SIGNS, SYMPTOMS AND

HEALTH PROBLEMS
ETTY KOMARIAH S, S.Kp.,M.Kep
• A nurse doesn’t make a medical diagnose to determine the diseases
but she makes a nursing diagnose based on the objective and
subjective data
• Health problem is a state in which someone experiences an unwell
condition which is showed by the signs and symptoms that may or
may not indicate a specific disease
 SIGNS
• Are what the nurse can observe/see, hear , touch, or measurement results from
the patients
• Signs are considered as an objective data
Examples :
• vital signs measurement result
• Weight gain/weight loss
• Changes on the skin : skin rash, bruising, lumps, pimples, color changes (pale,
cyanosis, jaundice, redness) , swelling (edema), cut or wound lacerations
• Bleeding, runny nose
• Fever
• Short of breath (SOB)
 Symptoms
• Are things that the patient fells and tells the nurse about
• Symptoms are considered as a subjective data
Examples :
• Tiredness, lehtargy, fatigue, lassitude
• Malaise
• Anorexia
• Constipation
• Nausea
 Symptoms
• Dizzy, vertigo
• Numbness, tingling, itchy
• Stiffness
• Cough
• Chills
• Pain : back pain, chest pain, sharp pain
• Ache : stomachache / tummy ache/bellyache, tooth ache, head ache,
muscular ache (myalgia), eyes ache
• Sore : sore throat, sore feet sore stomach
• Hurt : feet, knee, eyes
HEALTH PROBLEMS
1. Ache : sakit 12. Chicken pox : cacar air
2. Allergy : alergi 13. Farsighted : rabun jauh
3. Contagious diseases : penyakit menular 14. Shiver/chills : menggigil/meriang
4. Diarrhea : diare 15. Swollen : bengkak
5. Fever : demam 16. Suppurate : bernanah
6. Frostbite : kedinginan /menggigil 17. Ulcer : luka
7. Inflammation : peradangan 18. Wound : luka
8. Itchy : gatal 19. Veneral disease : penyakit kelamin
9. Jaundice : sakit kuning 20. Internal disease : penyakit dalam
10. Leucorrhea : keputihan 21. Infection : infeksi
11. Measles : campak 22. Decayed tooth : gigi berlubang
23. Costipation : sembelit
USEFUL EXPRESSION

• Nurse’s questions to check the patient’s complaint/condition :

• What’s the problem?
• How are you feeling today?
• What’s your chief complaint?
• What makes you call me?
• What’s troubling you?
• What’s the matter with you?
• What’s wrong with you?
• What happened to you?
USEFUL EXPRESSION

• Patient’s expressions about symptoms and physical problems

• I have + a……………….( a part of body) + ache
• toothache
• headache
• stomachache
• backache
• I have + a sore +( a part of body)
• Sore throat
• Sore foot
• Sore arm
USEFUL EXPRESSION
• I have/get +..………………(kinds of physical problems)
• measles
• flu
• common cold
• bloody vomit and stools
• bowel movement
• bad cough
• fever
USEFUL EXPRESSION
• I feel + ………………………( kinds of physical problems)
• dizzy
• sick
• fever
• cold and clammy
• unwell
• in bad shape
USEFUL EXPRESSION
• Nurse’s report / diagnosis/ how to report on a patient’s condition/
complaint

• He/she complains about his/her + part of the body

has + health problem
suffers from + health problem
• He/she may have……………….+ a disease/health problem
seems to have
Nurse : …………………………….. ?
Patient :…………………………..

A B C

E F
D
Nurse : …………………………….. ?
Patient :…………………………..

G H I

L
J K
Nurse : …………………………….. ?
Patient :…………………………..

M N O

P
Q R