Signs and symptoms

clinical symptom or sign as a first-order metaclass: to be used as P31 values for all symptom or sign classes, and instances are classes (e. g. sneezing or coughing)

Signs and symptoms are two words that doctors use to describe how a medical problem causes changes in a person's body.

A doctor uses a stethoscope to listen for signs of a medical problem in the organs in a person's body, like the heart and lungs. If this person does not feel well because of a medical problem, he tells the doctor what he is feeling, like pain. What the person is feeling are the symptoms.

A sign is a change in the body that can be heard, seen, felt, or smelled by a doctor. A sign may also be shown on medical tests like X-rays or urine blood tests.[1] For example:

Sign
A bullseye rash is a sign of Lyme disease.[3] It is a sign because a doctor can see it.
Symptom
Seeing flashing, sparkling lights that are not really there is a symptom of migraine headache with aura.[4] The person has to tell the doctor what he sees.

Symptoms

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A symptom is a change in the body that cannot be seen, heard, felt, or smelled by a doctor. It also cannot be shown on medical tests. A symptom is something that only the person having the symptom can see, hear, feel, or smell.[5] For example:

  • Before a migraine headache, a person may see flashing lights that are not really there. Nobody but that person can see the lights, and they will not show up on any medical tests. This is called an aura, and it is a symptom of a migraine
  • Sometimes, people will hear a ringing sound, like a phone ringing, in their ears. This can be a symptom of ear problems or hearing problems[6]
  • Pain is a common symptom. A doctor cannot see, hear, or feel pain, or see it on tests. Only the person having the pain can feel it
If a person is having pain, like a headache or a stomach ache, there is no way for the doctor to know unless the person tells the doctor.
  • Sometimes, before a person has a seizure, they may smell something that is not really there. Nobody but that person can smell it. This can be a symptom of an aura, warning that a seizure is going to happen

Signs and symptoms often happen together

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Often, medical problems cause both signs and symptoms. For example:

This Medical Problem... Can Cause These Signs... And Can Cause These Symptoms
Flu[7]
  • Pain all over the body
Low blood sugar[8]
  • Low blood sugar on a blood sugar test
  • Headache
  • Feeling very tired
Asthma attack[9]

with a stethoscope (can be heard)

  • Feeling tightness in the chest
  • Having chest pain

References

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  1. "Sign". Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Inc. 2015.
  2. "Hyperglycemia: Symptoms". MayoClinic.org. The Mayo Clinic. April 18, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  3. Fiebach, Nicholas H. (2006). Principles of Ambulatory Medicine: Barker, Burton, and Zieve's (2nd ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 562. ISBN 0781762278.
  4. Mumenthaler, Marco; Mattle, Heinrich (2005). Fundamentals of Neurology: An Illustrated Guide (1st ed.). Thieme. p. 248. ISBN 1588904504.
  5. "Symptom". Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Inc. 2015.
  6. "Tinnitus". nidcd.nih.gov. National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders, United States National Institutes of Health. September 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  7. "Seasonal Influenza: Flu Basics". flu.gov. United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. August 25, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  8. Zaoutis, Lisa B.; Chiang, Vincent W. (2007). Comprehensive Pediatric Hospital Medicine (1st ed.). Mosby. p. 274. ISBN 978-0323030045.
  9. "Asthma Attack: Symptoms". MayoClinic.org. The Mayo Clinic. February 4, 2014. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2015.