There is a definitive group of people out there who love to hate on message boards and crowd-sourced information websites, like wikis. Their chief complaint is that anyone can put anything on the website. This could present a bit of a problem; an example of this is the perpetuation of conspiracy theories. SPOILER ALERT! The earth is not flat. The U.S.A. did land a man on the moon in 1969. JonBenet Ramsey and her family did not fake her death, and she did not grow up to be Katy Perry. Ludicrous conspiracy theories aside, if you, as discerning and informed readers, are aware of this potential pitfall, crowd-sourced information can be very useful.
Take the “Stay Connected” board of the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders for example. Amy Frojd wrote in February 2017 of her daughter’s difficulties with gastroparesis, GERD, and irritable bowel syndrome looking for help.
Amy posted about her teenaged daughter, Briana. This young woman has endured 16 surgeries, nearly one a year her entire life. Two were open heart surgeries. Amy says that Briana has always had tummy troubles, but it wasn’t until early in 2017 that doctors finally identified the source of her issues—gastroparesis.
Gastroparesis is a rare condition that affects a person’s ability to move food and liquids from the stomach to the small intestine. The cause of this disorder is not entirely understood. Researchers have found a connection with the condition and the vagus nerve. There is no known cure for it, though certain treatments have yielded some success.
Amy’s description of her daughter’s struggles with this disorder was followed by a plea for help finding more information. Fellow gastroparesis sufferers are able to point her in the right direction. The dearth of information about certain conditions and the glut of inaccurate and negative information for other diseases and disorders may lead many people to stop looking for medical information online.
Intelligent readers will see the advice given by fellow board posters for what it is, personal experience that should be carefully considered and investigated before accepting.
Read Amy’s post by clicking here.
