Unit 2- Health

Healthy Lifestyle Vocabulary Word List (306)

A) Abstinence, Access, Activity, Advocate, Aerobics, Affect, Alert, Ambulatory,

Appearance, Appetite, Athlete, Athletics, Avoidance
B) Balance, Behavior, Bending, Benefit, Bicycling, Body, Bones, Breathing
C) Calcium, Calisthenics, Calories, Care, Cereals, Challenges, Change, Choices,
Circulation, Clean, Commitment, Communication, Competition, Conditioning,
Contribution, Control, Cope, Cross-train, Cuisine, Culinary, Cure
D) Decisions, Dentist, Depression, Develop, Diet, Digestion, Dinner, Discipline, Doctor,
Drinking
E) Eating, Education, Effect, Elder care, Emerging, Emotional, Endurance, Energy, Erect,
Ergonomics, Establish, Exercise, Experience
F) Family, Fitness, Flexiblity, Framework, Freedom, Friends, Friendship, Fruit, Function
G) Gains, Genetics, Goals, Good Habits, Grains, Growth, Guidelines, Gym
H) Habit, Handle, Health, Healthy, Helpful, Herbs, Homemade, Humor, Hygiene, Hygienic
I) Image, Immunization, Impact, Improvement, Individual, Influence, Ingredients, Inherent,
Innovation, Insurance, Integrity, Intensity, Interpretation, Intimacy, Investigate, Iron
J) Jazzercise, Jog, Judge, Jumping
K) Karate, Kinesics
L) Laughter, Learning, Lifestyle, Limits, Living, Longevity, Lose, Losing, Loss, Love,
Lumbar
M) Maintenance, Management, Maneuver, Martial Arts, Massage, Masseur, Mat, Maximize,
Measure, Medication, Medicine, Memory, Mental health, Metabolic, Method, Minerals,
Minimize, Moisturize, Monitor, Mood, Motion, Motivate, Motivation, Movement,
Muscles
N) Nutrient, Nutrition
O) Obstacle, Opportunity, Optimism, Options, Outstanding, Oxygen
P) Participate, Peers, Percentages, Performance, Perspiration, Pilates, Play, Popularity,
Portions, Position, Positive, Posture, Power, Practice, Prenatal, Preserve, Prevent,
Process, Professional, Program, Promising, Proportion, Protection, Psychology, Pulley
Q) Quadriceps, Quest, Quickness
R) Rebound, Recognition, Record, Recovery, Recreation, Reflex, Refresh, Regimen,
Regulate, Rehabilitation, Relationships, Relaxation, Religion, Representative, Research,
Resiliency, Resist, Respiration, Response, Responsibility, Restoration, Role, Rolfing,
Routine
S) Safety, Sanitary, Sauna, Scenario, Scientific studies, Seasonings, Self-defense, Sex,
 Shape, Siblings, Signal, Simple steps, Size, Skin, Sleep, Soothe, Spa, Speed, Speed-walk,
Spirit, Sports, Sportsmanship, Squat, Stability, Stamina, Staple, Statistics, Stimulate,
Strategy, Strength, Strenuous, Stress, Stretching, Stride, Strong, Struggle, Suitability,
Supination, Supplements, Support, Surgery, Swimming, Symptoms, System
T) Tackle, Team, Teammate, Teasing, Technique, Temptation, Test, Therapeutic, Therapy,
Timing, Tone, Torso, Train, Training, Transformation, Treatment, Trends
U) Unrestricted, Unusual
V) Vaccination, Vault, Vegetables, Victory, Vigorous, Vital, Vitamins, Voluntary
W) Walking, Warm Up, Watchful, Water, Weigh, Weight, Weights, Welfare, Wellness,
Whirlpool, Whole-grain, Win, Winning, Wisdom, Witness, Work, Work out
X) X-rays
Y) Yoga, Youth
Z) Zeal, Zest, Zinc, Zone

edical English Vocabulary

Here is some essential vocabulary for nurses and medical professionals working in an English-
speaking context. Each word is shown with its part of speech and meaning, while an example
sentence shows the word in context.

word
meaning example sentence
part of speech

abnormal This amount of weight loss is

not normal for the human body
adj abnormal for women your age.

ache I can't sleep because my knees ache

pain that won't go away
noun/verb in the night.

