53 Medical language

A

B Medical information leaflets

Read this extract from a leaflet included in a packet of painkillers.

Before taking this medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you: Before taking this medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you: • are taking low-dose1 aspirin (up to 75 mg daily)• are taking low-dose1 aspirin (up to 75 mg daily) • suffer from asthma2, or have a past history3 of asthma• suffer from asthma2, or have a past history3 of asthma • have a connective tissue disorder4• have a connective tissue disorder4 • have a history of gastrointestinal disease5 or suffer from bowel6• have a history of gastrointestinal disease5 or suffer from bowel problems6 problems • are elderly as it increases the risk of adverse reactions7• are elderly, as it increases the risk of adverse reactions7 • have heart problems, have had a previous stroke8 or think you might be • have heart problems, have had a previous stroke8 or think you might be at risk of these conditions9at risk of these conditions9

Do not exceed10 the stated dose or duration 11 of treatment

Like all medicines, these tablets may sometimes cause side effects, 12 though not everybody gets them. Stop taking this medicine and seek medical help if you suffer from any of the following: • allergic reactions13 • are sick and it contains blood or dark particles14 that look like coffee grounds • pass blood in your stools15 • stiff neck, headache, feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting), fever and disorientation (not knowing where you are).

1 measured amount of medicine that is relatively small 2 medical condition in which breathing becomes diff icult because air passages have narrowed 3 record of medical conditions a person has experienced 4 illness of the body or mind 5 illness of the stomach or digestive passages 6 tube that carries solid waste out of the body 7 unwanted results 8 sudden change in blood supply to the brain causing loss of function of part of the body 9 illnesses or physical problems 10 take more than 11 length 12 unwanted eff ects in addition to the intended one 13 conditions aff ecting skin or breathing because of eating or coming into contact with certain substances 14 small pieces 15 medical term for excrement (formal) or poo (informal, childish)

Medical metaphors

Social and other problems are oft en talked about as if they were illnesses: The current spate of car theft s is a symptom of a deeper underlying problem. [medical meaning = problem indicating an illness] This behaviour is symptomatic of his general lack of self-confidence. The causes of a problem can be diagnosed and the outlook for a situation can also be referred to as

the prognosis. [medical meaning = identify what illness a patient has] [medical meaning = how experts expect an illness to develop] The medical meaning of the key word is given in brackets before the examples below:

[ailing = unwell, sickly] an ailing organisation [one that has a lot of problems] The economy has been ailing for some time, but there are hopes of a recovery soon.

[rash = a lot of small red spots on the skin] a rash of burglaries [a number of similar things happening at the same time] [fever = high temperature] World Cup fever, election fever[great excitement] at fever pitch, to reach fever pitch[a point of very high intensity] With a week to go before Anne’s wedding, preparations had reached fever pitch. [jaundiced = yellow-looking skin because of a liver problem] Experts in the history of the area take a rather jaundiced view of the likely success of the peace talks. [unenthusiastic or sceptical because of

previous bad experiences] [scar = mark left on skin aft er an injury such as a cut]carry the scars of / be scarred by[be permanently aff ected by a negative experience] I’m afraid that children will always be scarred by experiencing war at a young age. [infect = pass on an illness] I hope Helen’s enthusiasm will infect everyone else. [pass on to] [pulse = regular beating of heart, e.g. as felt on wrist] That journalist really has his finger on the pulse of public opinion. [understands how things are changing]

53.1

53.2

53.3

Choose the best word to complete each sentence.

1 Anorexia is a serious eating effect / disorder in which a person tries to eat as little as possible. 2 The doctor asked me a lot of questions about my medical history / story. 3 Far more children these days are asthmatic / allergic to nuts than ever before. 4 It is important not to overtake / exceed the number of pills the doctor tells you to take. 5 Talk to your pharmacist if you suffer any side / adverse reactions to the tablets. 6 My grandfather had a bowel / stroke last year. 7 Doctors use the word stools but children talk about poo / excrement. 8 If you vomit, you feel / are sick. 9 Disorientation / Disease can be the result of a bang on the head. 10 Maria is not allowed to drive for the duration / dose of her treatment.

Replace the underlined expressions with one of the metaphors from B. Make any other necessary changes.

1 Excitement grew extremely strong as the day of the final match dawned. 2 Although industry is doing well in the north of the country, in the south it is weak. 3 The manager said that there had been a sudden large number of complaints about the hotel. 4 Unfortunately, she is still affected in a negative way by her divorce. 5 The problems we have experienced in our neighbourhood are evidence of wider problems in society. 6 What do you think the prospects are for the peace talks? 7 I voted for the Green Party because they seem to be in touch with what’s happening. 8 The business has been having problems for some time now. 9 I’m afraid I have rather a sceptical view of the banking industry.

The medical words in the box below are used metaphorically in the following text. Fill the gaps using these words. Use a dictionary if necessary.

ailing fatal disease rash paralysed prognosis fever contagious

53.4

National Rail Strike 23 November

The country has been 1 by the latest rail strike, with no rail services at all running today. The railway service has been 2 for some time, but if today’s action is prolonged it may prove 3 to the rail industry. The Minister for Transport commented: ‘The country has been suffering from a 4 of local strikes since the first one in Nortown last month. It was 5 and one strike led to another. Things reached 6 pitch last week and we can only hope that this 7 will come to an end soon.’ The minister’s 8 is that things will only start to improve once people appreciate the seriousness of the situation.

Over to you

Learn more medical vocabulary by going to the following website, which provides information for people who want to learn more about a medical condition: www.nhs.uk.