Symptom

A symptom is a physical sign or condition that doesn't generally occur in a healthy person. They're always a sign of an underlying disease. A diagnosis is the definition of the disease that's causing the symptoms seen in a patient.
For example, a body temperature of 100.4°F is not a symptom (although it is a vital sign). A body temperature of 104°F is a symptom, as is a body temperature of 97°F. However, there are several conditions that can cause either symptom, in the case of a fever, anything from hyperthermia to any one of thousands of possible infections.
Unfortunately, the body has a limited number of symptoms, and few symptoms are unique to any one disease. However, most diseases have multiple symptoms. For example, measles causes both a fever and a distinctive rash.
Category:Symptoms