In medical terminology, what is a symptom?

A symptom in medical terminology is specifically defined as a patient's self-reported experience of a health issue or condition. When patients describe symptoms, they are sharing their subjective perceptions, such as pain, fatigue, or discomfort, which cannot be directly measured or observed by a healthcare professional. This aspect is vital in diagnostics, as the information gleaned from symptoms can guide further investigation and form the basis for understanding the patient's health issues.

Observable conditions are typically classified as signs, which differ from symptoms since signs can be objectively measured or seen by someone other than the patient, such as swelling or rash. A medical diagnosis refers to the determination of a disease or condition based on the symptoms and signs, while a treatment plan outlines the recommended interventions to address the diagnosed condition. Each of these concepts plays a distinct role in the healthcare process but clearly differs from the patient's verbal description of their symptoms.