Common signs and symptoms of disease and illness

  Signs and Symptoms of Disease 

Anorexia 

• Loss of appetite, refusal to eat
• Infection, gastrointestinal disorders, mental illness, poor dentition, mouth or throat cancer.

Cough

• Forceful expiration effort 
• Abnormal substance in respiratory tract, noxious irritation to the respiratory mucous membranes, cancer, tuberculosis, allergies.

Cyanosis 

• Bluish discolouration of skin and mucous membranes.
• Low oxygen level in the blood, anaemia, lung disorders, heart and circulatory disorders 

Diarrhea 

• Frequent, watery stools
• GI inflammation or obstruction, medication side effect, fecal impaction, bulimia. 

Dyspnea

• Shortness of breath; difficult or painful breathing. 
• Low blood oxygen levels due to respiratory disease or obstruction, chemical imbalance, pneumonia, lung cancer. 

Edema 

• Swelling of tissues; fluid retention. 
• Circulatory disease, local inflammation or infection, malnutrition, electrolytes imbalance, kidney disorders, fluid retention, obesity.

Emesis

• Vomiting 
• GI inflammation, infection, or obstruction, irritation of GI lining, electrolytes imbalance, bulimia, medication side effect. 

Fatigue 

• Loss of energy 
• Sleep loss, poor nutrition, inflammation, infection, depression, circulatory disorders. 

Haemorrhage 

• Abnormal or unexpected bleeding 
• Trauma or injury to tissues, nutritional losses, blood clotting disorders, high blood pressure. 

Jaundice 

• Yellowish discolouration of skin and mucous membranes. 
• Obstruction of bile pathways due to gallstones, inflammation, tumours, liver disorders 

Malaise 

• Generalized discomfort 
• Infection, biomedical imbalance, various disease, emotional difficulties. 

Pallor

• Paleness, loss of normal skin colour/tone.
• Acute or chronic blood loss, nutritional deficiencies, hypothermia, panic, trauma, anaemia. 

Pyrexia (fever)

• Fever; elevated body temperature 
• Inflammation, infection, brain dysfunction, drug toxicity.