Giant cell arteritis is an inflammation of the blood vessels. It mostly affects the large arteries, including the temporal artery, which is the reason why patients often complain of pain in the front side of the head, in specific the temples. Rare but dangerous is an infestation in the eye vessels, which can lead to blindness.
Giant cell arteritis is an inflammation of the blood vessels, which supply blood to the head and the brain. The cause of this inflammation is an autoimmune reaction where the body's defense system is directed against itself. It mostly affects the large arteries, including the arteries near the temples (temporal artery), which is the reason why giant cell artiritis is also called temporal arteritis. Rarely also an inflammation of the eye vessels can occur.
Giant cell arteritis usually occurs only in people over 50 years. It is often seen together with polymyalgia rheumatic (see polymyalgia rheumatic). However, both diseases can also occur separately. Very often giant cell arteritis affects the arteries around the temples, so that pain in this area is relatively common. Some of the arteries may also be thickened and nodules can be found in the temple area. In addition, patients often complain of a painful scalp, e.g. when combing hair, as well as pain in the cheek area when chewing. In addition, if vision problems occur, immediate clarification and treatment is absolutely necessary.
If giant cell arteritis is not treated, it can lead to blindness if the ocular vessels are affected. The detection and treatment of this disease is crucial. Diagnosis is mainly clinical, complemented by some laboratory tests (so-called inflammatory markers) and a tissue sample, which is obtained from the temporal artery. If eye problems occur, high doses of cortisone are often used for a short period of time. A low dose of cortisone is prescribed for about one year to prevent a relapse.
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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