A Symptom Is What You Feel; a Sign Is What the Doctor Sees
A symptom is evidence of a condition. Medicine distinguishes symptoms, which patients report, from signs, which clinicians observe.
A symptom is an indication of a condition. Medicine draws a line worth knowing: a *symptom* is what the patient experiences and reports — pain, nausea, fatigue — while a *sign* is what a clinician can observe or measure, such as a rash or a temperature. A patient can have signs without symptoms and the reverse.
- A reported indication of illness. *Flu-like symptoms.*
- A sign of a wider problem. *A symptom of underinvestment.*
- Asymptomatic — showing no symptoms. *An asymptomatic case.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | symptom | A persistent symptom. |
| Plural | symptoms | Mild symptoms. |
| Adjective | symptomatic | Symptomatic of decline. |
| Adjective | asymptomatic | Asymptomatic carriers. |
| Related | syndrome | A named syndrome. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Symptoms usually appear within days.Medical.
- The queues are a symptom, not the problem.Figurative.
- Many cases are asymptomatic.No symptoms reported.
Medical vocabulary
- Symptom — what the patient reports
- Sign — what the clinician observes
- Syndrome — a recognised group of symptoms and signs
- Prognosis — the expected course
- Diagnosis — identifying the condition
From Greek *symptoma*, a happening or chance occurrence, from *syn*, together, and *piptein*, to fall — literally something that befalls a person.
Symptom or sign?
A symptom is subjective and reported by the patient. A sign is objective and observed by the clinician.
What is symptomatic treatment?
Treatment that relieves symptoms without addressing the underlying cause. It is often the right choice when the cause will resolve itself.