Crohn's disease is a chronic, inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn's disease can affect every segment of the intestinal tract, from the mouth till the anus. In addition to the intestine, other organs such as eyes, joints or skin may be affected as well. Although the disease can not be cured, it can be controlled by medication.
Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease. An autoimmune cause is suspected, in which the body's defense system (immune system) attacks its own healthy cells. Crohn's disease can affect every segment of the intestinal tract, from the mouth till the anus. Most frequently the lower portion of the small intestine and the colon are affected. It is typical for this disease, that several intestine sections are affected at the same time, interrupted by sections that are perfectly healthy. In addition to the intestine, other organs such as eyes, joints or skin may be affected as well.
Crohn's disease usually occurs between the age of 15 and 35, or after the age of 60. The condition runs in families and affects tobacco smokers twice as often as non-smokers. Typical symptoms are abdominal pain and prolonged, sometimes bloody diarrhoea. Depending on the location of the affected intestinal segments, wounds inside the mouth (vesicles) or pain, especially in the right lower abdomen may occur as well. Further, joints can be swollen and painful, most commonly affecting the knees, or in rare cases the spine and pelvic joints. Eyes and skin may also be affected, which is very painful.
The prolonged disease duration and permanent minor blood-loss can lead to fatigue and exhaustion as a result of anaemia. During the course of the illness, the intestinal walls will be damaged more and more. It can happen that an intestinal loop “breaks” into another one, which is called fistula. In rare cases, the intestinal cavity can be blocked (ileus) and needs to be treated surgically. Crohn’s disease is usually diagnosed with a colonoscopy or gastroscopy, where mucous membrane samples are collected and examined. Crohn’s disease is a lengthy, incurable disease. Treatment aims at suppressing the body’s defence system to alleviate the enteritis and with it the symptoms. Surgeries are often necessary to remove strongly damaged intestinal sections.
Several years of work in academia, medical practice and finally commercialization make it possible to provide an end-to-end process to help users to “find the appropriate medical help based on their present symptoms”. Below you will find a short explanation, showing you which part of the platform will help you best in finding the appropriate medical support.
Proceed as follows to enter your current symptoms.
Click on the appropriate body part on the picture. Select one/multiple symptoms corresponding to your complaint.
You can also add symptoms by typing your medical complaint in the search box and selecting the best matching suggestion.
Note: Your information will be kept anonymously.
Once you have selected all applicable symptoms, click the “analyze disease pattern”-button.
Accordingly, you will get a list of possible diseases and matching doctor categories who can further help you.
You can inform yourself about the possible diseases by reading the related information. But you can also return to the previous step and add more symptoms or delete already added ones to further narrow down your disease pattern.
Click on the desired doctor category to find a doctor who can help you.
If you are logged in with your profile, you will be displayed the appropriate doctors in your area. Otherwise you can enter an address in the “address” field and you will be displayed a doctor’s list around that specified address.
You will receive further information about the displayed doctors when you press on “details”.
Online bookable doctors in your area will be indicated with the notation “Book appointment” or “Book externally”, additionally they will be displayed on top of the list for your convenience.
Click on “Book appointment” to start the online appointment booking process with the desired doctor.
Please select an available appointment. “Green“ appointments are booked directly. “Red“ appointments need to be confirmed by the doctor.
Enter your general personal and health information.
Enter your present medical symptoms.
Enter your mobile phone number to identify yourself and you can finalize the appointment booking.
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