General Medicine symptoms Flashcards
Asthma
Cough, wheeze, chest tightness, shortness of breath. Most frequent in young children and symptoms are worse at night. Increased IgE.
(Acute) Bronchitis
Begins with irritating and unproductive cough, later green or yellow sputum. Chest tightness, wheezing, shortness of breath, mild fever, neutrophil leucocytosis (high white blood cell count).
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Productive cough, wheeze, breathlessness, frequent infections, hypertension (high blood pressure), osteoporosis (decrease in bone mass), weight loss, loss of muscle mass.
Emphysema
Main: Shortness of breath, blue/grey lips or fingernails, mentally not alert
+ See COPD
Oesophageal varices
Vomiting blood, black tarry or bloody stools, Jaundice (yellow skin), spider nevi (swollen blood vessels just beneath the skin
Pleural effusion
Coughing, shortness of breath.
Pneumothorax
Sudden unilateral (one sided) pleuritic pain. Breathlessness.
Pneumonia
Acute illness, cough, purulent sputum (pus), fever, consolidation of the lung (fluid in it).
Pulmonary embolism
Breathlessness. Pleuritic chest pain (pain while breathing) and haemoptysis (coughing blood). High heart rate (tachycardia).
Rhinitis
Nasal irritation, sneezing, watery rhinorrhoea, itchy eyes.
Gastritis
Burning ache in upper abdomen, nausea, vomiting
Gallstones
Pain in upper right abdomen, back pain between shoulder blades, pain in right shoulder, pain lasts minutes to hours
Coeliac disease
Anaemia, osteoporosis (loss bone density), esteomalacia (softening of bone), fatigue, joint pain, acid reflux and heartburn
Diabetes Mellitus
Thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, unexplained weight loss, ketone in urine, fatigue, blurred vision (glucose osmosis), frequent infections
Diabetes ketoacidosis
Same as diabetes, abdominal pain, fruity-scented breath
Diabetes retinopathy
Spots or dark strings floating in vision, blurred vison, difficulty with colour perception
Diabetes nephropathy
Oedema, foamy urine, poor appetite, nausea, fatigue, frequent hiccups
Diabetes neuropathy
Numbness or tingling in feet or hands, sharp/jabbing/burning pain, extreme sensitive to touch, lack of coordination and falling, heat intolerance
Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD)
Heartburn, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, sore throat, acid reflux, sensation of lump in throat
Hepatitis
Fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, dark urine, jaundice (yellow skin), fever (HepB and HepC), muscle and joint pain, easy bleeding, spider angiomas (HepC), swelling of legs (HepC), fluid accumulation in abdomen (ascitis (HepC))
Hyperthyroidism
Sudden weight loss, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), increased appetite, nervousness, sweating, brittle hair, skin thinning, tremor
Hypothyroidism
Fatigue, dry skin, constipation, unexplained weight gain, thinning hair, slowed heart beat
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Diarrhoea, fever and fatigue, blood in stool, reduced appetite, unintended weight loss
Crohn’s disease
Diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain, blood in stool, mouth sores, reduced appetite and weight loss, perianal disease
Ulcerative colitis
Abdominal pain and cramping, rectal pain, rectal bleeding, weight loss, diarrhoea, fever
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Abdominal pain, bloated feeling, gas, diarrhoea and/or constipation, mucus in stool
Liver cirrhosis
Fatigue, bruising or bleeding easily, itchy skin, jaundice, fluid accumulation in abdomen (ascites), loss of appetite, nausea, swelling of legs, weight loss, confusion, spider angiomas
Peptic ulcer disease
Burning pain anywhere from navel to breastbone, worsen when stomach is empty, disappears and returns
Perforated ulcers
Additional blood in vomit or stool, anaemia, infection, scar tissue blocking passage of food
Pancreatitis
Upper abdominal pain, feels worsen after eating, nausea and vomiting, oily smelly stools
Alzheimer’s disease
Starts with short term memory loss. Can result in problems with language, disorientation, mood swings, loss of motivation, no self-care and behavioural issues.
Parkinson (idiopathic)
Tremors, slowed movement, rigid muscles, impaired posture and balance, loss of automatic movements (blinking etc.), speech changes, writing changes.
Bell’s Palsy
Rapid onset. Facial droop. Drooling, Pain around jaw, increased sensitivity to sound on the affected side, headache, decreased taste ability, changes in amount of tears and saliva produced.
Epilepsy
Temporary confusion, staring, uncontrollable jerking, loss of consciousness or awareness, psychic symptoms.
Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
Paralysis in parts of the body. Slurred speech or difficulty understanding others. Blindness in one or both eyes, or double vision. Dizziness.
Brain/cerebral infarction (stroke)
See TIA
Brain/cerebral haemorrhage
See TIA
Subarachnoid haemorrhage
“Thunderclap headache (like being kicked hard in the head developing over seconds to minutes)”