health

healthcare provided with the first visit

primary care

formal synonym for medical doctor

physician

meeting whereby the doctor goes to meet the patient

home visit

doctor who replaces an absent colleague

locum

severe and sudden in onset (said of a condition)

acute

not particularly urgent but recurring (said of a condition)

chronic

healthcare provided by specialists in special clinics or hospitals

secondary care

to send someone to (a specialist)

to refer them to

part of the body

organ

eye specialist

ophthalmologist

heart specialist

cardiologist

mind specialist

psychiatrist

skin specialist

dermatologist

specialist in women's reproductive systems

gynaecologist

specialist in pregnancy and childbirth

obstetrician

children's specialist

paediatrician

specialist in stopping people from feeling pain during surgery

anaesthetist

quack medicine (2 positive-sounding synonyms)

alternative or complementary medicine

person who believes they can treat patients by using needles at special points around the skin

acupuncturist

person who treats patients by pressing joints

chiropractor

person who believes they can treat patients with tiny amounts of natural substances

homeopathic doctor

person who believes they can treat patients with aromatic oils and massage

aromatherapist

general expression for services by hospitals, clinics, dentists, opticians etc.

healthcare

tax covering the costs of healthcare for everyone

national insurance

The British state-funded service that covers hospitals, clinics, dentists etc.

National Health Service

doctor who looks after people's general health (2)

family doctor, general practitioner

small centre offering primary healthcare

surgery

centre which specialises in treating a particular condition or group of conditions

clinic

charge for the medication the doctor prescribes, which you pay at a pharmacy

prescription charge

system to cover against (medical) financial risk

insurance scheme

choose private healthcare (informal)

go private

not well, but not seriously ill (4 synonyms)

off-colour
out of sorts
under the weather
feeling poorly

trying to get rid of (an illness)

fighting off

to catch a non-serious illness:
- third person
- first person

She's gone down with (the flu)
I've come down with (a cold)

to have a (long-term) health issue

to suffer from

emotional pain

hurt

to cause persistent low-level pain

to ache

to give pain caused by an injury

to hurt

fixed expression to refer in a non-serious way to minor problems

the usual aches and pains

fixed expression to refer to minor injuries

cuts and bruises

to cause sudden, burning pain

to sting

to beat with pain

to throb

pain and difficulty in moving your neck around

a stiff neck

injured by sudden turn

twisted

feeling like spinning around, unable to balance

dizzy

having a high body temperature

feverish

shaking slightly, perhaps because of a fever

shivery

without sleeping much

sleepless

feeling that you want to vomit

nauseous /'nɔːziɘs/

shaking

trembling

blocked (said of a nose, informal)

bunged up

getting better (4 synonyms):
- after a minor illness
- after a more serious illness
- informal
- past the most difficult period
- fully healthy again (informal)

to get over
to recover from
to be on the mend
to be over the worst
to be back on their feet

measured amount of medicine that is relatively small (adj)

low-dose

medical condition in which breathing becomes difficult because air passages have narrowed

asthma

record of medical conditions a person has experienced

past history

illness of the body or mind

disorder

illness of the stomach or digestive passages

gastrointestinal disease

tube that carries solid waste out of the body

bowel

unwanted results

adverse reactions

sudden change in blood supply to the brain causing loss of function of part of the body

stroke

illnesses or physical problems

conditions

take more than, go higher than

exceed

length (in time)

duration

unwanted effects in addition to the intended one

side effects

conditions affecting skin or breathing because of eating or coming into contact with certain substances

allergic reactions

small pieces

particles

medical term for excrement

stools

situation of not knowing where you are

disorientation

problem indicating an illness (figuratively: problem indicating a deeper underlying cause)

symptom

being an outward manifestation of something deeper (adj)

symptomatic

to say exactly what an illness or the cause of a problem is

to diagnose

how experts expect an illness to develop

prognosis

having a lot of problems (medical metaphor)

ailing

a number of similar negative things happening at the same time (medical metaphor)

a rash of

great excitement (medical metaphor)

fever

point of very high intensity (medical metaphor)

fever pitch

unenthusiastic or sceptical, collocates with view (medical metaphor)

jaundiced

permanently affected by a negative experience (medical metaphor)

scarred by

to pass on to (medical metaphor)

to infect

to understand how things are changing (medical metaphor)

to have one's finger on the pulse

slow something down or make it difficult

to impede

unwanted substance that forms on the inner surface of the arteries

plaque

to cause something to be blocked

to clog

containing substances that the body needs to stay healthy

nutritious

cause a risk

pose a danger

substance in foods which travels through the body as waste

fibre

very small dried beans that are cooked and eaten

lentils

type of flour made from oats or a grain used to make porridge

oatmeal

cooked breakfast cereal

porridge

relating to the heart and blood

cardiovascular

chemical term for the most common type of sugar

glucose

hormone that controls sugar levels

insulin

illness in which the body cannot cope with glucose + patient suffering from it

diabetes, diabetic

good at or keen on sports

sporty

consume chemical energy from food

burn calories

the rate at which the body digests and uses food

metabolism

amount of fat proportional to the weight (this is wrong, look it up!)

Body Mass Index

determined to

intent on

quick and energetic

brisk

to try to gain an advantage which actually making things worse for oneself (sport metaphor)

to score an own goal