Semiology of the environment: reading the body, listening to the context

Abstract

The semiology of the environment proposes integrating the interpretation of the body with critical listening to the patient's social, cultural, and environmental context. The body does not become ill in the abstract; each symptom expresses living conditions, family dynamics, work tensions, and structural inequalities. From a humanistic perspective, it is proposed that medical practice should transcend biomedical diagnosis to incorporate narratives, silences, and cultural knowledge that broaden the understanding of the health-illness process. Likewise, ethics and the doctor-patient relationship are highlighted as essential pillars of contemporary clinical practice, reaffirming medicine as a deeply human discipline where listening to the patient also implies listening to their history and context.