This post is written to clarify the difference between symptoms and signs.
When a patient come to see a doctor, the patient will usually tell what is wrong with him/her such as having fever, short of breath or chest pain. These are what the health professionals called as symptoms. Symptoms are the observations made by the patient.
On the other hand, signs are the observations made by the health professionals. For example, a doctor might notice that there is an abnormal breath sound heard using stethoscope. The doctor might used various medical terms to describe the abnormal breath sound. This is a sign that may indicate that there is something wrong with the chest.
In summary,
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When a patient come to see a doctor, the patient will usually tell what is wrong with him/her such as having fever, short of breath or chest pain. These are what the health professionals called as symptoms. Symptoms are the observations made by the patient.
On the other hand, signs are the observations made by the health professionals. For example, a doctor might notice that there is an abnormal breath sound heard using stethoscope. The doctor might used various medical terms to describe the abnormal breath sound. This is a sign that may indicate that there is something wrong with the chest.
In summary,
- Symptoms : any feature which is noticed by the patient
- Signs : any feature that is observed by any health professionals (Doctors, nurses, allied health professionals).
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