What are infectious diseases?
Infectious diseases are contracted due to microscopic organisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi and animal parasites) that invade the body’s natural barriers and immune system to create a wide range of symptoms – from undetectable to severe.
Who are infectious disease specialists and what do they do?
An infectious disease specialist (or “ID” specialist) is an internal medicine doctor (also called an internist), or sometimes a pediatric doctor, with additional specialty training in the diagnosis, treatment and management of infectious diseases. Infectious diseases may first be diagnosed by a patient’s primary care doctor or other healthcare professional who may request a specialty consultation from an ID physician.
An infectious disease specialist has extensive knowledge of bacteria, parasites, fungi and viruses – whether airborne, communicable, contagious, food-borne or sexually transmitted. ID specialists treat conditions in many areas of the body including infections in the bones, bowel, brain, heart and lungs, pelvic organs, sinus, and urinary tract, with many of the conditions treatable with medications, procedures or surgery. They have special insight into antibiotics and their side effects, along with specialized training in immunology (how infection is fought), epidemiology (how infection spreads) and infection control.
Many infectious disease doctors also specialize in treating infections due to HIV/AIDS.
What sort of training does an infectious disease specialist undergo?
In addition to four years of college, four years of medical school and three years of training as a doctor of internal medicine, an infectious disease doctor also undergoes 2-3 years of specialized training in infectious diseases. Many are also board certified and have passed a certification examination by the American Board of Internal Medicine in both internal medicine and infectious diseases.
When would I need an infectious disease specialist?
Your primary care physician can take care of most infectious conditions, but sometimes an expert is required to make a diagnosis or suggest treatment.
You may need to see an infectious disease specialist when you have a potentially serious infection or when treatment for an infection causes problems. An infectious disease specialist can order tests to diagnose the problem, as well as offer special insight into those tests to prescribe treatment, if needed.
If you’re hospitalized with an infection or an infection occurs while you’re hospitalized, an infectious disease specialist will direct your care and may continue to provide follow-up care after you’re discharged from the hospital. When your infection is cured or stabilized, you’ll typically resume seeing your regular primary care physician.
If you’re planning on traveling abroad, you may be referred to an infectious disease doctor to ensure you will get the necessary special immunizations to help fend off infectious diseases while traveling.
What are some common types of infectious diseases that ID physicians treat?
How Vaccines Work
7 Coping Skills to Fight Chronic Pain
10 Things You Need to Know About STDs
Talking to Your Doctor About Chickenpox
Allergy Cures: The Truth Behind 10 Myths