Symptom

A symptom ( altgr. σύμπτωμα ( symptomatic ) ' chance event ', from συν ( syn) ' together ' and πίπτειν ( píptein ) ' fall ', of which the noun πτῶμα ( ptoma ) ' case ') is in medicine or the Psychology a sign indicative of a disease or injury. It may by a physician or psychologist recorded ( finding) or by patients will experience itself ( complaint). The totality of the resulting symptoms of a disease process results in the clinical picture, the symptoms, also called hospital. Symptoms can be divided (from outside noticeable ) symptoms in subjective ( perceived by those affected ) and "objective". The latter are also called clinical signs. ( Typical ) combinations of symptoms are also known as syndrome.

Significant symptoms are usually noticed by the patient and give him an opportunity to seek medical or psychotherapeutic advice. Discrete (covert ) symptoms, however, are only detected when asked in detail in the context of history and / or a physical examination.

Application

Symptoms, together with the other findings, the basis for a diagnosis. A symptom is described as pathognomonic, if it is already on their own are sufficient for a reliable diagnosis.

Often enough when the elevation of the leading symptom and some other symptoms to make a diagnosis and initiate appropriate therapy. In less clear cases requiring additional investigations, for example by means of laboratory diagnostic or imaging procedures to obtain adequate results.

Derived and related terms

The term symptomatic characterized in Medicine:

• Findings that are characteristic or pathognomonic for the diagnosis of certain well-known disease. As pathognomonic, we describe a typical symptom of the already diagnosed or possibly even to diagnose disease. In this sense, one uses the term " symptomatic " and to distinguish specific somatic -related diseases as compared with mentally related disorders. Symptomatic psychosis in this sense is an organically related, that is physically justifiable psychosis, eg as a result of an accidental brain injury. - Also nosologically only difficult to classify syndromes such as the so-called functional syndromes " symptomatic " by means of the designation as organic. If one wants to emphasize that certain functional syndromes are not due to organic growth, so you can call it as " essential function disorders." The term "essential " means that the etiologic and pathogenetic classification is unclear. " Essential " should not " psychogenic " with confused because " psychogenic " no compelling alternative to " organic" is.
• Therapies that fight symptoms of disease directly, because a causal treatment is not possible or not necessary (for example, relief of high fever in viral infections or palliative measures).

One distinguishes objective and subjective symptoms:

• Objective symptoms are observed or recorded by the examiner pathological individual findings or by a third party (eg family members ) reported information on the disease. In this sense, for example, distinguish between personal history and foreign history.
• Subjective symptoms are the self- sued by the patient symptoms.

A typical for a very specific disease symptoms group is called a complex of symptoms, or, for example, as a characteristic symptom triad ( = three typical symptoms). However, the term symptom complex that it deviates from this definition with partially or largely unknown etiology (cause) and pathogenesis ( disease development ) is used and is therefore synonymous with syndrome.

Gerd Huber has the same or similar symptoms that arise due to different etiology and pathogenesis of disease initiation, called an expression community of symptoms.

As a residual symptom is defined as the lag of a residual symptom after recovery.

Under prodromal symptoms are understood non-specific precursor symptoms of an infectious disease, such as Body aches, weakness and fever.

The term " diagnosis " is often " symptom " is used in everyday language used synonymously with the term; the terms differs as follows:

• Findings contains the empirical character ( the Found - be - able ) recognized features.
• Symptom in turn contains the symbolic character of a feature as an indication of disease,