Internal Medicine · Lake Worth Area
Internal Medicine Doctor Serving Lake Worth
Sometimes the reason for an internist is not a diagnosis but a puzzle: months of tiredness, dizziness that comes and goes, a weight change nobody can explain. Dr. Shahnaz Akhter sees Lake Worth adults at our West Palm Beach office, where the lab is on site and the visit can start with the question.
When the symptom has no label yet
Vague symptoms are the hardest to bring to a doctor and some of the most important. Persistent fatigue, light-headedness, new aches, or changes in appetite and weight rarely point to one cause. An internist starts with a careful history, a physical examination, and then decides whether labs would sharpen the picture. The aim is to narrow the possibilities, and sometimes the answer is reassuring.
How the workup usually unfolds
- A detailed conversation: when it began, what changes it, what else is going on.
- A physical examination and a review of your medications, since some cause the very symptoms you describe.
- Blood tests chosen to fit your story rather than a standard panel for everyone.
- A review of results with you in plain language, and a decision about what to do next.
- A follow-up visit to see whether the symptom has changed.
On-site labs shorten the loop
The West Palm Beach office provides in-house lab draws and testing, with results coordinated through your provider. For a puzzling symptom that matters: the blood is drawn at the same visit, and the follow-up conversation can happen without a trip to a separate lab. Your provider still decides which tests are warranted, and orders nothing automatically.
From Lake Worth to Forest Hill Boulevard
Lake Worth Beach residents are seen at the West Palm Beach office at 3472 Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 3B. The office is at 3472 Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 3B, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with walk-ins welcome. For everyday checkups, see primary care in Lake Worth, and for longer-term follow-up of known conditions, see diabetes management.
Reading your own lab results
Lab reports print a reference range beside every number, and it is tempting to treat anything outside it as a problem and anything inside it as fine. Neither is reliable. A value just outside the range may be normal for you, and a value inside it may still be moving in a direction worth watching. Your provider reads results against your history and your earlier numbers, then explains in plain language what they mean for you.
Medicines that can cause the symptoms
Some prescription and over-the-counter medicines can cause tiredness, dizziness, stomach upset, or a racing heart, and those are the same complaints that bring many people in. That is why the medication review comes early in a workup. Bring everything you take, including supplements and anything you use only occasionally, and tell your provider about any change that happened around the time the symptom started. If a racing or fluttering heartbeat is part of what you are noticing, your provider may suggest an EKG at the same office, which records the heart's rhythm in a few minutes.
Symptoms that should not wait for an appointment
- Chest pressure or pain, especially with sweating or shortness of breath
- Fainting or near-fainting
- Sudden severe headache unlike any you have had
- Weakness or numbness on one side, trouble speaking, or confusion
- Call 911 for any of these
What happens after the tests come back
Once results are in, your provider goes over them with you and chooses between three paths: reassurance that nothing concerning was found, a treatment or change in routine, or the next round of testing or a specialist referral. You should leave knowing which path you are on, why, and when you will be seen again. If you do not, ask until it is clear. Lake Worth adults who want a longer-term plan around weight can read about medical weight management for Lake Worth patients and primary care for Lake Worth households, both served from West Palm Beach. Adults who mainly need a general first doctor can instead read about primary care at the West Palm Beach office, and those who want the full picture of how internal medicine works there can read the internal medicine page for the Forest Hill Blvd office.
Do I need a diagnosis before I come in?
No. Many visits begin with only a symptom. Your provider's job is to work out what is going on, or to tell you it looks harmless.
Will I be sent for a lot of tests?
Your provider orders tests that fit your symptoms and history and explains the reason for each. Some visits end with no tests at all.
How long does it take to get lab results?
Timing depends on the test. Your provider tells you when to expect results and reviews them with you once they are in.
What should I write down before I come?
When the symptom started, what makes it better or worse, anything you changed around the time it began, and every medicine or supplement you take.
Do you accept Medicare and Medicaid?
Yes, along with major commercial plans. Call (561) 473-9044 for a check of your specific plan.
Can I bring someone with me?
Yes. Many patients bring a spouse, adult child, or friend to help remember what is said. Tell the front desk when you check in so they know who is joining you, and let your provider know if there is anything you want to discuss privately.
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West Palm Beach office
3472 Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 3B
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Mon–Fri, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Get directions →Full West Palm Beach office page →Schedule a Visit