What differentiates a sign from a symptom?

The distinction between a sign and a symptom is fundamentally based on their observation and reporting in a clinical context. A sign is an objective finding that can be observed or measured by a clinician during an examination, such as a rash, fever, or elevated blood pressure. These signs are observable manifestations of a medical condition that do not rely on subjective interpretation.

In contrast, a symptom is a subjective experience reported by the patient, reflecting their personal feelings or perceptions of discomfort or dysfunction, such as pain, fatigue, or anxiety. Symptoms cannot be measured directly in the same way as signs; they require the patient's self-reporting for evaluation.

This clear differentiation emphasizes the roles of clinicians and patients in the medical assessment process, underscoring how clinical findings (signs) can corroborate patient-reported experiences (symptoms) to form a comprehensive understanding of a person's health condition.