What does "waxing and waning" indicate about a symptom?

The phrase "waxing and waning" refers to a symptom that varies in intensity over time while remaining present. This means that the symptom may become more pronounced (waxing) at some points and then decrease in severity (waning) at others, but it does not disappear completely.

This term is often used in medical contexts to describe conditions where symptoms fluctuate rather than being constant. For example, a patient might experience intermittent pain that intensifies during certain times and diminishes during others, indicating that while the symptom is not constant, it is consistently recurring.

The other options suggest interpretations that do not align with the meaning of "waxing and waning." For instance, stating that a symptom is decreasing in severity implies a one-directional change rather than an oscillation, and stating that it is completely absent would contradict the concept of symptoms that are intermittently present. Similarly, the idea of occurring at regular intervals suggests a predictable pattern, whereas "waxing and waning" encompasses variations that might not follow a strict timeline.