctors: Cardiology

Cardiology is about the heart and blood vessels. Cardiologists help people with heart conditions.

Hormone Doctors: Endocrinology

Endocrinology deals with the endocrine system. This system makes hormones, which are like chemical messengers in your body.

Stomach Doctors: Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology focuses on the digestive system. This includes the stomach, intestines, and other organs that help you digest food.

Blood Doctors: Hematology

Hematology is the study of blood and the organs that make blood. Hematologists treat blood disorders.

Germ Doctors: Infectious Disease

Infectious disease doctors treat illnesses caused by tiny living things. These can be viruses, bacteria, or parasites.

Cancer Doctors: Medical Oncology

Medical oncology is about studying and treating cancer. These doctors help patients with different types of cancer.

Kidney Doctors: Nephrology

Nephrology focuses on the kidneys. Kidneys clean your blood, and nephrologists treat kidney diseases.

Lung Doctors: Pulmonology

Pulmonology deals with diseases of the lungs and the respiratory tract. These doctors help people breathe better.

Joint Doctors: Rheumatology

Rheumatology is about diagnosing and treating rheumatic diseases. These often affect joints, muscles, and bones.

Other Special Areas

Internists can also get extra training in other areas, such as:

• Adolescent medicine (health for teenagers)
• Critical care medicine (for very sick patients in the hospital)
• Geriatric medicine (health for older adults)
• Sports medicine (injuries and health for athletes)
• Allergy/Immunology (allergies and the body's defense system)

See also

In Spanish: Medicina interna para niños