What Exactly is a Specialist? If You Have Autoimmune to Sleep Issues: A Brief Overview of Specialist Types.

There are times when a primary care doctor needs help treating your condition. When you or a loved one is dealing with a serious health issue, you'll likely need to see a specialist. But what exactly is a specialist? A healthcare specialist is a medical doctor who has completed additional training in a specific area of medicine / they are doctors who see patients with specific medical conditions.

There are many different types of specialists, and each one has their own area of expertise. Below are some of the most common specialists you may encounter. Most of them you will be familiar with. However, some of these specialties may be new to you. And one of the main reasons I am writing this dry, almost checklist like article of specialties, is so you can know the best type of doctor to see if you have a chronic and/or particular condition. The list is organized in alphabetical order, but I highlighted the specialists that people may not have heard of. I also highlighted some things that specialists treat that the reader may not be aware falls in the domain of that specialty. This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are many specialists that practice almost exclusively in a hospital that I haven’t listed. However, these are the specialties that I feel it would be most usual for the patient population to know about. Your primary care provider can provide you with more information on these specialists and if it applies to any medical conditions you may have (or as always feel free to message me).

Cardiologist: A cardiologist is a type of physician that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of heart conditions. Some such conditions are things like arrhythmias to heart failure.

Dermatologist: A dermatologist is a type of physician that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin conditions.

Endocrinologist: An endocrinologist is a type of physician that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of hormone-related conditions. Also, while a primary care physician can treat basic forms of diabetes, sometimes this special type of physician is needed to treat more advanced/more complex forms of diabetes.

ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist: An ENT specialist is a type of physician that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the ear, nose, and throat.

Family Medicine: Most people call this doctor a general practitioner. This is the doctor that does everything from giving you your annual physicals and vaccines, to the doctor you go to first with a non-urgent problem. They are also the doctors that typically refer outpatients (patients not in a hospital) to a specialist.

Gastroenterologist: A gastroenterologist is a type of physician that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal conditions. This can range from advanced heartburn to colon cancer to GI autoimmune diseases (like Crohn’s) and more.

Geriatrics: A physician that focuses on treating an older patient population (and specializing in issues that affect an older patient population).

Nephrologist: A nephrologist is a type of physician that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of kidney conditions.

Neurologist: The neurologist treats disorders that affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. A notable subspecialty of neurology is an epileptologist, that is an MD that treats patients with epilepsy.

Oncologist: An oncologist is a type of physician that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Ophthalmologist: An ophthalmologist is a type of physician that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of eye conditions. This is different from an optometrist. An ophthalmologist has an MD and treats eye conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration (MAD), and cataracts. An optometrist, that has separate training other than an MD, is the health professional that you go to get a sight evaluation and get prescription glasses.

Pulmonologist: A pulmonologist is a type of physician that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of lung conditions.

Rheumatologist: A rheumatologist is a type of physician that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the joints and muscles. This is also the specialist that treats a lot of the autoimmune diseases.?

Sleep Medicine: This is actually a subspecialty. Doctors that apply to this fellowship (extra training in addition to residency) are either neurologists (most common) or family medicine physicians. This is a doctor that treats sleep issues like sleep apnea to insomnia to other lesser-known sleep issues.

Urologist: A urologist is a type of physician that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the urinary tract. Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH), a condition in males in which the prostate grows in a non-cancerous fashion, but restricts urinary output, is a notable example of what these physicians treat.?

When you or a loved one is dealing with a health issue, once again, it is your primary care doctor that will likely refer you to a specialist. But I hope this article is helpful in giving you a lay of the land of specialists.