Symptom
Symptoms are used in diagnosis. The term is used in medicine, and in other fields such as fault-finding in engineering.
In medicine, it refers to things the patient feels or notices. It contrasts with signs, which are changes which a doctor sees in a patient. What a patient feels is subjective, whereas what a doctor sees is objective.
In diagnosis, all symptoms and signs are brought together to make a hypothesis as to what is going wrong. This might suggest further investigation or treatment. A complete investigation ends with a diagnosis that summarizes all this.
- Pain is a symptom, and red color is a sign, of a skin burn.
- Feeling sick is a symptom, and vomiting and diarrhea are signs, of food poisoning, cholera and other causes.
- Pain in the chest is a symptom, and cyanosis (blue color of skin) is a sign, of heart disease.
- Headaches, aching muscles, and nausea are symptoms of influenza.
Similar terms
- Symptomatic: having or showing symptoms.
- Asymptomatic: not showing symptoms.
- Asymptomatic carrier has the disease but shows no symptoms.
Symptom Media
Signs (including enlarged liver and spleen) and symptoms (including headache and vomiting) of acute HIV infection
Painting of René Laennec in 1816 using an early method of auscultation on a man with tuberculosis
