2 Often-Overlooked Medical Specialists & The Treatments They Offer
Many people who suffer from physical health problems never report their symptoms to their primary care physicians because they believe that these symptoms simply cannot be controlled and are just a part of everyday life. However, you should always report any new physical or mental health symptoms you have begun to develop to your doctor because these symptoms may be caused by an underlying health problem. These problems can have a treatment that an often-overlooked medical specialist can provide.
Read on to learn about two often-overlooked medical specialist physicians and what symptoms they can help you manage that you thought were uncontrollable.
1. Allergists
If you suffer from seasonal allergies and your over-the-counter allergy medication only slightly eases your allergy symptoms, then you may think that you must simply live with your stuffy nose, watery eyes, and other allergy symptoms that persist throughout the whole spring and fall season. On the other hand, if you instead suffer from food allergies, then you may believe that avoiding the foods you are allergic to for life is the only way to manage this allergy type. The truth is that allergists offer a wide array of treatments that can keep even the most stubborn seasonal allergy symptoms at bay and potentially eliminate food allergies.
One common treatment allergists offer that can help reduce both seasonal and food allergy symptoms is called immunotherapy. When immunotherapy is used to treat seasonal allergies, a physician provides an injection of a small amount of the substance(s) a patient is allergic to in an attempt to desensitize their bodies to it. Over time, the amount of the allergen that is injected is increased until the patient no longer experiences an allergic reaction.
To perform food allergy immunotherapy, small amounts or specific components of problem are instead fed to the patient on a periodic basis. This process causes some people to build immunity to the foods they are allergic to in order to minimize or even eliminate their food allergies.
2. Endocrinologists
Endocrinologists specialize in diagnosing and treating endocrine gland and hormone disorders. While these physicians can treat thyroid disorders and diabetes, they can also provide hormone therapy treatments to men suffering from testosterone deficiencies and menopausal women whose bodies have begun creating less progesterone and estrogen due to the aging process.
Hormone replacement therapy for women can help reduce the occurrence of hot flashes that often accompany menopause, decrease vaginal dryness, and even improve bone health by encouraging good bone density. In men, low testosterone levels can be caused by the aging process or a disease called hypogonadism. Testosterone therapy can help reduce or eliminate sexual dysfunction, depression, lack of motivation, decrease in bone density, and other symptoms of low testosterone levels in some men.
If you are experiencing physical health symptoms that you think are untreatable, then do not hesitate to report them to your primary care physician. They may be signs of a health problem that an often-overlooked medical specialist can treat to eliminate these symptoms.
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