Mabayo is a Shona word or Isihlabo in Ndebele

Mabayo is a Shona word or Isihlabo in Ndebele , that is causing a lot of debate among the Zimbabwean community. Questions are being asked as to what actually is “Mabayo”. Some have even suggested that it means pneumonia which is chest infection. The question that remain unanswered is if Mabayo is pneumonia why is it that some get it in their lower tummy area? Is it still chest infection when one is getting Mabayo in the groin area. The problem lies in people not understanding Mabayo hence the confusion when people try to come up with a definition. I will try to explain what Mabayo is and hopefully bring the debate to an acceptable conclusion. Mabayo / Isihlabo is a symptom Mabayo is a symptom and as such it is a subjective evidence of a disease , while a sign is evidence of disease. Mabayo is a phenomenon that is experienced by the individual affected by the disease , while a sign is a phenomenon that can be detected by someone (doctor , nurse etc) other than the individual affected by the disease. The problem comes when people try to diagnose themselves and start giving their symptoms such as Mabayo a diagnosis such as pneumonia (Chest infection) . Mabayo like stomachache, lower-back pain, and fatigue,are symptoms and can only be felt by the patient; they are subjective – others only know about it if the patient tells them The better you can describe your pain or Mabayo the easier it may be for your doctor to find the cause of the pain and treat your pain. Information that is helpful to your doctor includes: