Vocabulary - Health and Health Care
Vocabulary - Health and Health Care
Vocabulary - Health and Health Care
Health is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually
meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain. The World Health
Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of
complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of
disease or infirmity."
Focusing more on lifestyle issues and their relationships with functional health,
data from different studies suggested that people can improve their health via:
exercise,
enough sleep,
maintaining a healthy body weight,
limiting alcohol use,
and avoiding smoking.
In addition to that, the ability to adapt and to self manage have been suggested
as core components of human health.
Personal health also depends partially on the social structure of a person's life.
The maintenance of strong social relationships, volunteering, and other social
activities have been linked to positive mental health and even increased
longevity. In contrast, prolonged psychological stress may negatively impact
health, and has been cited as a factor in cognitive impairment with aging,
depressive illness, and expression of disease.
Six health tips
The context in which an individual lives is of great importance on health status
and quality of life. Health is maintained and improved not only through the
advancement and application of health science, but also through the efforts
and intelligent lifestyle choices of the individual and society. Here are some
basic tips for maintaining a good health.
1. Exercise
You don't have to belong to a gym club. Thirty minutes walk every day will to
prevent weight gain and encourage moderate weight loss.
2. Eat healthy
Reduce fat intake, cut down on sugar and opt for fruits and vegetables. This
helps reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. Healthy food will also lead to
better blood sugar control.
3. Reduce stress
Not everything we want we get. We have to accept that there are things that
we cannot control. Managing time is also of great importance too. We must
allow ourselves enough time to get things done. Set a time during the day for
relaxation.
4. Improve sleep
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and other chemicals that interfere with sleep.
Equip your bedroom with a comfortable mattress and pillows. Sleep in a dark
clean and quiet environment.
5. Meditation
Meditation has been linked to a variety of health benefits. It has been linked to
changes in metabolism, blood pressure, brain activation, and other bodily
processes.
6. Positive thinking
People who think positively have an optimistic view of life that affects their
health and well-being. Optimism has been shown to explain between 5–10%
of the variation in the likelihood of developing some health conditions,
notably including cardiovascular disease,stroke, depression, and cancer.
The most common ways to ask about someone's health are:
I'm fine. / I feel sick. / Not so good. / Not very well. / I don't feel well. / I'm sick.
I'm ill.
I feel really rough.
I'm shattered (meaning tired out or exhausted)
I'm on my last legs (to be very tired, especially after a lot of physical activity or
work. It also means to be going to die soon - 'the old man is on his last leg').
I feel / look poorly / peaky / rough / bloody awful.
I feel / look like death warmed up (very ill or appearing very sickly - Poor thing!
She looks like death warmed up)
Health problems
Health advice: Exercise regularly. Eat healthy food. Brush your teeth regularly. Sleep
early (= don't stay up late!) Have regular medical check up. Relax. Go
on a diet.
Medicines: eye drops, cream, syringe, syrup, bandage, dose (of medicine), drugs, shot
/ injection (give some an injection), medicine (take medicine), pain-killer,
pill, plaster, tablet, tranquilizer
When you see (or hear) that a person is not well, then you can ask:
If the person wants to say what is wrong, they may give the reason they feel that way:
an allergy: a medical condition that causes you to react badly or feel sick when you eat or touch
a particular substance.
asthma: a respiratory condition where spasms in the lungs cause difficulty in breathing. An
asthmatic uses an inhaler to calm the spasms.
a broken leg: when a bone in the leg is broken. A broken leg is put in a cast to help immobilize
the leg so that it heals quicker. Other parts of the body with bones can also be broken, for
example a broken arm, a broken wrist etc.
cancer: a serious disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells that kill normal
body cells in a part of the body.
a cold: a common viral infection which causes mucus to run from the nose, gives a sore throat
and often includes sneezing.
a cough: the act of expelling air from the lungs with a sudden sharp sound.
diarrhoea: (America English: diarrhea) an illness in which faeces are discharged from the
bowels frequently and in a liquid form.
an earache: pain inside the ear.
a fever: an abnormally high body temperature, usually accompanied by shivering and a
headache.
the flu: flu is the common name given for influenza. It is a contagious viral infection of the
respiratory passages that causes fever and sever aching.
