Constitutional symptoms are nonspecific to particular diseases and affect the whole body, such as fever, sweating, weakness, drowsiness, and weight loss. They can occur together or alone and indicate the severity of the disease. Treatment focuses on the underlying cause.
The term “constitutional symptoms” refers to the manifestation of a disease that occurs because the disease affects the whole body. They tend to be nonspecific to particular diseases and are not as helpful in diagnosis as nonconstitutional symptoms. Examples of clearly identifiable medical problems that fall into this group include fever, headache, and sweating. More vague problems like weakness, drowsiness, or weight loss are also part of the bunch. Constitutional symptoms can occur singly or together, depending on the specific medical condition affecting the person.
Since the body is an organism, the effects of a particular disease on an area don’t necessarily affect just a single area. The immune system can produce effects throughout the body, such as problems with energy metabolism or negative effects on the brain or other organs. Therefore, a problem in one area, such as thyroid disease, can produce these symptoms, as well as localized symptoms. Illnesses such as infections, which affect most of the body, can also produce symptoms that affect the whole body.
Fever is a common symptom of disease, and is called constitutional because it affects the whole body through the immune system by producing a high temperature. Unusual sweating is another example and can occur on its own or in combination with a fever. A feeling of shivering or uncontrollable shaking are also general symptoms. Tingling or unusual skin sensitivity is another symptom that falls into this category, and headaches are usually included in the definition, as it can occur for a wide variety of reasons, from eye problems to stress.
Weight loss is a vague indicator of disease, although severe weight loss is an obvious target for diagnosing serious disease. This symptom can occur for a variety of reasons. The disease can affect the person’s appetite or the disease can cause malabsorption of nutrients from a normal food intake. Vomiting or diarrhea due to illness can also be a cause of weight loss.
Weakness is a general symptom that can signal the presence of a variety of illnesses, from the flu to heart disease. Abnormal sleepiness, yawning, or lethargy may also indicate the presence of an underlying disease. When the lungs or heart are affected by a disease, the person may also show an inability to breathe normally or feel faint when sitting down.
The severity of these symptoms generally indicates the types of treatment the person needs. Serious problems such as weakness or shortness of breath require immediate attention, while an adult with a low-grade fever may only require the advice of a doctor or pharmacist. Treatment options for constitutional symptoms depend on the individual patient, but generally focus on treating the underlying cause to remove or alleviate the constitutional problems.
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