Arteries are blood vessels that supply tissue with oxygen and nutrients. Arteries can become clogged due to wall hardening or due to formation of blood clots, both leading to reduced blood flow, therefore reduced amount of nutrients and oxygen will be given to surrounding tissues and the consequence will be cell death.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is mostly localized in the legs and is the result of age-related, slowly-increasing hardening of the vessels. Other illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, increased blood lipid levels (cholesterol), and nicotine promote hardening of the vessels. In certain cases, the arteries can become clogged with blood clots, which can be caused by arrhythmia of the heart or abnormal vascular dilation. Supply to the tissue is reduced when vessels become clogged, which typically leads to effort related pain in the affected areas.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is especially common in older patients (affecting 3% of people over 60) and predominantly affects the legs. Slowly developing hardening of the vessels causes the patient to suffer from effort related, burning cramps and pains in the area below the blockage in the artery. Furthermore it can lead to cool and pale tissue (skin), rest pain when the affected body part is in an elevated position, venous ulcers (leg ulcers), and tissue death in the worst scenario. If blood clots are present, the symptoms mentioned above occur quite rapidly.
In the worst cases, tissue death can occur. In certain circumstances an amputation may be necessary. A work-up is usually carried out when typical symptoms occur and includes an accurate evaluation of the narrowness of the vessel using ultrasound and other methods. Treatment in the early stages may consist of walk therapy, blood thinning, and avoidance of triggers such as nicotine. In order to prevent the last stage of tissue death, sufficient supplies of blood need to be guaranteed. This can be done by means of catheter intervention in which the vessel is reopened with a balloon or by means of a bypass operation in which the narrow passage is by passed either by an artificial or natural vessel.
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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