General health issues can be a pain to deal with. Whether it’s the stomach flu or an ankle sprain, they manage to throw a wrench into the normalcy of your life. Yet, while these minor health interruptions can be annoying to deal with, what are we to do when our health issues get more serious?

In such cases, it is worth your time to see a medical specialist. Rather than working as a general physician, a medical specialist is a trained medical professional who has a niche background in medicine. These are doctors who trained in specialized areas of medicine, focusing on specific types of healthcare (think of the difference between a general physician and a brain surgeon).

To explore this field of medicine even further, let’s look at some examples available:

Women’s Health Center

While a general physician can treat a female patient as well as a male patient, women might still feel uncomfortable, rather wanting to be treated by a set of doctors specific to their health needs. In such a case, women can visit and be treated at women’s clinics. Common reasons for women to be treated at women’s clinics tend to be seen for birth control measures, pregnancy treatment, and medical scans for breast cancer. With the U.S. having nearly 4 million births in 2015 and 1 in 8 women being diagnosed with breast cancer during the course of their lifetime, it’s no wonder why women’s healthcare is an important, much-needed field.

Cardiologist

Heart disease has been, and still is, the leading cause of death in the United States. It is estimated that over 600,000 people die from heart disease each year in the U.S.. Similarly, someone in the U.S. suffers a heart attack every 34 seconds. These are scary statistics, especially for those that might consider themselves to be in good health but are unsure. If you are ever in worry of your heart’s physical condition, consider seeking help from a cardiologist.

A cardiologist is a specialist when it comes to the heart. They will have the ability to conduct medical scans and receive diagnostic imaging as needed, checking your heart and its overall health, determining if there is anything you should be aware of, primarily concerns for the future and ways that they can be treated. If things happen to take a turn for the worse and you have a heart attack, a cardiologist is the primary doctor that will be looking over your case. If the situation is dire enough and you are in need of a heart surgeon, it is a cardiologist that will be treating you.

Orthopedic Doctor

On average, one in seven Americans has some musculoskeletal impairment. Whether that’s a weakened, disjointed shoulder or “rusty” knee, these are physical ailments that either hold us back from doing activities at what would be considered a normal pace, or with normal ease. An orthopedic doctor is someone that specializes in the musculoskeletal system of the human body, effectively treating patients, performing surgeons, and planning rehab for patients who are dealing with orthopedic issues. Other than problematic joints, orthopedic doctors can also help with bone fractures and minor musculoskeletal ailments.