side effect
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side effect
An unwanted or unintended effect that occurs in addition to the intended main effect of a medication or medical treatment.
Müdigkeit ist eine häufige Nebenwirkung dieses Schmerzmittels.
Fatigue is a common side effect of this painkiller.
side effect
In a figurative sense, an unintended and often negative accompanying effect or consequence of an action or decision.
Eine unangenehme Nebenwirkung der neuen Bürorichtlinie war die schlechte Stimmung im Team.
An unpleasant side effect of the new office policy was the bad mood in the team.
The word is made up of 'neben' (beside/secondary) and 'Wirkung' (effect). So it literally describes an effect that occurs 'neben' (beside) the actual main effect.
Vor der Einnahme des Medikaments sollten Sie die möglichen Nebenwirkungen lesen.
Before taking the medication, you should read about the possible side effects.
You can recognize whether the medical or figurative meaning is intended from the context. Terms like 'Medikament' (medication), 'Behandlung' (treatment), or 'Patient' (patient) point to the medical meaning, while 'Plan' (plan), 'Reform' (reform), or 'Entscheidung' (decision) point to the figurative consequence.
Eine häufige Nebenwirkung des Medikaments ist Schwindel.
A common side effect of the medication is dizziness.
In a medical context, 'Nebenwirkung' (side effect) is often used with certain verbs and adjectives. Typical phrases are 'Nebenwirkungen haben' (to have side effects), 'Nebenwirkungen treten auf' (side effects occur), as well as 'leichte' (mild), 'starke' (strong/severe), or 'seltene' (rare) side effects.
Bei einigen Patienten traten leichte Nebenwirkungen auf.
Some patients experienced mild side effects.
complication
Nebenwirkung and Komplikation can both refer to an additional problem arising during medical treatment. A Nebenwirkung is an unwanted effect of the medication or treatment. A Komplikation is more generally an unexpected difficulty in the course of an illness or treatment.
Die Müdigkeit ist eine häufige Nebenwirkung des Medikaments.
Fatigue is a common side effect of the medication.
Eine Infektion nach der Operation war eine unerwartete Komplikation.
An infection after the operation was an unexpected complication.
