---
title: Symptoms, Diagnoses, and Medical History Terminology
description: Use this glossary to explain common terms patients, families, and healthcare professionals may hear when discussing symptoms, health conditions, previous treatment, and medical history.
---
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# Symptoms, Diagnoses, and Medical History Terminology
## A quick-reference glossary for interpreters navigating healthcare conversations, from symptoms and medications to care planning and recovery.
**Symptoms describe what a person experiences.**
### Symptoms and descriptions
- Pain: An unpleasant physical and emotional experience that may be described by its location, intensity, duration, and quality.
- Tenderness: Discomfort or pain when an area is touched or pressed.
- Shortness of breath: A feeling of difficulty breathing or not getting enough air.
- Fatigue: A feeling of tiredness or lack of energy that may affect daily activities.
- Lightheadedness: A feeling of being faint or about to pass out.
- Vertigo: A sensation that the person or their surroundings are moving or spinning.
- Nausea: A feeling of needing to vomit.
- Edema: Swelling caused by fluid collecting in body tissues.
- Numbness: Reduced or absent sensation in part of the body.
- Tingling: A prickling or pins-and-needles sensation.
### Timing and assessment
- Onset: When a symptom or condition began.
- Duration: How long a symptom or condition lasts.
- Intermittent: Occurring at intervals rather than continuously.
- Severity: The degree or intensity of a symptom or condition.
- Trigger: Something associated with the beginning or worsening of a symptom.
- Pain scale: A tool used to describe or measure pain intensity.
### Diagnoses and history
**A diagnosis identifies a health condition based on clinical assessment and, when appropriate, testing.**
**Medical history provides context about current and previous health concerns.**
- Diagnosis: Identification of a disease or condition through clinical assessment.
- Suspected diagnosis: A condition being considered but not yet confirmed.
- Chronic condition: A health condition that persists over time and may require ongoing care.
- Underlying condition: An existing condition that may contribute to or affect another health problem.
- Medical history: Information about a person’s previous and current illnesses, treatments, and health concerns.
- Surgical history: Information about previous operations and related outcomes.
- Family history: Information about health conditions affecting biological relatives.
- Allergy: An immune-system reaction to a substance that is usually harmless to most people.
Symptom descriptions, diagnostic terminology, and medical-history practices may vary by clinical specialty and individual circumstances. A healthcare professional can explain which findings or diagnoses apply to a particular patient.
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