What sort of doctor do I need to see?

[TedRoombax]

Feel a bit silly asking this.

I'm not in UK. We don't have GPs here. If I need a smear I see a gynacologist. If I have ear problems I book in with ENT. When I hurt my knee I saw an orthopaedic surgeon.

I am feeling a bit run down. I have fainted a few times recently, once for several minutes. I also fell and broke a bone.but I'm not really sure why I fell. I fasted for a day last month (still drank water and fruit tea plus had 500 cal - you know that 5:2 diet?) and it made me really ill - vomiting, shaking, cramps, total woolly vagueness. I feel like that was an overreaction. I am young and fit it should have been fine.

So... what doctor do I go and see? What's the name of the specialist I need to see for general crappiness and a bit of unexplained fainting?

What country are you in? I am in the US which is a bit similar but we still have GP-type people called family doctors who give annual check ups and who you would go to see if you had, say, an infection that potentially needed antibiotics.

If you have health insurance, would the insurance company advise you?

If you don't have a family doctor you'd probably be looking for a specialist in internal medicine (a general internist).

No family doctors, no. Well, not one I'd trust with anything more exciting than an ear infection.

I will see if the hospital has a general internist. Never heard of one of those.

Hmmm. Fainting could be caused by these things:

• Inner ear problems
• Blood sugar issues
• Blood pressure being too low
• Something neurological

In the UK you would see a GP who would look in your ear, measure your blood pressure and then send you to the right specialist.

Is there an A&E in your country? I would think fainting for a few minutes is cause for concern.