(the) measles: an infectious viral disease causing fever and a red rash on the skin. It typically
occurs in childhood.
a rash: a lot of small red spots on the skin that are usually itchy.
a sore throat: a condition of pain in the throat, typically caused by inflammation of it.
a sprain: an injury to a joint in your body, especially your wrist or ankle, caused by suddenly
twisting it.
a stomachache (US) - stomach ache (Brit): The pain in a person's belly. Notice how the word
can be spelled together or as two words, depending on the country.
sunburn: when the skin becomes red with inflammation as a result of overexposure to the
ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Illness expressions
Lots of teenagers have posters of their sports hero on their bedroom wall. But do they
follow the healthy examples set by these athletes? British parents are worried that young
people are not as fit and healthy as in the past. Why is this?
According to the British Heart Foundation, 13 to 15 year olds are spending too much time
report describes a generation of couch potatoes, young people sitting around at home,
growing up in their bedrooms, travelling by car and in serious danger of heart disease as
they get older. Is this their fault? Are young people lazy?
Many parents don’t allow their children to play outside or walk to school by themselves. “I
ring my Dad on my mobile and he picks me up from the station. It’s 10 minutes’ walk from
home but he thinks it is dangerous,” says 14 year old Carrie. Some teenagers blame their
over protective parents for making them unfit. It is certainly becoming more difficult to
encourage young people to have an active life and protect their hearts. In recent years
schools have spent less time on sports. “My Mum did lots of hockey and netball at school
but we didn’t have time for that this year because we had so many exams to prepare,”
How does your lifestyle compare to your grandparents’ lives? Has anything changed? Discuss
these topics:
Transport
Diet
Home
Physical activities
Within the next fifty years, most diseases will be curable and people will carry on living indefinitely.
IELTS Health Vocabulary
Pierre: This is a tricky one really as I’m usually quite healthy … I’ve never been seriously ill
… like everyone else I sometimes get a few aches and pains or catch a cold … I can
remember a few months ago I had to have time off work with a heavy cold … I had the usual
symptoms … a blocked nose … sore throat … it lasted quite a while … about 2 weeks I
think though I didn’t have that much time off work … for a few days I remember feeling
poorly but I was over the worst of itafter a few days and went back to work … I always find
it’s better to be active when you feel ill as it keeps your mind off your symptoms … I think
my family get a little fed up with me when I’m ill though … I tend to feel sorry for myself
and lie on the sofa all day as if I’m at death’s door … but as I said earlier … on this occasion
it was nothing serious and didn’t really cause me any problems …
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: What costs are involved when you are ill in your country?
Anya: Well … people have to pay prescription charges which can be quite expensive … but
fortunately general healthcare is free … unless you want to go private of course and then you
can pay a fortune for your treatment …
Examiner: In your experience are people too quick to take time off work when they’re ill?
Alicia: Yes .. I’ve got friends who have a day off work if they wake up with a runny nose …
and in most cases they seem to make a speedy recovery after they’ve phoned in sick …
Definitions
aches and pains: minor pains that continue over a period of time
to be a bit off colour: to feel a little ill
to be at death’s door: (informal) to be very ill indeed
to be on the mend: to be recovering after an illness
to be over the worst: to have got through the most serious or uncomfortable stage of
an illness
to be under the weather: (informal) to not feel well
a blocked nose: when the nose has excess fluid due to a cold
to catch a cold: to get a cold
a check-up: a physical examination by a doctor
a chesty cough: a cough caused by congestion around the lungs
cuts and bruises: minor injuries
to feel poorly: to feel ill
as fit as a fiddle: to be very healthy
to go down with a cold: to become ill
to go private: to choose to be treated by commercial healthcare rather than by services
offered by the state
GP: General Practitioner (family doctor)
to have a filling: to have a tooth repaired
to have a tooth out: to have a tooth removed
a heavy cold: a bad cold
to make an appointment: to arrange a time to see the doctor
to make a speedy recovery: to recover quickly from an illness
to phone in sick: to call work to explain you won’t be attending work due to illness
prescription charges: money the patient pays for medicine authorised by a doctor
to pull a muscle: to strain a muscle
a runny nose: a nose that has liquid coming out of it
a sore throat: inflammation that causes pain when swallowing