Syndrome (from the greek "syndrome", meaning "meeting") is a term often used in Medicine and psychology to characterize the set of signs and symptoms that define a particular pathology or condition.
Medicine indicates that a syndrome should not be classified as a disease, indicating that in the case of a syndrome, the factors causing signs or symptoms are not always known, what happens (almost always) in the case of a disease.
In a figurative sense, the term designates a set of characteristics that, when associated with critical situations, can generate insecurity or fear. For example: "urban violence syndrome".
In Portuguese, the syndrome or syndrome variants are also allowed. Some of the best known syndromes are:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome: popularly known as AIDS, an acronym for the same expression in English, is caused by the HIV virus that reduces the effectiveness of the immune system. In European Portuguese it is known as SIDA, an acronym for the Portuguese expression.
- Down's syndrome: also known as Trisomy 21, those affected by this condition are characterized by differences in morphology and mental impairment.
- Stockholm syndrome: feeling of sympathy that a kidnapper can develop towards his/her kidnapper. Panic Syndrome: A mental disorder that causes the affected individual to have sporadic and sometimes intense panic attacks.
Learn more about Stockholm syndrome.
