A Quick Guide on How to Choose the Right Doctors in Las Piñas
There are many doctors in Las Pinas. They specialize in different fields and are very accessible due to multiple clinics and hospitals operating in the area. That being said, unless you go to a family doctor first, you’ll have to know what kind of doctor you need in order to get an accurate and helpful diagnosis.
Because of this, it’s only vital that everyone understands how to quickly identify which doctor they need to visit as soon as they experience symptoms of a sickness. With many health professionals out there, being sure of who to go to when the time comes can save time, money, and eventually, lives.
Understanding What Health Professionals Are
Health professionals are people who have studied and have made it their job to care for other people. These people make sure that the people around them are healthy. They help prevent and cure diseases.
Health professionals make sure that the health of other humans is maintained at a good level through the application of countless principles and procedures that are supported by evidence-based medicine and caring. These are the people that are able to observe, diagnose, treat and prevent illnesses and injuries. Aside from that, they also promote healthy practices in order to further the health needs and expectations of the population they are working in.
There are so many people that can be considered health professionals. The most common among them are the doctors and nurses that are usually found in hospitals and clinics. They’re the most visible and are the most literal in being a health professional because they help you out with your bodily health.
Other health professionals include social workers—those who help people understand the societal norms and the happenings within the systems, psychologists, those who specialize in understanding emotions, behaviors, and social factors, pharmacists—the people that produce or distribute medicine to the people, and therapists—those who help people recuperate from surgeries and injuries.
There are many kinds of health professionals out there—all of which aim to make the lives of everyone they get in contact with healthier.
In Las Pinas, doctors are abundant. There are many small clinics by the roads, and there are also a number of hospitals that host a plethora of doctors all around.
In a way, doctors are the ones that lead the way for all the other health professionals to do their jobs. They advise patients, prescribe medicine, and give permission for tests to be done.
When it comes to medical centers in Las Pinas, it’s good to note that health professionals never stop studying. Research is second nature to them as they strive to improve on the concepts, theories, and operational methods that they already know. All of these—are still heavily grounded in the need for what they do to be fully evidence-based.
The Most Common Types of Medical Specializations
Doctors in Las Pinas and the rest of the country all have their own specializations. These basically streamline their knowledge for more accurate readings and advising their patients. It’s vital that doctors are knowledgeable about their field because that’s how they will save lives. The more they know about the body part, the better they understand it—how to cure it and how to make it as healthy as possible.
Bear in mind that there are a lot of medical specializations that doctors can take up. However, some of them are incredibly specific. Make sure that the doctor you choose is someone who knows about your illness. Take a look at this list of medical specializations:
Cardiology
This is the study and treatment of disorders of the heart and the blood vessels. It’s a branch of internal medicine that focuses on the cardiovascular system. Bear in mind that a cardiologist is different from a cardiac surgeon. Cardiologists are the practitioners that carry out tests and some procedures such as angioplasty and heart catheterization. It’s also good to note the difference between heart diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Heart diseases pertain specifically to the heart, while cardiovascular diseases affect the heart, the blood vessels or both.
A general physician would usually refer you to a cardiologist when you are experiencing symptoms of a heart problem. These include shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, changes in the heart rate, and/or high blood pressure.
A person might also need to see a cardiologist even if they’re not experiencing any symptoms if they have a family history of heart disease or high cholesterol.
Dermatology
This is the study and treatment of the human skin—the body’s largest organ. It deals mainly with the skin, hair nail, and mucous membrane. They’re also popular for providing support for cosmetics. Nowadays, they’re known for helping revitalize the appearance of their customer’s skin.
Skin diseases are often serious and may even be considered fatal to some. A number of skin diseases are also associated with some serious medical conditions, including heart disease and diabetes.
A number of infections and internal diseases can be identified through their skin manifestations.
Many lotions and ointments are readily available in drugstores—making it easier to treat certain skin ailments. However, sometimes things can go out of hand and you will need the expertise of a dermatologist. This is usually the case for things such as unresponsive acne, skin cancer scares, skin damage, and potential eczema.
Family Physician
These are also known as general physicians. You can say that they have the broadest knowledge about healthcare as they provide it to people of all ages. That being said, they can be called the jack of all trades. Family doctors can treat the most acute illnesses and they can manage many chronic conditions. They can also provide services with regards to family planning, health education, and immunizations.
In most cases, family doctors focus more on the prevention of illnesses. However, since they don’t have any specializations, they can’t deal with the more severe cases. In that case, family physicians would usually refer their patients to other, more capable specialists.
Family doctors are considered as a practical one-stop shop for busy households. However, the modern-day healthcare system often skips them for the more specialized doctors.
Gastroenterology
Physicians that specialize in this are those who deal with the diseases in the digestive system. They would usually get extensive training with regards to the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that affect the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and everything else in between.
Gastroenterologists understand how food moves through the digestive tract as well as the physical and chemical breakdown of the food. This includes the absorption of nutrients and the removal of waste.
The most common reasons why people would go to a gastroenterologist for consulting would be the following:
- Abdominal Discomfort
- Bleeding in the digestive tract
- Hemorroids
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Ulcer
Internal Medicine
Also referred to as Internists, these physicians apply a diverse understanding of scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to diagnose, treat, and provide care for adults experiencing illnesses in their internal organs. They are practiced individuals when it comes to diagnosing puzzling medical problems. Often, they’ll be taking care of patients that have chronic diseases or those that have more than one disease.
Nephrology
This field focuses on treating kidney diseases and the study on how it can affect other parts of your body. It’s likely that you’ve almost never heard of nephrologists. This is because kidney diseases are usually referred to as silent killers. Many people get diagnosed with it even though they don’t show any irregular symptoms.