We knew the baby was coming right

acute
quick to become severe/bad away because the woman's labour
adj
pains were acute.

a body's abnormal reaction to certain

allergy noun Your son is extremely allergic to
foods or environmental substances (eg
allergic adj peanuts.
causes a rash)

ambulance emergency vehicle that rushes people to a We called the ambulance when Josh
noun hospital stopped breathing.

amnesia a condition that causes people to lose I can't remember the accident
noun their memory because I had amnesia.

amputation noun We had to amputate his leg because

permanent removal of a limb
amputate verb the infection spread so quickly.

anaemia noun occurs when the body doesn't have I have low energy because I am
anaemic adj enough red blood cells anaemic.

antibiotics medication that kills bacteria and cures My throat infection went away after
noun infections I started the antibiotics.

anti-depressant medication that helps relieve anxiety and The anti-depressants helped me get
noun sadness on with life after Lucy died.

appointment a scheduled meeting with a medical I've made you an appointment with
noun professional a specialist in three week's time.

My grandmother can't knit anymore

arthritis a disease that causes the joints to become
because the arthritis in her hands is
noun swollen and crippled
so bad.

a condition that causes a blockage of the

asthma (attack) I carry an inhaler when I run because
airway and makes it difficult for a person
noun I have asthma.
to breathe

To prevent the spread of bacteria it

bacteria
a disease-causing organism is important that nurses wash their
noun
hands often.

bedsore wounds that develop on a patient's body If you don't get up and take a walk,
noun from lying in one place for too long you will develop painful bedsores.

We're hoping that the tests will show

benign
not harmful (not cancerous) that the lump in your breast is
adj
benign.

biopsy removal of human tissue in order to The biopsy ruled out a number of
noun conduct certain medical tests illnesses.

blood count the amount of red and white blood cells a You will be happy to know that your
noun person has blood count is almost back to
normal.

Blood donors have to answer

blood donor a person who gives blood to a blood bank
questions about their medical
noun or other person
history.

blood pressure the rate at which blood flows through the High blood pressure puts you at risk
noun body (high/low) of having a heart attack.

You will probably always have to

brace a device that holds injured body parts in
wear a brace on your ankle when
noun place
you jog.

We thought it was going to be a

breech position of an unborn baby in which the
breech birth, but the baby turned
adj feet are down and the head is up
himself around.

broken a bone that is divided in two or more We thought it was just a sprain, but
adj pieces as a result of an injury it turned out his leg was broken.

bruise noun injured body tissue that is visible The woman was badly bruised when
bruised adj underneath the skin she came into the emergency room.

Caesarean section, C- procedure that involves removing a baby

The baby was so large that we had to
section from its mother through an incision in the
perform a Caesarean section.
noun woman's lower abdomen

cancer disease caused by the uncontrollable There are many different options
noun growth of cells when it comes to treating cancer.

cardiopulmonary
You saved your brother's life by
resuscitation (CPR) restoring a person's breath and circulation
performing CPR.
noun

cast a hard bandage that is wrapped around a

My leg was in a cast for graduation.
noun broken bone to keep it in place

a place where loved ones can go to pray

chapel, chapeline If you want a place to pray, the
for a patient's recovery;
noun chapel is on the third floor.
a priest who visits patients in the hospital

chemotherapy type of treatment used on cancer patients My mother has already had three
noun rounds of chemotherapy.

a virus commonly contracted by children, It is best to get chickenpox as a child

chickenpox
characterized by itchy spots all over the so that you don't get it worse as an
noun
body adult.

coroner a person who determines the cause of We only call the coroner if we think a
noun death after a person dies death is suspicious.

critical condition requiring immediate and constant medical You can't see her right now; she's in
noun attention critical condition.

crutches objects that people with injured legs or I'd rather hop on one foot than use
noun feet use to help them walk crutches.

cyst a sac in the body-tissue filled with fluid We're going to remove the cysts just
noun (sometimes diseased) to be on the safe side.

deaf The accident left the patient both

unable to hear
adj deaf and blind.

deficiency a lack of something necessary for one's The tests show that you have an iron
noun health deficiency.

dehydrated It is easy for the elderly to become

in need of water
adj dehydrated in this heat.

dementia It is hard to watch a loved one

loss of mental capacity
noun suffering with dementia.

