prodromal symptoms

(noun)

A prodrome is an early symptom (or set of symptoms) that might indicate the start of a disease before specific symptoms occur.

Related Terms

Examples of prodromal symptoms in the following topics:

  • Mumps

    • The common symptoms of mumps include inflammation of the salivary glands, pancreas, and testicles; fever, and headache.
    • Other symptoms of mumps can include dry mouth, sore face and/or ears and occasionally, in more serious cases, loss of voice.
    • Fever and headache are prodromal symptoms of mumps, together with malaise and loss of appetite.
    • A person infected with mumps is contagious from approximately six days before the onset of symptoms until about nine days after symptoms start.
    • Warm salt water gargles, soft foods, and extra fluids may also help relieve symptoms.

  • Onset of Labor

    • Prodromal labor, which includes the latent phase of labor, marks the initial stages of parturition.
    • Pre-labor, also called prodromal labor, consists of the early contractions and labor signs before actual labor starts.
    • Prodromal labor, often misnamed false labor, begins much as traditional labor but does not progress to the birth of the baby.
    • However, this does not mean that every woman will experience every symptom.

  • Syncope

    • Many forms of syncope are preceded by a prodromal state that often includes dizziness and loss of vision ("blackout") (temporary), loss of hearing (temporary), loss of pain and feeling (temporary), nausea and abdominal discomfort, weakness, sweating, a feeling of heat, palpitations, and other phenomena, which--if they do not progress to loss of consciousness and postural tone--are often denoted "presyncope. " Abdominal discomfort prior to loss of consciousness may be indicative of seizure which should be considered different than syncope.
    • Isolated episodes of loss of consciousness, unheralded by any warning symptoms for more than a few moments.
    • Recurrent syncope with complex associated symptoms called neurally mediated syncope.

  • Signs and Symptoms of Shock

    • Some people presenting only minimal symptoms, such as confusion and weakness.
    • Specific subtypes of shock may have additional symptoms.
    • The symptoms of cardiogenic shock are similar to those of hypovolemic shock.
    • These symptoms are caused by neural damage and resultant loss of muscle control.
    • Differentiate among the types of shock and the signs and symptoms associated with each

  • Premenstrual Syndrome and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

    • In particular, emotional symptoms must be present consistently to diagnose PMS .
    • More than 200 different symptoms have been associated with PMS, but the three most prominent symptoms are irritability, tension, and dysphoria (unhappiness).
    • PMDD consists of symptoms similar to, but more severe than, PMS, and while primarily mood-related, may include physical symptoms such as bloating.
    • Emotional symptoms are generally present, and in PMDD, mood symptoms are dominant.
    • The main symptoms, which can be disabling, include:

  • Infectious Mononucleosis

    • Mononucleosis is an infectious disease caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and results in flu-like symptoms.
    • Occasionally, the symptoms can recur at a later period.
    • Most people are exposed to the virus as children, when the disease produces no noticeable or only flu-like symptoms.
    • Symptoms usually persist for two to three weeks, but fatigue is often more prolonged.
    • Once the acute symptoms of an initial infection disappear, they often do not return.

  • Fibromyalgia

    • Though fibromyalgia is classically related to pain, other symptoms include fatigue, sleep disturbances, joint stiffness, bowel and bladder issues, and cognitive dysfunction .
    • In most cases, patients with fibromyalgia symptoms may also have laboratory test results that appear normal and many of their symptoms may mimic those of other rheumatic conditions such as arthritis or osteoporosis.
    • In general, most doctors diagnose patients with a process called differential diagnosis, which means that doctors consider all of the possible things that might be wrong with the patient based on the patient's symptoms, gender, age, geographic location, medical history, and other factors.
    • It is unclear whether the brain anomalies cause fibromyalgia symptoms or are the product of an unknown underlying common cause.
    • As with many other medically unexplained syndromes, there is no universally accepted treatment or cure for fibromyalgia, and treatment typically consists of symptom management.

  • Brain Tumors

    • Visibility of signs and symptoms of brain tumors mainly depends on two factors: tumor size (volume) and tumor location.
    • The moment that symptoms become apparent, either to the person or people around him (symptom onset), is an important milestone in the course of the diagnosis and treatment of the tumor.
    • The symptom onset—in the timeline of the development of the neoplasm—depends in many cases on the nature of the tumor but in many cases is also related to the change of the neoplasm from "benign" (i.e., slow-growing/late symptom onset) to more malignant (fast growing/early symptom onset).
    • Symptoms of solid neoplasms of the brain (primary brain tumors and secondary tumors alike) can be divided into three main categories:
    • Dysfunction: Depending on the tumor location and the damage it may have caused to surrounding brain structures, either through compression or infiltration, any type of focal neurologic symptoms may occur, such as cognitive and behavioral impairment, personality changes, ataxia, visual field impairment, impaired sense of smell, impaired hearing, double vision, dizziness; more severe symptoms might occur, such as including partial paralysis or impairment to swallow.

  • Medulla Injury

    • Example clinical symptoms include difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, ataxia, facial pain, and vertigo.
    • Clinical symptoms include swallowing difficulty, slurred speech, decreased coordination, facial pain, vertigo, involuntary eye movements, drooping eyes (Horner's syndrome), and double vision.
    • One of the most unique and difficult to treat symptoms that occur due to Wallenberg syndrome are interminable, violent hiccups.
    • Some individuals may see a decrease in their symptoms within weeks or months.
    • Others may be left with significant neurological disabilities for years after the initial symptoms appeared.

  • Asthma

    • Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
    • Its diagnosis is usually made based on the pattern of symptoms and/or response to therapy over time.
    • The classic symptoms are shortness of breath, wheezing, and chest tightness.
    • National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) uses a ‘symptom patterns' approach.
    • Upon diagnosis, bronchodilators are recommended for short-term relief of symptoms.