A medical treatment is a method health care providers use to control or lessen symptoms of a disease or condition. Sometimes, a treatment can cure the health problem entirely. Other times, it can only make the disease easier to live with. For example, a skin disorder such as athlete’s foot can be treated with special creams that kill the fungus that causes the infection. But the skin condition won’t be cured — it will only be easier to manage.
Some treatments are used to help people cope with chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. They can include exercise, education about the disease or condition, and counseling to improve behavior. Other treatments include pain relievers, medicines and nutritional support. The goal is to keep the disease or condition under control so that a person can live as normally as possible.
Physicians who specialize in family medicine focus on the overall health of a family and how to prevent diseases and injuries that affect multiple members of a household. They can also help a family plan for births and deaths, and provide care when the member of a family is sick or injured.
Primary care is provided by physicians, physician assistants or nurse practitioners who see patients at their offices or clinics. They may treat common illnesses and refer patients to specialists. Primary care can also include ambulatory care, home health visits and community-based services such as school-based health centers.
Many illnesses and diseases are not painful, but some cause discomfort or other symptoms such as shortness of breath or coughing. Many of these conditions can be diagnosed and treated by nonphysician health professionals such as nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, social workers and physical therapists.
Medical science is the field that studies how a living system functions and develops, and it encompasses many branches of study including anatomy, physiology, pathology and pharmacology. Applied mathematics, information technology, and biomedical engineering are also part of medical science.
Other specialties of medicine include geriatrics (care of elderly people), emergency medicine, environmental health, diving medicine and forensic medicine. Forensic medicine can help police investigate crimes and identify victims by examining the remains of deceased persons, including teeth, bones, fingerprints and other body parts.
Other health care services include psychiatry (care of mental disorders) and obstetrics, which is the preparation for and delivery of healthy babies and the diagnosis and management of women’s reproductive problems. In addition, endoscopy (insertion of a slender tube into the body to make a visual inspection) and therapeutic procedures (recovery from surgery or injury) are part of medical treatment. A new approach to medical treatment is shared decision making, which involves a patient-doctor relationship in the choices of care. It is based on the principles of evidence-based practice and respects a person’s autonomy. This type of treatment is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. It is already widely used in other countries with universal health care systems.