Family Medicine in Sharjah

What a family physician does

A family physician is a doctor trained to look after the whole person, and the whole family, over many years. After medical school, family medicine doctors complete specialist training that covers the full span of life — children, adults, women's health, older age, mental health and minor surgery — so that one doctor can handle most of what a family needs.

That breadth is the point. Most health problems are not rare, and most do not need a specialist. They need a doctor who examines you properly, knows your history, recognises when something is routine and when it is not, and stays with you over time.

Families often ask how this differs from general medicine. Both are first-contact care. Family medicine adds continuity across generations: the same team can see a parent's blood pressure, a teenager's acne and a grandparent's diabetes, and understands how the family's health fits together — shared habits, shared risks and inherited conditions.

When should you see a family physician?

For almost any health concern that is not an emergency:

• Fever, cough, sore throat, ear pain or flu-like illness
• Stomach upset, heartburn, constipation or diarrhoea
• Headaches, dizziness or tiredness that will not go away
• Back, joint and muscle pain, sprains and minor injuries
• Skin rashes, acne, eczema and minor skin infections
• Urinary symptoms
• Low mood, anxiety, stress or poor sleep
• Weight concerns and lifestyle advice
• Regular follow-up of diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid or asthma
• Routine check-ups and screening for adults
• Vaccinations for adults and travel
• Family planning and contraception advice
• Early pregnancy questions before you start antenatal care
• A second look at advice you have already been given

When is it an emergency?

Go to the emergency department straight away, or call an ambulance, for:

• Chest pain or pressure, especially with breathlessness, sweating or pain spreading to the arm or jaw
• Sudden weakness or numbness on one side, a drooping face or slurred speech
• Severe difficulty breathing
• Sudden severe abdominal pain
• Heavy bleeding that will not stop
• Loss of consciousness or a seizure
• Any fever in a baby under three months old
• A rash that does not fade when a glass is pressed against it

If you are not sure whether it is urgent, call 06 599 7777 and ask.

Long-term conditions: diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol

Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are common in the UAE and often run in families. None of them causes symptoms in the early years, which is why they are found by checking, not by feeling unwell.

Good control is a steady routine rather than a single prescription: regular HbA1c and blood pressure checks, kidney and cholesterol tests, yearly eye and foot checks for diabetes, and adjusting treatment as life changes. Your family physician coordinates all of it, and brings in the hospital's internal medicine, cardiology or endocrinology specialists when your condition needs them.

When one family member is diagnosed, the others are often at higher risk. A family physician can suggest who else should be checked and when.

Preventive care and check-ups

Prevention is where family medicine does most of its work. A check-up looks for problems that have not yet caused symptoms: raised blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, anaemia, thyroid problems, vitamin D deficiency, and early kidney or liver changes.

The right check-up depends on your age, sex, family history and lifestyle. Your physician chooses the tests that matter for you, explains the results, and agrees a plan — from diet and activity to medication if it is needed.

Vaccinations are part of prevention too: seasonal flu, other adult vaccines, and travel vaccines planned for your destination. Start travel vaccination four to six weeks before you leave, because some vaccines need time or more than one dose.

Women's health and family planning

Family physicians provide contraception advice and family planning, assessment and care in early pregnancy, menstrual problems, and cervical screening. When pregnancy care continues, or a gynaecological problem needs specialist treatment, your physician coordinates with the hospital's gynecology and obstetrics team so your history travels with you.

Children, teenagers and older family members

Family physicians see children and teenagers for everyday illness, growth questions, skin problems and school or sports health checks, with the hospital's pediatrics specialists available for babies and more complex childhood conditions.

For older family members, the focus shifts to keeping several conditions in balance, reviewing medicines so they work together safely, and protecting independence — balance, memory, mood and mobility.

Mental health and wellbeing

Stress, anxiety, low mood and poor sleep are among the most common reasons people see a family doctor, and they often appear as physical symptoms first — headaches, stomach upset or constant tiredness. Your physician can assess what is going on, talk through options, start treatment where appropriate, and follow up.

Procedures in family medicine

The hospital lists the following procedures within family medicine, so many problems can be dealt with in the same visit or a short follow-up:

• Stitching cuts and wounds
• Minor skin procedures, such as removing small lumps, moles and skin tags
• Joint and soft-tissue injections for musculoskeletal pain
• Spirometry (breathing tests) for asthma and lung conditions
• Ultrasound imaging
• Family planning and early pregnancy evaluation
• Colposcopy and LEEP for cervical screening follow-up
• Endoscopy and colonoscopy
• Vasectomy

Your physician will explain whether a procedure suits you, how to prepare, and what recovery involves.

What happens at your appointment

Your family physician listens to the full story, asks about your health and your family's health, and examines you. Tests are arranged when they will change a decision — blood and urine tests, ECG and imaging are available at the hospital, and many results come back the same day.

You leave with a diagnosis or a clear plan for reaching one, treatment if needed, and a straight answer to the question patients often forget: what should make you come back sooner? For long-term conditions you also leave with the date of your next review.

Cost and insurance

Most UAE health insurance plans cover family medicine consultations and standard tests. Health check-up packages, travel vaccines and some procedures may be excluded or need approval. Call 06 599 7777 to confirm your cover before your visit.