ABSTRACT
It would be difficult to overestimate the impact on society of people's experiences of physical symptoms. Although catastrophic illnesses affect thousands of Americans each year, more mundane problems such as headaches, backaches, and nasal congestion are features of vitually everyone's life. American consumers spend billions of dollars annually seeking relief from physical symptoms ranging from the itch of athlete's foot to the annoyance of postnasal drip. According to the National Center for Health Statistics (1979a), 23% of Americans report using aspirin at least once a week, and another 25% use it at least occasionally. Americans restrict their activities because of symptomatic experiences an average of 9.7 days per year (NCHS, 1979b) and visit physicians an average of 2.7 times per year (NCHS, 1979c). Physical symptoms and their sequelae thus have a profound social and economic impact on our lives.
