健康と医療

acute (severe and short-lasting, of an illness; opp. chronic)

Describes an illness or symptom that is severe and comes on suddenly; the medical opposite of 'chronic'.

onset (the beginning or first appearance of an illness)

The moment an illness or condition begins to appear; common in medical descriptions of symptoms.

to flare up (when a condition suddenly worsens or recurs)

Used when a chronic condition or symptom suddenly becomes worse after a quiet period.

bout (a period of suffering from an illness)

A short period of suffering from an illness; typically 'a bout of' something.

relapse (a return of illness after improvement)

A return of an illness or addiction after a period of apparent recovery.

remission (a period when a serious disease's symptoms recede)

A period during which the symptoms of a serious disease, especially cancer, lessen or disappear.

prognosis (a forecast of how an illness will develop)

A doctor's forecast of how an illness is likely to develop; distinct from diagnosis.

malignant (cancerous and likely to spread, of a tumour)

Describes a tumour or growth that is cancerous and likely to spread.

benign (not cancerous, harmless, of a growth)

Describes a growth that is not cancerous and will not spread; the opposite of malignant.

chemotherapy (cancer treatment using strong drugs)

The treatment of cancer with powerful drugs; often shortened to 'chemo' informally.

inflammation (redness and swelling reacting to injury or infection)

Redness, heat and swelling in part of the body as a reaction to injury or infection.

inflamed (red, hot and swollen from injury or infection)

Describes a body part that is red, hot and swollen due to injury or infection.

excruciating (extremely intense, of pain)

Describes pain that is extremely intense and almost unbearable.

nagging (persistent and mildly bothersome, of pain)

Describes a mild but persistent pain or discomfort that won't go away.

queasy (feeling slightly sick in the stomach)

Feeling slightly sick and likely to vomit; milder than full nausea.

run-down (exhausted and physically below par)

Feeling tired, weak and generally unwell, often from overwork or stress.

groggy (dazed and unsteady, e.g. after anaesthetic or sleep)

Feeling dazed, weak or unsteady, often after waking, anaesthetic or medication.

numb (unable to feel sensation in a body part)

Unable to feel anything in a part of the body, due to cold, injury or anaesthetic.

fracture (a crack or break in a bone)

A crack or break in a bone; more precise than the everyday 'broken bone'.

concussion (temporary brain injury from a blow to the head)

A temporary brain injury caused by a blow to the head, often from a fall or collision.

trauma (severe physical injury or lasting emotional shock)

Serious physical injury, or severe emotional shock with lasting effects.

seizure (a sudden convulsion or fit, e.g. in epilepsy)

A sudden, uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain causing convulsions.

stroke (sudden loss of blood flow to the brain)

A sudden interruption of blood supply to the brain, a serious medical emergency.

cardiac arrest (sudden stopping of the heart)

The sudden stopping of the heart; medically distinct from a heart attack.

hypertension (chronically high blood pressure)

The medical term for persistently high blood pressure.

immune system (the body's defence against infection)

The body's natural defence network against infection and disease.

outbreak (a sudden occurrence and spread of disease)

The sudden start and spread of a disease in a particular place.

epidemic (a disease spreading widely in a region)

A widespread occurrence of a disease in a community at a particular time.

pandemic (a disease outbreak spread across the world)

An epidemic that has spread across multiple countries or worldwide.

quarantine (enforced isolation to prevent disease spreading)

A period of isolation imposed to stop a contagious disease from spreading.

sterile (completely free of germs, e.g. equipment)

Completely free from bacteria and germs, as required in medical settings.

hygiene (practices of cleanliness that prevent illness)

The practice of keeping clean to maintain health and prevent disease.

paramedic (emergency medical worker, esp. in an ambulance)

A trained emergency medical worker who treats patients before or during transport to hospital.

consultant (a senior specialist hospital doctor; UK)

In British English, a senior hospital doctor who is an expert in a particular field.

outpatient (a patient treated without an overnight stay)

A patient who receives treatment at a hospital without staying overnight.

inpatient (a patient who stays overnight in hospital)

A patient who stays in hospital for one or more nights during treatment.

intensive care (specialised treatment for the critically ill)

Specialised hospital treatment for critically ill patients; often abbreviated to ICU.

to discharge (to release a patient from hospital)

To officially allow a patient to leave hospital after treatment.

referral (the act of sending a patient to a specialist)

The act of sending a patient to a specialist or another service for further treatment.

transplant (a surgical replacement of an organ or tissue)

A surgical operation to move an organ or tissue from one body to another.

donor (a person who gives blood or an organ)

A person who gives blood, an organ or tissue for use in another patient's treatment.

transfusion (transfer of blood into a patient's body)

The medical process of putting blood from one person into another's body.

anaesthetic (a drug that blocks pain during surgery)

A drug that prevents the feeling of pain during surgery or procedures; US spelling 'anesthetic'.

sedative (a drug that calms or induces sleep)

A drug that calms a patient or makes them sleepy.

placebo (a dummy treatment with no active ingredient)

A substance with no medical effect, given as a dummy treatment or used in drug trials.

over-the-counter (sold without a prescription, of medicine)

Describes medicine that can be bought without a prescription.

overdose (a dangerously excessive amount of a drug)

A dangerous amount of a drug taken at once, accidentally or deliberately.

biopsy (removal of tissue for laboratory examination)

The removal of a small sample of tissue for examination, often to test for cancer.

ailment (a minor illness or health complaint)

A minor illness or health problem; slightly formal or literary.

to recuperate (to regain health and strength after illness)

To recover one's health and strength after illness or surgery; more formal than 'recover'.

bedridden (confined to bed by illness or frailty)

Unable to get out of bed because of illness, injury or frailty.

debilitating (seriously weakening or disabling, of a condition)

Describes a condition that seriously weakens someone or limits what they can do.

rehabilitation (process of recovering function after illness or addiction)

The process of restoring health or ability after illness, injury or addiction; often shortened to 'rehab'.

on the mend (recovering, getting better)

Recovering and getting better after an illness or injury.

a clean bill of health (an official confirmation of good health)

An official statement that someone is in good health, often after an examination.

to take a turn for the worse (to suddenly get worse, of a patient)

Said when a patient's condition suddenly deteriorates.

to pull through (to survive a serious illness or crisis)

To survive a serious illness, injury or operation against the odds.

fit as a fiddle (in very good health)

In excellent physical health and condition.

back on your feet (recovered and healthy again)

Recovered and healthy again after an illness or difficult period.

under the knife (undergoing surgery)

Undergoing surgery; an informal way of referring to an operation.

to nurse someone back to health (to care for them until they recover)

To care for someone over time until they recover from illness or injury.

insomnia (chronic inability to sleep)

The condition of being regularly unable to sleep.

burnout (exhaustion and collapse from prolonged stress)

A state of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged stress or overwork.

terminal (of an illness or patient: incurable, ending in death)

Describes an illness that cannot be cured and will lead to death.

throbbing (pulsing in regular painful waves; as adjective modifying pain, or as the progressive verb 'to throb')

Describes pain that comes in regular, pulsing waves, like a heartbeat.

anesthetic (American English; British: anaesthetic)

American English spelling of the drug that blocks pain during surgery.

attending, i.e. attending physician (American English; British: consultant)

American English word for a senior specialist doctor who supervises patients' care in a hospital.