Understanding Remitting and Remission: What's the Difference?

Remitting is a term used in the context of illness or disease, and it refers to the act of becoming better or recovering from a condition. In other words, remitting means that the symptoms of the illness or disease are decreasing or disappearing.

For example, if someone has been experiencing symptoms of a cold, such as a runny nose and sneezing, but those symptoms start to decrease and eventually go away, we might say that their cold is remitting. Similarly, if someone has been diagnosed with a chronic condition like diabetes or arthritis, and their symptoms improve over time with treatment, we might say that their condition is remitting.

The term "remission" is often used interchangeably with "remitting," but there is a subtle difference between the two. Remission refers specifically to a period of time during which the symptoms of a disease or condition are completely gone, while remitting refers to the act of becoming better or recovering from a condition, even if the symptoms do not completely disappear. For example, someone with cancer might be in remission if they have no signs of the disease for a certain period of time, while someone with a chronic condition like arthritis might experience remitting if their symptoms improve but do not completely go away.