What is an example of a symptom in a patient?

In the context of patient assessment, a symptom refers to a subjective indication of a disease or condition that is reported by the patient. It reflects how the patient feels and cannot be measured directly by healthcare providers. Pain is a quintessential example of a symptom because it is a personal experience that varies from one individual to another, making it entirely reliant on the patient’s description.

While dizziness, swelling, and nausea can also indicate underlying conditions, they present in different ways. Dizziness can be considered both a symptom and a sensation; swelling is an observable sign that can be measured, and nausea is a symptom as well. However, among the choices, pain clearly demonstrates the subjective nature of symptoms that directly relate to the patient’s internal experience rather than something that an observer can see or quantify.