Medically Unexplained Symptoms - MUS

Vague and non-specific symptoms

What are Medically Unexplained Symptoms - MUS?
Chronic Fatigue - Syndrome Symptoms - fatigue, severe headaches, loff of memory or concentration, sleeping problems, muscle pain, sore throat
In most of the examinations carried out at General Medicine outpatient clinics, physicians focus their attention on overt clinical data, characterized by clearly recognizable symptoms. Other symptoms, which could be defined as vague, such as chronic fatigue, sleep or appetite disorders, irritable bowel or constipation, tone or mood disorders, non-specific pain syndromes etc., are sometimes underestimated. These signs remain largely unexplained, i.e. they are not traced back to a precise cause, disease or disorder. In Anglo-Saxon literature they are identified as “MUS”, Medically Unexplained Symptoms. The appearance of MUS in general medicine patients is becoming increasingly frequent, and on several occasions it has been pointed out how difficult it is to treat these symptoms, both from a diagnostic and, consequently, from a therapeutic standpoint. Therefore, it is important to emphasize the risk that a psychosocial diagnosis may imply: due to the objective difficulties related to medical investigation, hidden diseases may be overlooked. Most of the publications on this subject describe a situation whose complexity starts from the interview with the patient, who can hardly communicate his own discomforts and symptoms in a precise way. The various traditional classification tools, based on patient interviews, do not seem to be particularly convincing. Due to the lack of concretely measurable data, they can hardly escape the patient’s subjective perception. Significant progress in the assessment of MUS and their impact can be achieved if such interviews are complemented by precise tools that provide objective measurements of parameters showing the patient’s health.
Chronic Fatigue - Syndrome Symptoms - fatigue, severe headaches, loff of memory or concentration, sleeping problems, muscle pain, sore throat
Medically Unexplained Symptoms Self-Evaluation

MUS live trend

Performed by: Epidemiological Observatory MUS - BioTekna
Tuesday, 8 April 2025
Automatic update every Monday
Sample: Age range: 18÷99 - Sample size: 1.176.081 - Male: 30,6% Female: 69,4%
Absence of MUS
Presence of MUS
202520252024202420232023202220222021202133%35%31%31%32%67%65%69%69%68%Percentage of subjects with absence or presence of MUS in recent years80%80%60%60%40%40%20%20%0%0%
Performed by Biotekna | Biomedical Technologies
Do you suffer from chronic and persistent fatigue?
Have you been suffering from mood disorders for long?
Do you suffer from persistent insomnia or awakenings from sleep?
Do you suffer from persistent drowsiness during the day?
Have you been experiencing anxiety?
Have you been experiencing apathy?
Have you been suffering from panic attacks?
Have you been experiencing abnormal heart beats (arrhythmia or tachycardia) at rest?
Have you noticed changes in your appetite (excessive hunger or loss of appetite)?
Do you suffer from night hunger pangs (night binge eating disorder)?
Have you been suffering from heartburn, stomach fullness, bloating or nausea?
Do you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome?
Have you periodically been suffering from constipation or altered bowel movement?
Do you usually have cold hands and feet?
Do you suffer from altered perspiration during sleep?
Do you often wake up in a bad mood?
Have you been experiencing feelings of unjustified guilt?
Do you have difficulties in experiencing pleasure or relief, as a result of positive events?
Have you recently experienced significant weight loss?
202520252024202420232023202220222021202139%38%40%40%37%29%27%29%28%28%35%33%34%34%34%22%21%22%21%21%35%33%35%35%35%13%12%12%12%12%8%8%8%7%7%19%17%18%18%17%24%21%22%23%22%7%6%6%6%6%35%32%33%33%33%18%18%18%18%18%21%20%20%20%20%25%19%20%20%19%16%14%14%14%14%13%12%12%12%11%15%14%15%15%14%11%10%10%10%9%5%5%5%5%4%MUS in recent YEARSPUT THE MOUSE OVER THE LEGEND TO HIGHLIGHT THE SINGLE SYMPTOM
Performed by Biotekna | Biomedical Technologies
Do you suffer from chronic and persistent fatigue?
Have you been suffering from mood disorders for long?
Do you suffer from persistent insomnia or awakenings from sleep?
Do you suffer from persistent drowsiness during the day?
Have you been experiencing anxiety?
Have you been experiencing apathy?
Have you been suffering from panic attacks?
Have you been experiencing abnormal heart beats (arrhythmia or tachycardia) at rest?
Have you noticed changes in your appetite (excessive hunger or loss of appetite)?
Do you suffer from night hunger pangs (night binge eating disorder)?
Have you been suffering from heartburn, stomach fullness, bloating or nausea?
Do you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome?
Have you periodically been suffering from constipation or altered bowel movement?
Do you usually have cold hands and feet?
Do you suffer from altered perspiration during sleep?
Do you often wake up in a bad mood?
Have you been experiencing feelings of unjustified guilt?
Do you have difficulties in experiencing pleasure or relief, as a result of positive events?
Have you recently experienced significant weight loss?
2025-032025-032025-022025-022025-012025-012024-122024-122024-112024-112024-102024-102024-092024-092024-082024-082024-072024-072024-062024-062024-052024-052024-042024-0439%39%39%35%35%38%38%39%38%38%38%39%29%29%29%26%26%27%27%27%25%26%26%27%35%35%35%31%32%34%34%33%30%31%32%34%22%22%21%18%20%21%22%22%22%21%21%21%35%36%35%33%34%33%33%33%32%31%33%34%13%13%13%11%11%12%12%13%12%11%11%13%8%9%9%7%8%9%8%8%7%7%7%8%18%19%19%16%17%17%16%15%15%15%16%18%23%24%24%19%20%22%21%20%19%19%21%22%6%8%7%6%6%8%7%6%6%6%6%7%34%34%35%29%32%33%33%31%30%30%31%32%18%18%18%17%18%18%18%18%17%17%17%18%21%21%21%20%21%21%20%20%19%19%20%21%24%26%25%25%23%19%15%12%12%14%18%21%16%17%16%13%12%14%14%14%14%14%15%16%13%14%13%12%12%12%12%12%12%12%12%12%15%16%15%14%14%15%14%14%14%13%14%14%11%11%10%11%10%11%10%11%11%10%9%10%4%6%5%5%5%6%6%5%5%5%5%6%MUS in recent MONTHSPUT THE MOUSE OVER THE LEGEND TO HIGHLIGHT THE SINGLE SYMPTOM
Performed by Biotekna | Biomedical Technologies
Scientific Insights:
All Rights Reserved | BioTekna – Italia. MUS® - Medically Unexplained Symptoms Self-Evaluation n.2012001626, 2012.