What are the symptoms of disease?

Disease signs and symptoms

A sign is an objective indication of abnormality. A symptom is a person's subjective perception of abnormality. Some signs and symptoms are pathognomonic of specific disease.

For example, the sign of Koplik spots in the mouth is pathognomonic of measles, and the symptoms of shortness of breath, productive cough and fever are pathognomonic of pneumonia. Other signs and symptoms, however, are not specific for any one particular disease. For example, the symptom of fatigue is a feature of many different diseases.

Constitutional symptoms

These symptoms are non-specific and include:

- Malaise

- Fatigue

- Fever

- Weight loss

- Anorexia

Localising signs

These signs indicate the organ system or anatomical site of disease

Common examples include:

- Dyspnoea – shortness of breath or breathlessness

- Chest pain – pain in the chest wall

- Abdominal pain – pain in the abdomen

- Bladder dysfunction

- Loss of vision

Specific signs and symptoms

- Cough

- Sputum

- Haemoptysis

- Hoarseness of voice

- Dysphagia

- Hiccups

- Heartburn

- Nausea

- Vomiting

- Diarrhoea

- Constipation

- Rectal bleeding

- Urinary symptoms

- Skin rashes

The cardinal signs of inflammation

- Rubor (redness)

- Calor (heat)

- Tumor (swelling)

- Dolor (pain)

- Functio laesa (loss of function)

These are particularly useful in diagnosing inflammatory joint disease.