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- DictionarySymp·tom/ˈsim(p)təm/
noun
- 1. a physical or mental feature which is regarded as indicating a condition of disease, particularly such a feature that is apparent to the patient: "dental problems may be a symptom of other illness"
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What is the difference between a symptom and a sign?
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A symptom is a sign or indication of a disease or disorder, or something that shows the existence of something else. Learn the etymology, synonyms, examples, and phrases of symptom from the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
A symptom is any feeling of illness or physical or mental change that is caused by a particular disease, or any single problem that shows a more serious and general problem. Learn more about the meaning, pronunciation, and usage of symptom with examples and translations.
A symptom is any feeling of illness or physical or mental change that is caused by a particular disease, or any single problem that is caused by and shows a more serious and general problem. Learn more about the meaning, usage and examples of symptom from Cambridge Dictionary.
- Overview
- Sign vs. symptom
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- Symptoms
- Signs
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People may use the words ‘sign’ and ‘symptom’ interchangeably. However, a symptom is something an individual experiences, while a sign is something a doctor, or other person, notices.
People may confuse signs and symptoms, but there are important differences that affect their use in the field of medicine. Any objective evidence of a disease, such as a skin rash or a cough, is a sign. A doctor, family member, and the individual experiencing the signs can identify these.
However, less obvious breaks in normal function, such as stomachache, lower back pain, and fatigue, are symptoms and can only be recognized by the person experiencing them. Symptoms are subjective, meaning that other people only know about them if informed by the individual with the condition.
This MNT Knowledge Center article will look at the implications of signs and symptoms as well as their history. The piece will also introduce the different types of sign and symptom and their uses in medicine.
•A light headache can only ever be a symptom because no one else can observe it.
•Medical symptoms are split into chronic, relapsing, and remitting.
The key difference between signs and symptoms is who observes the effect.
For example, a rash could be a sign, a symptom, or both:
•If the patient notices the rash, it is a symptom.
•If the doctor, nurse, or anyone other than the patient notices the rash, it is a sign.
•If both the patient and doctor notice the rash, it can be classed as both a sign and a symptom.
Regardless of who notices that a system or body part is not functioning normally, signs and symptoms are the body’s ways of letting a person know that not everything is running smoothly. Some signs and symptoms need follow-up by a medical professional, while others may completely resolve without treatment.
The diagnosis of symptoms and signs has come a long way since Hippocrates needed to taste the urine of a patient
The identification of signs has become increasingly more dependent on the doctor as time and technology have progressed.
When Antony van Leeuwenhoek invented the microscope and used it to discover cells and microbes in 1674, he opened up the possibility of identifying signs of disease completely invisible to the naked eye. These include foreign organisms in the blood and urine, changes in the composition of blood and waste material, and other important, microscopic signs.
These indicators can be the difference between normal function and dangerous diseases and conditions.
Since the 1800s, medical science has come on leaps and bounds in helping physicians clearly identify signs. A range of devices is now available to help doctors identify and analyze signs that even the patient may not have recognized.
These include:
There are three main types of symptom:
•Remitting symptoms: When symptoms improve or resolve completely, they are known as remitting symptoms. For examples, symptoms of the common cold may occur for several days and then resolve without treatment.
•Chronic symptoms: These are long-lasting or recurrent symptoms. Chronic symptoms are often seen in ongoing conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, and cancer.
•Relapsing symptoms: These are symptoms that have occurred in the past, resolved, and then returned. For instance, symptoms of depression may not occur for years at a time but can then return.
Some conditions show no symptoms at all. For example, a person can have high blood pressure for years without knowing, and some cancers have no symptoms until the later, more aggressive stages. These are known as asymptomatic conditions, and even though the idea of symptoms is often linked to discomfort or abnormal function, a condition without symptoms can be deadly.
Many types of infection do not show symptoms. These are known as subclinical infections, and they can be contagious despite not causing noticeable symptoms in the person carrying the infection. The infection can still be transmitted to other people during the incubation period, or the period during which the infectious agent takes hold of the body.
A medical sign is a physical response linked medical fact or characteristic that is detected by a physician, nurse, or medical device during the examination of a patient. They can often be measured, and this measurement can be central to diagnosing a medical problem.
Sometimes, a patient may not notice a sign, and it may not seem relevant. However, in the hands of a medical professional that knows how this sign relates to the rest of the body, the same sign can be the key to treating an underlying medical problem.
Some examples of signs that can be linked to a disease by a clinician:
•High blood pressure: This can indicate a cardiovascular problem, an adverse reaction to medication, an allergy, or many other possible conditions or diseases. This will often be combined with other signs to reach a diagnosis.
•Clubbing of the fingers: This may be a sign of lung disease or a range of genetic diseases.
Doctors are trained to pick up signs that an untrained individual might not see as important.
Learn the difference between signs and symptoms, how they are used in medicine, and their history. Find out what types of signs and symptoms exist and how they can help diagnose diseases and conditions.
A symptom is a change in your body or mind that shows that you are not healthy. Learn how to use the word symptom in different contexts, with pictures, pronunciation and wordfinder tools.
A subjective indication of a disorder or disease, such as pain, nausea or weakness. Symptoms may be accompanied by objective signs of disease such as abnormal laboratory test results or findings during a physical examination.
A symptom is the result or byproduct of something else—specifically, the result we use to prove that that other thing exists. Simple example: a cough is a symptom of a cold. We know we have a cold because we have the symptom, a cough. Don't confuse the symptom with the cause.
