Huntington’s disease (previously Huntington’s chorea) is a genetic disorder in which patients experience personality disorders, dementia, and uncontrollable, asymmetrical movements. The disease is characterized by a progressing deterioration of the nerve cells in the brain.
Huntington’s disease has a large impact on the functional abilities of the patient. The majority of persons with Huntington’s disease develop symptoms and signs in their thirties or forties, but the beginning of the illness can postpone to a later point of time in life. If the disease starts before 20, then the disease is named juvenile Huntington’s disease. An earlier beginning of the disease results often in its faster progression and also shows different symptoms. While medications can alleviate the symptoms, treatment cannot prevent the behavioral, mental, and physical decline connected with the condition. It affects about 5-10 people in every 100'000.
The reason for Huntington’s disease can be found in one specific defect gene, which is inherited. It will be already sufficient to develope the condition if a person has only one copy of the defect gene (autosomal dominant disorder). Over time, the brain damage gets progressively worse and can affect behavior, movement, and cognition including judgement, thinking, awareness and perception. Early symptoms of the disease can include irritability, fidgety movements, mood swings, altered behavior, and personality changes, dementia, psychosis, and depression. The first symptoms usually appear when the patient is in his 40s or 50s. During the condition's course, a specific set of symptoms will appear to be more prevalent or have an important effect on the functional ability.
No treatment can change the course of Huntington’s disease but medications can alleviate some symptoms of the psychiatric and movement disorder. In addition, numerous further measures can help the patient to adapt to the change for a certain period of time. However, adverse effects of the medicine used for one specific set of symptoms can worsen other symptoms. Hence, the treatment plan and goal will reviewed and updated regularly.
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.
Name
Email address
Type your message here