What is the difference between symptoms and side effects

Good health helps people live a full life…. Psychology is the study of the mind, how it works, and how it might affect behavior. Understand the differences between a psychologist and a…. Why do signs and symptoms matter? Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph. Sign vs. Share on Pinterest A sign is the effect of a health problem that can be observed by someone else. A symptom is an effect noticed and experienced only by the person who has the condition. Share on Pinterest Advancing technology has put more power in the hands of clinicians when it comes to identifying diseases.

Share on Pinterest Many infections, such as HPV, do not immediately show symptoms and can still be transmitted to others. Public Health Primary Care. Latest news Could 'cupping' technique boost vaccine delivery? Scientists identify new cause of vascular injury in type 2 diabetes. Adolescent depression: Could school screening help? Related Coverage. What is the pulse and how do I check it? A brief introduction to physiology. Adverse effects must be reported, investigated in human clinical trials, and included in the patient information leaflet PIL.

The PIL accompanies drugs and medical devices when they are sold to the public. The FDA encourage people to report adverse effects to medications. Adverse effects of medications are most likely to happen when a person first uses the drug, when they stop using it, or when the dosage changes.

A drug interaction happens when another substance affects the activity of a drug. This could be, for example, another drug, a food, a vitamin or supplement, or an essential oil. The other substance may increase or reduce the effect of a drug. Sometimes it may cause a completely different action to occur.

Drug-drug interactions happen when two drugs interact. For example, aspirin and warfarin are both blood thinners. Together, they increase the risk of bleeding and bruising. Drug-food interactions occur when a food alters what the drug should be doing. For example, statins reduce cholesterol levels, but eating high-fat foods will increase them. Drug-herb interactions can also happen, for example, using antidepressant medication with St. OTC preparations , such as aspirin, can trigger drug interactions.

It is important to tell a health care professional which drugs you are already taking, including supplements and OTC drugs, at the time of getting a new medication. In countries where a wide range of drugs can be bought without prescriptions, the risk of drug-drug interactions is greater. It is important to note that adverse effects from drugs can vary widely, from mild nausea to death. Different drugs have different effects. Some effects are more likely than others.

The PIL that comes with a drug or device will categorize effects according to their probability. For example, research may have shown that a headache occurs in 1 in every 10 patients who use the drug according to the instructions.

Answered by Editage Insights on 30 Mar, This content belongs to the Manuscript Writing Stage. Translate your research into a publication-worthy manuscript by understanding the nuances of academic writing. Subscribe and get curated reads that will help you write an excellent manuscript. Looking at the different MS treatments you can see that some side effects are common among all DMTs, whilst others are more specific to the type of DMT or are associated with the method of administration.

Risk of infection Due to their influence on the immune system, all DMTs can increase your vulnerability to infection and reduce your ability to fight them off.

Some of the main signs of infection to look out for include a fever, chills and swollen glands. Speak to your doctor or MS nurse immediately if you are experiencing any of these side effects. Possible side effects associated with DMT method of administration Side effects can also be directly related to how a treatment is administered.

Some DMTs are taken orally in tablet form once or twice daily or are self-administered by injection. Others are administered by infusion, whereby the drug is given directly into a vein. This type of DMT is given in the clinical setting by a trained healthcare professional. Each method is associated with their own selection of side effects. For example, DMTs given by injection are often self-administered on a regular basis and may result in a response at the DMT delivery site.

Such side effects are called injection-site reactions and are usually mild.