Signs and symptoms: what they mean in medicine and the differences
The terms “signs” and ” symptoms” in common language are often confused with each other and considered synonymous, however in medicine they designate two very different realities.
It is important to make a clear terminological distinction, because signs and symptoms are two indispensable factors for making a correct diagnosis and it is also good for patients to know how to use the right vocabulary and exact nomenclature when contacting a specialist doctor.
Signs and symptoms: the differences
We assume that any organic and functional disorder of our body presents itself with very specific signs and symptoms. In the clinical lexicon they are distinguished
- the ” signs “, such as those objective data that derive from the medical examination,
- the “ symptoms ” are the subjective data reported by the patient.
The signs result from a thorough medical examination of the patient’s body, the symptoms are subjective and mainly concern the perception of the latter. To distinguish the two terms more easily, it is customary to use the example: the signs are what the doctor sees , while the symptoms are what the patient feels .
Etymology and derivations of signs and symptoms
By deepening the etymological derivation of the two words it is possible to make a clearer distinction from a linguistic point of view.
In fact, the term “ sign ” derives from the Latin signum which literally means clue , mark , test and refers to the concreteness and objectivity of the element.
The word ” symptom “, on the other hand, originates from the Greek symptoma , translatable with fortuitous event , coincidence , from which the verb sympiptein – to happen – also derives.
In the strictly medical field there is a discipline dedicated to the study of the clinical signs of a disease, semeiotics (or semiology). Semiotics became an official branch of medicine thanks to Galen , a pupil of the famous Hippocrates.
The analysis of clinical signs
The study of semiotics includes a varied sample of clinical signs, which can be distinguished in:
- Prognostic signs : indicate the possible evolution of the patient’s state of health. The most famous is the so-called facies hippocratica , which designates the face of the dying.
- Anamnestic signs : they indicate the existence of a certain disease or condition that currently affects the patient’s life. For example, a paralysis or a walking disorder of the lower limbs.
- Diagnostic signs : lead directly to the identification and recognition of a certain pathology.
The importance of symptoms
The symptoms described , unlike the signs, can often be imprecise and unclear, as the patient does not have specific knowledge on the subject. However, symptoms are often the only way to identify a disease that does not appear to have obvious signs.
In fact , pathognomic symptoms , or guiding symptoms , are defined as those that refer directly to a specific pathology. The latter are divided into:
- “perfect symptoms” when they refer exactly to a certain disease;
- “imperfect symptoms” if the absence of a certain symptom does not necessarily exclude the presence of a pathology.
Symptoms between medicine and psychology
Symptoms, due to their subjective nature, represent an ambivalent argument between medicine and psychology , thus finding themselves in the balance between the two disciplines. Very often the presence of a symptom, in the absence of a sign attached to it, can lead to a psychological disorder. In fact, in psychology it is called analytic symptom , in the Freudian definition, a signal that refers to events and past buried in the subject’s unconscious. Some mental ailments , such as hysteria , schizophrenia or more simply panic attacks, are in fact heralded by specific symptoms.
In medicine, on the other hand, the symptom is always subjected to an objective analysis, therefore to the so-called “clinic of the gaze” . However, a new branch of medicine, psychosomatic medicine , deals precisely with analyzing the connections between somatic symptoms – therefore the physical manifestations detected by the patient – and the possible psychological causes. This area of medicine therefore takes into account the emotional state of the patient and the influence of the psyche on the organism.
The correct distinction between signs and symptoms in these cases is essential in formulating a correct diagnosis and prescribing the right treatment for the patient. That’s why knowing the exact terminology is important.
She defines herself as curious by nature. In 2006 she graduated with honors in Biotechnology at the Sapienza University of Rome. Between 2005 and 2009, she carried out a university internship and research activity in the field of tumor immunotherapy. She is a co-author of three scientific publications. Since 2007 you have associated your passion for science with that for the web, starting the management of the FitnessEquilibrium.com project.