WordNet

the management of someone or something; "the handling of prisoners"; "the treatment of water sewage"; "the right to equal treatment in the criminal justice system" (同)handling
care provided to improve a situation (especially medical procedures or applications that are intended to relieve illness or injury) (同)intervention
a manner of dealing with something artistically; "his treatment of space borrows from Italian architecture"
relating to or according to or affecting a symptom or symptoms; "symptomatic relief"; "symptomatic treatment"; "a symptomatic classification of diseases"

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〈U〉(人・物の)『取り扱い』,扱い方《+of+名》 / 〈U〉治療;〈C〉(…に対する)治療法《+for+名》
徴候となる;(…の)前兆となる,(…を)示す《+of+名》

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出典(authority):フリー百科事典『ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』「2016/02/03 18:30:26」(JST)

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Symptomatic treatment is any medical therapy of a disease that only affects its symptoms, not its cause, i.e., its etiology. It is usually aimed at reducing the signs and symptoms for the comfort and well-being of the patient, but it also may be useful in reducing organic consequences and sequelae of these signs and symptoms of the disease. In many diseases, even in those whose etiologies are known (e.g., most viral diseases, such as influenza), symptomatic treatment is the only one available so far.

Examples of symptomatic treatments:

Analgesics, for pain
Anti-inflammatory agents, for inflammation caused by arthritis
Antitussives, for cough
Antihistaminics, for allergy
Cerebral shunts, to alleviate hydrocephalus

When the etiology for the disease is known, then specific treatment may be instituted, but it is generally associated to symptomatic treatment, as well.

Symptomatic treatment is not always recommended, and in fact it may be outright dangerous, because it may mask the presence of an underlying etiology which will then be forgotten or treated with great delay. Examples:

Low-grade fever for 15 days or more sometimes is the only symptom of bacteremia by staphylococcus bacteria. Suppressing it by symptomatic treatment will hide the disease from effective diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics. The consequence may be severe (rheumatic fever, nephritis, endocarditis, etc.)
Chronic headache may be caused simply by a constitutional disposition or be the result of a brain tumor or a brain aneurysm.

Finally, symptomatic treatment is not exempt of adverse effects, and may be a cause of iatrogenic consequences (i.e., ill effects caused by the treatment itself), such as allergic reactions, stomach bleeding, central nervous system effects (nausea, dizziness, etc.).

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1. 小児および思春期における咽頭痛：対症療法 sore throat in children and adolescents symptomatic treatment
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English Journal

Safety of ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation for diffuse adenomyosis: A retrospective cohort study.

Feng Y1, Hu L1, Chen W2, Zhang R3, Wang X3, Chen J4.
Ultrasonics sonochemistry.Ultrason Sonochem.2017 May;36:139-145. doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2016.11.022. Epub 2016 Nov 18.
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PMID 28069193

Hidden Risks of Alternative Medicines: A Case of Boldo-Induced Hepatotoxicity.

Ribeiro RJ1,2, Silvestre C3, Duarte C1.
Journal of dietary supplements.J Diet Suppl.2017 Mar 4;14(2):186-190. Epub 2016 Aug 30.
The alternative medicines are commonly used, especially herbal ones. Among them, boldo is traditionally used for symptomatic treatment of dyspepsia and mild gastrointestinal spasmodic disorders. Nevertheless, the number of reported cases of possible hepatotoxicity of some of these products has incre
PMID 27576017

Interferon stimulated genes and innate immune activation following infection with hepatitis B and C viruses.

Hayes CN1,2, Chayama K1,2,3.
Journal of medical virology.J Med Virol.2017 Mar;89(3):388-396. doi: 10.1002/jmv.24659. Epub 2016 Nov 9.
Although not directly cytopathic, hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) are responsible for millions of deaths per year, and the aging patient population presents a severe public health challenge. Most cases of acute HCV become chronic, but treatment has become increasingly successful following th
PMID 27509053

Japanese Journal

食物経口負荷試験における新たなスコアリングシート"Anaphylaxis Scoring Aichi (ASCA)"の提案と検討

日野明日香,前田徹,羽根田泰宏,小林貴江,安井正弘,漢人直之,伊藤浩明
アレルギー 62(8), 968-979, 2013-08-30
【目的】食物経口負荷試験における誘発症状の重症度を定量的に評価する新たなスコアシステム「アナフィラキシースコアリングあいち:Anaphylaxis Scoring Aichi (ASCA)」を作成し,有用性を検討した.【方法】ASCAは,誘発症状を呼吸器,皮膚,消化器,神経,循環器の5つに分類し,主観症状,客観所見に分けて重症度順に配し,臓器スコア(1〜60)とした.一連の負荷試験における各臓器の …
NAID 110009649381

がんの最新治療各論(5)多発性骨髄腫

今井陽一
東京女子医科大学雑誌 83(3), 160-167, 2013-06-25
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NAID 110009605129