Symptoms
What exactly are Symptoms?
All animals have instincts that tell them that they are sick or ill. In reality, they are not just instincts they are indications that are meant to let you know that your body is not in its usual condition and not necessarily an illness or malady. They are called Symptoms. The word symptom has been derived from the Greek root word, Symptoma, which literally translates to the accidents or misfortunes or any other occurrences that befall. The most important aspect is that this is a sensation of “the person himself” who is troubled by the illness or disorder and not an observer.comparecarrentals.co.uk The Symptoms might vary from one person to another, partly due to their subjective nature, and they cannot be gauged.
Due to the extensive application of the word to the diseases and disorders, the word now has a negative connotation whenever it is used. However, the term can also be used synonymously with signs of any condition such as pregnancy, puberty etc. Due to the ongoing debate about the use of the word “Symptoms” only to diseases and disorders, it has been suggested that the words such as sign, indications or suggestion be used in such contexts.
So what is the difference between a Sign and a Symptom?
Sign is an indication of a disease as observed by others. Others include any person other than the patient himself; physicians, relatives and friends observe the signs. It is highly possible in case of many diseases that the Symptoms can be signs. In other words the physician can observe the patient and find the exact same Symptoms that are felt by him. For instance, in case of malaria, recurrent fever at nights is a sign observed by the physician or parents and also the symptom felt by the patient. Skin allergies also come under the same category. There are certain indicators that can be only felt by the person like pain, nausea etc. Hence they are always Symptoms. However, many other indicators are always signs and cannot be felt by the patient such as the counts of the sugar levels in the blood or urine, hormonal levels etc.
Types of Symptoms
Symptoms are generally classified as
- Chronic Symptoms: Symptoms that last for long periods
- Acute Symptoms: short lived Symptoms that generally subside within few days
- Relapse Symptoms: Symptoms that recur after the disease has subsided
- Remitting Symptoms: a hiatus, which can be temporary or permanent, in the diseased state.
Symptoms can also be grouped under several other categories on various bases. In many conditions the person experiences what are called the constitutional Symptoms. Constitutional Symptoms are those that show their effect on the whole body and not just a single organ or tissue of the body. Fever is one such symptom.
There are also several diseases, disorders and infections that do not exhibit any symptom and hence they are referred to as asymptomatic conditions.
Symptoms are not always specific of a condition but might occur in various conditions. However, there are some Symptoms that are specific to the disease or disorder. Certain Symptoms may occur in various diseases. Fever or elevated temperature invariably is a feature of a majority of the diseases but you cannot attribute the presence of fever to any particular disease. But careful observation of the coexisting Symptoms might lead to a definitive answer as to what disease the person is suffering from.
Primary and Secondary Symptoms: There is a group of Symptoms called the secondary Symptoms. As the name suggests they do not directly indicate the disease. They, instead, are a consequence of the Symptoms present in a disease. The Symptoms that lead to the secondary Symptoms are called the primary Symptoms.
The Symptoms which may be primary in a disease can be secondary in another disease. Fatigue is a common feature of most diseases due to exhaustion in mental and also physical disorders. It can a primary symptom or may be a consequence of them. Fatigue is also a normal sign in healthy individuals that indicates the exhaustion after an exercise.
What is the importance of the knowledge of Symptoms?
It should be identified that the Symptoms are invariably linked to the occurrence of the disease and hence are a means to identify the disease.
- The knowledge of Symptoms and their identification is very useful and in most cases lifesaving too.
- If you can identify the Symptoms of a heart stroke, the chances of saving the patient are higher.
- Thus mortality can be significantly reduced thereby improving the life expectancy of Humans.
- Even if the disease is not fatal, early identification of a disease via the Symptoms can be very helpful in further deterioration of the disease and health of the patient.
- In case of diseases like leprosy, which are degenerative, the earlier you react and avail treatment, the better it is.
Role of patients and physicians in identifying the Symptoms
It is the role of the patient to let the doctor know, accurately, the details of the Symptoms experienced by him. However, the major problem in later identification and improperly treated cases is improper identification of the diseases which happens due to the patients who do not cooperate in the identification.
This doesn’t mean that the burden of identification of the Symptoms is on the patient completely. It is the duty of the doctor to ask all Symptoms after the patient states a few. The few stated Symptoms should give the doctor an idea of what disease he might have and ask the other possibilities to confirm the presence of any disease and then treat him accordingly.
An ideal doctor doesn’t prescribe medications unless he confirms the presence of the disease, except in special cases where the patient doesn’t have the luxury of time. If required the doctor should also consult the patient to undergo several tests that reveal the signs of a disease.
Do’s- Make a list of the Symptoms that you have identified and make sure that you let your physician know of them. It might help you save valuable time.
Do not’s- Though you have successfully identified the Symptoms and are certain of what the disease might be it is not prudent to buy the drugs and use them without the prior consultation of the doctor.
There are several factors that the physicians consider before the prescription of medicines or any method of treatment.
There are several aids on the internet that allow you to identify the disease, serving as a virtual doctor. They are all meant for educational purposes only and not for self-treatment.
Do not hold back to shell a few bucks to go to the doctor, your life is worth it after all.