Some Health-related Expressions

Wanna check out some English expressions related to physical illness/ symptoms? Let us learn some expressions about unhealthy physical states, but stay in good health! J

1.   acute (adjective)

an acute illness is one that becomes very bad very quickly

ó chronic (adjective)

medical a chronic illness or chronic pain is serious and lasts for a long time. A serious illness or pain that lasts only for a short time is described as acute

2.   noncommunicable

ó catching (adjective)

a disease, mood, or idea that is catching spreads quickly to other people (synonym: communicable)

3.   congenital (adjective) (=inborn)

a congenital medical condition is one that a person has had since they were born

ó acquired (adjective) attained/ captured

4.   bariatric (adjective) relating to the causes and treatment of obesity

5.   degenerative (adjective)

a degenerative disease is one that gradually gets worse

6.   focal (adjective)

medical a focal disease or infection is limited to one part of the body

in which bacteria are localized in some region, as the tonsils or the tissue around a tooth, from which they may spread to some other organ or structure of the body.

7.   low-grade (adjective)

a low-grade medical condition is not very serious

8.   niggling (adjective)

a niggling injury is not very serious but is difficult to treat or cure

9.   systemic (adjective)

medical affecting your whole body

10.        virulent (adjective)

medical a virulent illness is very dangerous, and affects people very quickly

Time to check with your knowledge! Choose the right expression for each of the following sentences.

   1.   John got his lower back injured while playing golf last weekend. He says it’s no more than a ____________________ injury, but I guess he should go see a chiropractor before it gets worse.

   2.   Tonsilitis, which causes unpleasant and uncomfortable state of your throat, is one of the examples of the _____________ infections. It is localized in one part of your body.

   3.   Many morbidly obese people go under gastric bypass surgery, which is one of the common procedures of _________________ surgery.

   4.   Have you heard the news about the _____________________ outbreak of cholera in Gujarat, especially in the native states?

   5.   Careful examination of the fingernails and toenails can provide clues to underlying ___________________ diseases.

   6.   Tom says he needs to dump his old running shoes and get a new pair of the ones designed for the overpronaters. He has painful flatfeet which can be a sign of a _______________ abnormality or an injury to the muscles and tendons of the foot.

   7.   This approach has helped detect infectious diseases, and the new technology allows __________________ diseases to be detected using the same strategy.

   8.   Physical examination showed ____________________ fever and a slightly tender, markedly enlarged spleen.

   9.   __________________ diseases, such as Asthma attack, come on rapidly, and are accompanied by distinct symptoms that require urgent or short-term care, and get better once they are treated.

  10.  My mother had been suffering from ____________ arthritis on knees, but the artificial knee replacement surgery did help her lead such an active life now.

Answer Keys

  1.   niggling

  2.   focal

  3.   bariatric

  4.   virulent

  5.   systemic

  6.   congenital

  7.   noncommunicable

  8.   low-grade

  9.   acute

  10. degenerative