About Medical Symptoms

Doctors and patients alike use medical symptoms to figure out what is wrong with them, and to determine what treatments are appropriate. Without a doctor on call 24 hours a day, how do you know if your medical symptoms are threatening or trivial? This article describes some of the most common urgent medical symptoms and explains how to investigate others.

History

• Hundreds of years ago, medical symptoms were commonly interpreted as imbalances in energy or the actions of demons. Today, medicine is far from perfect, though our diagnostics are more advanced. We have fancy devices such as scanning machines, plasma tests and DNA sampling. However, most doctors still rely on patient descriptions of medical symptoms for an accurate diagnosis.

Significance

• Medical symptoms are the things we feel that tell us something is wrong, even if we can't quite put our fingers on it. Unlike medical signs, symptoms cannot be seen by anyone. For example, a bleeding leg is a sign of injury. Severe pain in the leg, on the other hand, is a symptom. It is felt only by the individual and cannot be seen. Because your doctor must rely on your description of symptoms in the absence of signs, it is important to be thorough and honest during a consultation.

Types

• Medical symptoms differ in degrees of severity, so it is important to know which ones are serious. In general, symptoms of chest pain or tightness require immediate action, since they might be warnings of a serious heart condition. Another medical symptom you should never ignore is sudden confusion, especially if accompanied by difficulty speaking or moving any of your limbs. Combined, these can indicate a stroke or a severe chemical imbalance. Difficulty breathing, dizziness and sudden, severe leg pains are also symptoms that should be attended to immediately. These can signify something as serious as an allergy, a clot or a critical drop in blood sugar or pressure.

Misconceptions

• Even medical symptoms that aren't urgent may be cause for investigation. Sometimes seemingly insignificant changes in our bodies can warn of a problem in its earliest stages. Many major illnesses, such as multiple sclerosis and heart failure, may initially present as flu-like symptoms. However, even everyday symptoms like an upset stomach or a headache should be brought to your doctor's attention if it persists for more than a few days. This can mean the difference between early prevention and too late to treat.

Identification

• In these days of rising co-payments and high deductibles for medical services, it is easy to brush off medical symptoms until they get worse. With the availability of medical information online today, however, getting advice does not have to cost a bundle. Several free search engines provide generic medical advice based on the symptoms you enter. Most sites come with a disclaimer stating that they should not be used as a substitute for medical care. Still, they can be a good starting point to narrow your medical symptoms to a few potential causes.