asymptomatic

Asymptomatic is a term used in the medicine to name something or someone that does not present symptom from disease. To better understand this concept, therefore, we can delve into the main words of this definition.

A symptom (from Latin symptoma) is an indication or a sign of something that is already happening or will happen in the future. It is, in the medical field, the phenomenon that reveals the existence of a disease. This phenomenon is narrated by the patient in a subjective way when they notice something abnormal in their body. When a person you feel dizzy or have recurrent nausea, for example, you usually go to the doctor and express these symptoms so that the specialist can check you for any clinical sign (the objectifiable manifestation that the expert notices).

Disease, on the other hand, it is an affection that causes a certain process and that derives in a certain status that alters the ontological state of Health of a living being. The disease state can be generated by factors (noxas) intrinsic or extrinsic to the body.

With these two notions (symptom and disease) clear, we can return to the definition of asymptomatic. If an individual goes to the doctor and indicates that he thinks he has chickenpox, the expert may indicate that his body is asymptomatic regarding said condition, since he does not have the classic eruption nor has the subject experienced a headache or fever. It can also be said that an individual is asymptomatic when he has recovered from a disorder and has stopped presenting symptoms.

Another use of the term appears when a disease does not generate symptoms that can be noticed by the patient. In this sense, it is said that a disease is asymptomatic when it is only noticed from a study, without the person feeling anything strange in their Body.

Below are some of the diseases and conditions considered asymptomatic, although some of them begin to become apparent after the initial stages.

Aneurysms

Aneurysms are enlargements of the arterial walls. When they grow there is the possibility that they will break and cause a dangerous hemorrhage and, in some cases, death. Aneurysms usually take place in the aorta (the main artery that begins in the heart and reaches the chest and abdomen), although they can also be found in the brain and heart, among other possibilities.

Before presenting symptoms, aneurysms can grow and develop; in the case of brain cells, if they rupture, a stroke occurs. Doctors can stop the rupture if they can detect the problem and treat it early, both through drugs and surgery.

Glaucoma

The term glaucoma represents a group of disorders that can cause damage to the optic nerve and is the leading cause of total vision loss in North America. It usually occurs when the pressure of the fluid inside the eye increases to injure the nerve. Most commonly, there are no symptoms during stage initial.

When it is not treated in time, those affected lose peripheral vision (to the sides) and, later, they tend to go blind. Despite being an asymptomatic problem, it is possible to detect it through a comprehensive eye exam.

Arterial hypertension

The force that the blood exerts against the arterial walls is known as blood pressure. When its values ​​exceed a certain limit, arterial hypertension occurs, and it is normal that it does not present symptoms, although it can lead to serious conditions, such as heart failure, strokes, kidney failure and heart attacks.

Controlling blood pressure is possible through a lifetime healthy and, in some cases, the consumption of certain medications.