What is a symptom?

Using some words, we are not always accurateknow what they mean. In most cases, an approximate representation is enough to express one's thought. But in some cases it is better to ask about the specific meaning of the term.

In this article, we will in detail understand what a symptom is.

What does the word "symptom" mean?

There is a term from the Greek word, whichis translated as "coincidence", "case" or "sign". In medicine, it is treated as a regular manifestation of a certain disease in a large number of similar cases.

Types of symptoms

All signs of disease can be divided into three groups:

1. Specific symptoms. They are inherent in a particular group of diseases. For example, a cough signals problems with the throat, that is, when the diagnosis is made, the examination is reduced to checking the ENT organs.
2. Nonspecific symptoms. They accompany very many, and, various diseases. For example, an increase in temperature is a symptom of some kind of malfunctioning in the body; but it accompanies almost all diseases, therefore requires the presence of more and specific symptoms that allow us to narrow the search for the causes of ill health.
3. Pathognomonic symptoms. Appear only in the case of a single disease. For example, uric acid crystals are formed in nodules exclusively with gout.

Set of symptoms

If the same characteristics are found together inthe overwhelming number of cases of the disease, they are called syndrome or symptomatology. For example, influenza syndrome is a combination of aches, fever, lethargy and headache.

Curious information about different words, including the concept of what is a symptom, can be found in the publication Definitions.