Aside from that, they also handle the following conditions:
- Blood or protein in the urine;
- Kidney stones
- Kidney infections
- Kidney Swelling
- Renel artery stenosis; and
- Kidney Failure
Neurology
Neurologists are physicians that specialize in treating diseases found in the whole nervous system. This includes the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and muscles. The most common neurological illnesses include the following: headaches, migraines, strokes, movement disorders, epilepsy and many more.
There are many subspecialties in neurology so whenever you’re going to meet a neurologist, make sure that your condition is related to the one they chose to specialize in.
Oncology
Physicians practicing oncology specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. They can be divided into three: medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, and radiation oncologists.
The field of oncology is streamlined yet diverse because cancer itself can be classified based on where you are in the body it is found. Oncologists, along with a multidisciplinary team, would handle everything from the initial investigation of cancer cells to the diagnosis, treatment, and post-treatment care.
Otolaryngology (ENT)
This is a specialization that deals with diseases and disorders of the ears, nose, and throat. It encompasses disorders in hearing, speech, voice, swallowing, and sinus problems.
More commonly referred to as ENTs, the abbreviation of Eyes, Nose, and Throat. The work they do focuses mainly on these body parts and consists of treatments, diagnosis, and even cosmetic surgeries pertaining to them.
Pediatrics
In essence, pediatricians are doctors that focus on the health of your child. This includes their physical, behavioral, and mental health. Their training enables them to diagnose and treat childhood illnesses, from minor to serious diseases.
Pediatricians are usually the first people to call when your child is sick. Pediatricians are licensed to give out physical exams, give vaccinations, and diagnose and treat your child’s illnesses, infections, and injuries.
Pulmonology
Specialists of pulmonology diagnose and treat conditions that affect the respiratory system. Pulmonologists should be experts when it comes to the most common respiratory disorders such as infectious, structural, inflammatory, neoplastic, or autoimmune.
Bear in mind that some respiratory diseases originate in the tract itself, while others are caused due to another kind of condition.
Common conditions that pulmonologists can diagnose and treat include the following:
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
- Lung Cancer
- Pulmonary Embolism
Radiology
Radiologists are specialist physicians that use a wide variety of advanced techniques in medical imaging to diagnose and treat patients with different types of illnesses. They’re the people who know who to operate imaging modalities such as X-rays, ultrasound, CT, and MRI examinations.
They would usually help patients and other doctors arrive at a more correct diagnosis quickly. Radiologists are trained in correlating medical histories, findings from physical examinations and laboratory results with their own interpretations of the imaging exams—allowing for more precise diagnostics.
The Importance of Choosing the Right Doctor
A lot of people disregard the importance of finding the right doctor. Often, they’ll be okay with someone that was free on the spot—particularly for emergencies. However, as with any decision in one’s life, it’s vital that you choose the right doctor for you, even for the most minor health issues that you have.
Most people would get confused with choosing the right doctor since all of them would already have the certifications and the degree to back up their expertise. However, not all of them have truly proven themselves as good and effective doctors.
For example, there are many doctors in Las Pinas, all of them are certified and have their own following of patients. However, some of them are better suited to middle-class people while others would prefer serving high-class families.
Of course, the same goes for what type of doctor you should pick. When you’re having stomach problems, you don’t go to a neurologist and explain how you think your mind is affecting your stomach. You go to a doctor that specializes in such concerns—a gastroenterology.
Family doctors would usually do this for you when your illness becomes too much for them to handle. They refer you to a specialist that they know, or they can let you choose one if you already have someone in mind.
Tips on How to choose a Doctor
Before you just rely on a family doctor in Las Pinas to refer you to any doctor they know, you should try to research the doctors. When you have a choice of doctors, you should make use of it—not just go with the flow. Try asking your family and friends if they know someone that they can recommend. If not, ask the hospital staff.
There are many ways for you to identify which doctor you should choose. Take a look at the few tips below:
Refer to your Medical Insurance
Some doctors are covered by your medical insurance. You can use this to your advantage so that you won’t have to pay any outright fees. The great thing here is that most medical insurance companies would do the scouting for people—only choosing the best doctors to be covered. If you trust your medical insurance enough, you can go with any of the doctors that they have covered.
Trust in Family Doctors and Internists
If you’re not certain of your sickness just yet, it would be best for you to visit a family doctor or an internist first. When your illness is still quite shallow, they’ll be able to help you—probably treat you as well. Once they understand your sickness and it needs special attention, then they’ll refer you to a specialist. Again, family doctors and internists would usually refer you to a doctor that they themselves believe are good at their job—not just a random colleague.
Reputation and Attitude
It’s very important that you choose a doctor that you can talk to easily and feel comfortable with. Some doctors are rude and outright grumpy. Make sure you find a doctor that is friendly and open to your sometimes-vague explanations. One way to ensure this is to simply ask the nurses and other doctors on how your doctor acts. A doctor with a friendly attitude would almost always have some of their colleagues talk about them openly and happily.
Consult the Best Doctors in Las Pinas with PHMC
If you’re looking for talented and experienced doctors in Las Pinas, then look no further. We at PHMC have a wide faculty of doctors of different specializations—all of which will be more than happy to help you with your sicknesses.
When it comes to hospitals in Las Pinas, we believe in providing friendly and efficient service—both of which are embodied by our doctors. In Las Pinas, we are one of, if not, the biggest and most well-equipped hospitals. We can definitely make sure that you’ll get healthy in no time!
For more information about our list of our doctors at PHMC, visit our Doctors Directory.