Mobile Internal Medicine Clinic
Heart and Health Medical Mobile Unit is your preventative and treatment primary care team for life. Whether you need an annual exam or someone in your family requires medical attention for a complex health problem, our Internal Medicine doctors specialize in the prevention, evaluation, and treatment of a broad spectrum of adult illness, symptoms and diseases. Our top-rated Internists focus on the study of adult medicine with ongoing training in early prevention of adult diseases as well as the appropriate treatment options that are effective, while unique for each individual patient. The best Internal Medicine physicians and staff are ready to coordinate care and implement treatment from head to toe. We were here yesterday, we will be here tomorrow, and you can count on us to provide you with the highest quality care for many more years to come.
The top Internal Medicine physicians at Heart and Health Medical focus their knowledge and clinical expertise across all aspects of adult healthcare, from well visits to complex illnesses. Our internists are qualified to handle a comprehensive spectrum of illnesses and are experts in diagnosis, treatment, and disease prevention. Internists are not limited to one type of medical problem or organ system and are prepared to deal with any problem a patient my bring, no matter how common or rare.
In today’s world, preventative care is big money. Everywhere you turn, there is a new health store, a new gym, a new supplement on the shelf, and yet another personal trainer ringing your phone or landing themselves in your inbox. In the midst of all this, the need to maintain an ongoing relationship with an internal medicine doctor to help establish your best preventive care plan possible is critical. You will also learn what health supplements are helpful and which are not, for instance, the heart supplements for arthritis that will help to ease your symptoms and inflammation.
Mobile Unit Internal Medicine Services include but are not limited to:
Comprehensive Physical Exams
Commonly known as physicals can include laboratory testing, chest x-rays, pulmonary function testing, audiograms, EKGs, heart stress tests, vascular age tests and urinalysis.
Preventive and Wellness Screenings
Include screenings, check-ups, and patient counseling that are used to prevent illnesses, disease, and other health problems, or to detect illness at an early stage when treatment is likely to work best.
Immunizations
When a vaccine is administered to the patient as a result of the recommended CDC scheduling or on an as needed basis for vaccines like Tetanus and Influenza. Immunisation is what happens in your body after you have the vaccination. The vaccine stimulates your immune system so that it can recognise the disease and protect you from future infection.
Chronic Disease Management
Helping to treat and manage diseases that are present for six months or longer, for example, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, musculoskeletal conditions and stroke.
Collaboration with and Referrals to Specialists
The important formation of relationships with trusted specialists to help maximize the progress a patient can make with specific illnesses and ailments.
Pre-operative & Post-operative Care
Preoperative care refers to health care provided before a surgical operation and post-operative regards care needed after a surgical operation.
Contact us today for an appointment or evaluation and diagnosis of any health problem you may have, including but not limited to the following conditions
Arthritis
Arthritis is joint inflammation; referring to over 100 various diseases typically affecting areas in and around joints, i.e. tendons and muscles. A portion of these diseases can affect other body parts, such as internal organs, muscle, and skin. Some of these conditions may cause life threatening complications or debilitated movement. If the individual is left without treatments for arthritis, they may suffer irreversible damage in the arthritic affected joints.
Unfortunately, most types of arthritis diseases are chronic diseases, requiring a lifelong management program to ease the inflammation and pain. Some types of arthritis can cause fatigue and others can cause significant or bothersome swelling. Arthritis pain can happen from time to time or be ongoing. The pain often occurs while you’re moving or after being in the same spot for some time. Arthritis causes joints to feel stiff and makes them difficult to move. Simple tasks you used to do with ease may now be challenging. Several factors contribute to the causes of arthritis, but it is often caused by the normal wear and tear life puts on the body. Cartilage tissue begins to wear down naturally and over time.
The disease can happen anywhere in the body, but the most common cases involve pain from arthritis in knee joints and arthritis in hands, making it difficult to complete normal everyday tasks. Many people experience arthritis pain, swelling, stiffness, and a damaged or strained range of motion after exercise and in the mornings. It is possible that the affected joints may develop bone spurs and growths, which will also increase pain and decrease the ability to move.
Top 10 Signs of Arthritis:
- Increased fatigue
- Depression and/or persistent homelessness or sadness
- The change in a mole’s appearance
- Pain while urinating
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Achilles pain
- Easy bleeding or bruising
- Blood in the stool
- Unexplained weight changes
**If you experience one or more of these, contact us as these symptoms of arthritis can be a warning of something more severe**
Rheumatoid Arthritis
No one knows exactly why rheumatoid arthritis occurs, but it is known that the body’s immune system begins to attack the tissues of the body because it thinks they are foreign. Rheumatoid arthritis is also referred to as RA, affects over a million Americans according to the Arthritis Foundation. The early signs of rheumatoid arthritis are usually minor. Pain coming and going on both sides, and lasting longer than a few weeks or months. Each person’s symptoms are different. As with many diseases, RA has active periods called flare ups and inactive periods called remission.
The first sign may be feeling fatigued often, sometimes you may even feel sick or depressed. Another typical RA symptom is early morning stiffness. A person may experience pain and stiffness from arthritis in hands, knees, shoulders, ankles, feet, and even the fingers and wrists. Affected joints will begin to swell as mild inflammation sets in. The swollen joints may feel warm to the touch. The inflammation of the tendons may start to wreak havoc on the person’s nerves as pressure builds up. This can cause feelings of tingling, numbness, or burning. The ligaments and tendons subject to the joint inflammation begin to become deformed or unstable as the rheumatoid arthritis disease progresses. Bending over and standing back up straight may prove to be difficult, however exercise and a healthy lifestyle is still recommended to keep from getting stiff.
