What is Difference Between Signs and Symptoms?
Difference Between Signs and Symptoms is that Both signs and symptoms serve to describe diseases. However, they are different in many features.
The signs represent what the doctor can see in a patient and the symptoms represent what the patient feels or experiences. The symptom can be defined as one of the characteristics of disease; while the sign is the definitive indication of a specific disease.
While the signs are the physical manifestation of an injury or illness, the symptoms can be described as what a patient experiences about the injury or illness. While the patient notices the symptoms, it is the others, especially the doctor, who notices the signs. A high temperature, a rapid pulse, low blood pressure, open wound, and bruising can be considered signs. Chills, tremors, fever, nausea, tremors, and vertigo are symptoms.
While the signs are objective, the symptoms, on the other hand, are subjective. The signs are called objectives in the sense that they can be felt, heard or seen by everyone. Some examples of signs are: bleeding, bruising, swelling and fever. The symptoms are subjective in the sense that they are not visible to others. It is only the patient who perceives and experiences the symptoms.
When the patient experiences certain symptoms is when he usually approaches a doctor. The symptoms help the doctor diagnose the problem. Because the symptoms are not noticeable to others, only to the patient, the most important thing is that the patient is as descriptive as possible so that the doctor can evaluate the symptoms.
Symptoms can also be defined as what the patient reports, but that cannot be verified. Feeling tired, dizzy and having pain are some symptoms, which cannot be verified. But the signs, on the other hand, can be verified. Signs can be measured in a clinical setting. High or low blood pressure, rapid heart rate or fever can be measured.
The symptoms are vague while the signs are concrete. The sign is only an objective indication of some medical fact that can be detected by a doctor. These signs may not have any meaning for patients, but they are significant for a doctor to diagnose diseases.
One can describe a symptom as one experienced and reported by a patient. While the doctor discovers signs of disease during the examination of a patient.
Summary
- The signs are what a doctor sees, the symptoms are what a patient experiences.
- While the signs are the physical manifestation of an injury or illness, the symptoms can be described as a patient’s experience of the injury or illness.
- The signs are objective. The symptoms, on the other hand, are subjective
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