Our professional staff and Board-Certified physicians at Heart and Health Medical know how to successfully treat and manage your arthritis.
Headache Diagnosis, Treatment and Management
Headaches are defined as “pain in various parts of the head, not confined to the area of distribution of any nerve”. There are different types of headaches, each type presents with its own set of symptoms and causes. Headaches are the most widespread pain complaints amongst patients. Often times the cause of headaches is benign, while other causes can be considered a medical emergency.
A common type of headache is a tension headache and this generally affects adults and adolescents and rarely affects younger children. When someone has a tension headache there is muscle tightness in specific areas of the head, scalp and/or neck. The pain associated with tension headaches are usually dull and occupies most of the head. Tension headaches are predominantly believed to be caused by tension built up in the scalp and neck muscles as a result of stress, depression, anxiety, poor posture and/or a head injury, but the exact cause or causes are often unknown.
Keeping a diary of your symptoms is useful in diagnosing your headaches. This will often help you and your Internist to easily identify what triggers your headaches. Our top internal medicine physicians recommend that you start by writing when your headache started, list anything you make have drank and ate the previous 24 hours, note how much you slept, the quality of sleep and time frame of your sleep. It can also be helpful to record what kind of stress you may be going through at the onset of your headache symptoms, how long the headache lasted, and what, if anything, helped to alleviate or make the headache go away.
Depression Screening and Care
Depression is very common and very treatable. Depression can be caused by a combination of biological, genetic, environmental and psychological factors. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has proven that the brain of a person with depression appears different in comparison to that of an individual who has never had depression. The regions of the brain that are involved in thinking, sleep, mood, behavior, and appetite do not seem to work normally. There has been a suggestion that neurotransmitters which are crucial chemicals involved in brain cell communication become out of balance. With this being said, we should keep in mind that this imaging technology has not exposed why the depression came about.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Depression?
- Constant sad, anxious or empty feelings
- Fatigue and lack of energy
- Decreased interest in typical activities or hobbies which were once enjoyable.
- Loss of appetite or overeating
- Feeling worthless, helpless, hopeless or guilty
- Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts
- Problems sleeping, over sleeping, insomnia, or early-morning wakefulness
- Aches, pains, headaches, or digestive problems
It has been proven that immediate treatment can significantly lessen the possibility of reappearance. There are many different treatments available for depression. There is medication and psychological counseling which is helpful for a lot of individuals.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a serious condition that can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other health problems. “Blood pressure” is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps your blood. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage the body. About 1 of every 3 adults in the United States has high blood pressure. You can have high blood pressure it for years without knowing it. During this time, it can be causing damage to your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of your body. This is why knowing your blood pressure numbers is important, even when you’re feeling fine. If your blood pressure is normal, you can work with your health care team to keep it that way. If your blood pressure is too high, your physician can help to create the best treatment plan for you.
Infectious diseases
Infectious diseases are caused by organisms such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, or fungi. They can also be passed on from person to person. Some can even be transmitted by bites from insects or animals. Others forms can be obtained by consuming contaminated food or water or other environmental contact. The signs and symptoms of infectious diseases can vary, but most commonly consist of fever and chills.
Symptoms:
- Fever
- Decreased appetite
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches
Treatment:
- Antibiotics
- Antivirals
- Antifungals
- Anti-parasitics
When Should One See a Physician?
- Trouble breathing
- Rash or swelling
- Fever lasting more than a week
- Headache with fever or seizures with fever
- Been bitten by an animal
- Coughing for over a week
Prevention:
- Keep your hands clean
- Get vaccinated
- Don’t share personal items
- Prepare food safely
Smoking Cessation Counseling
An estimated 25.9 million men, 22.8 million women and 4.1 million teenagers ages 12 through 17 are smoking in the United States. Tobacco is the most common cause of preventable disease and death. You don’t have to be a smoker to know that this habit has a lot of health risks associated. Approximately 75% of coronary heart disease cases are due to cigarette smoking. Eliminating smoking can greatly reduce the occurrence and risks of coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular disease. Quitting will decrease an individual’s risk of developing chronic lung disease, stroke, as well as cancer of the lungs, larynx, esophagus, mouth and bladder. Tobacco smoke contains more than 40 chemicals that, besides being carcinogenic to humans and animals, are air pollutants.
On average smokers generally spend nearly $30.24 per week, or about $1600 per year. Individuals who quit smoking enjoy many health benefits. These benefits include decrease in frequency of respiratory problems, cancers and an increase in life expectancy
There are many resources available, Suffolk County residents can take advantage of the free smoking cessation classes offered by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services. Other options to quit include nicotine patches, gums and sprays, hypnosis and prescription medications which should only be taken under the care of your doctor.
If you are ready to stop smoking, contact Heart and Health Medical for an appointment.
Thyroid disease
Thyroid disease is a medical condition that affects the function of the thyroid. The thyroid gland is one of the largest glands in the endocrine system and is located in the neck. The thyroid cells absorb iodine and convert it into two hormones; thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) which help control the body’s metabolism. The pituitary gland which is located at the bottom of the brain, controls the thyroid gland. As the different levels of T3 and T4 become very low, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is released from the pituitary gland to help increase the amount of T3 and T4 hormones. Once the levels of T3 and T4 are equal, the TSH will stop being produced.
Hyperthyroidism
Occurs when the thyroid gland produces and increased amount of T3 and T4 cells and can lead to Graves disease. This is an autoimmune disease in which the body produces thyroid antibodies that activate the production of TSH.
Hypothyroidism
Occurs when the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones and can result in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This is another autoimmune disease in which the thyroid gland becomes swollen due to the body’s own cells attacking the thyroid.