People with diabetes have to

diabetes type of disease typically involving insulin
constantly check their blood sugar
noun deficiency
levels.

diagnosis medical explanation of an illness or The doctor would prefer to share the
noun condition diagnosis with the patient himself.

discomfort This pain medication should relieve

experiencing pain
noun some of your discomfort.

disease a medical disorder that is harmful to a I understand that this disease runs in
noun person's health your family.
dislocated when a bone is temporarily separated You will have to wear a sling because
adj from its joint of your dislocated shoulder.

It is important that children know

emergency a medical problem that needs immediate
which number to dial in case of an
noun attention
emergency.

the hospital room used for treating The child was rushed into the ER
ER (emergency room)
patients with immediate and life- after he had a severe allergic
noun
threatening injuries reaction to a bee sting.

This cream is for external use only.

external
on the outside Do not get it near your ears, eyes, or
adj
mouth.

false negative We had two false negative

a test that incorrectly comes back
noun pregnancy tests, so we didn't know
negative
adj we were having a baby.

family history medical background of a person's family The doctor was concerned about my
noun members family history of skin cancer.

fatal The doctor made a fatal error when

causing death
adj he wrote the wrong prescription.

fever noun He is very feverish, and his

higher than normal body temperature
feverish adj temperature is near danger point.

flu (influenza) many types of respiratory or intestinal People who have the flu should not
noun infections passed on through a virus visit hospital patients.

fracture noun Your wrist is fractured and needs a

broken or cracked bone
fractured adj cast.

Flowers are not allowed in the ward

germ a micro-organism, especially one that
to avoid the risk of germs being
noun causes disease
brought in.

genetic a medical condition or physical feature The disease is part genetic and part
adj that is passed on in the family environmental.

growth a ball of tissue that grows bigger than That growth on your shoulder is
noun normal, either on or under the skin starting to worry me.
heart attack instance in which blood stops pumping People who smoke are at greater risk
noun through the heart of having a heart attack.

HIV the virus that infects the human T-cells HIV can be passed down from the
noun and leads to AIDS mother to her fetus.

hives bumps that appear on the surface of the I broke out in hives after I ate that
noun skin during an allergic reaction potato casserole.

general term for any condition that makes

illness noun Her illness went away when she
a person feel sick for a certain period of
ill adj started eating better.
time

immune system the parts of the body that fight diseases, You can't have visitors because your
noun infections, and viruses immune system is low.

immunization noun an injection that protects against a Babies are immunized three times in
immunize verb specific disease their first year.

incision I had to have stitches to close the

cut in the body made during surgery
noun incision.

inconclusive We have to do more x-rays because

unclear
adj the first ones were inconclusive.

infant The nurse will demonstrate how to

young baby
noun bathe an infant.

The wound should be covered when

infection noun diseased area of the body (viral or
you swim to prevent it from
infected adj bacterial)
becoming infected.

inflamed appearance (red and swollen) of an My right ankle was so inflamed it

adj injured body part was twice the size of my left one.

injury Her injuries were minor; just a few

damage to the body
noun cuts and bruises.

intensive care unit section of the hospital where patients get

She will remain in the ICU until she
(ICU) constant attention and doctors rely on
can breathe on her own.
noun specialized equipment

internal under the skin, inside the organs The doctors will be monitoring her
adj for any internal bleeding.

itchy If you are allergic to this medication

feeling discomfort on the skin's surface
adj your skin will get red and itchy.

The toddler was so dehydrated that

IV a tube that pumps liquids and medication
the doctor decided to get him on an
noun into a patient's body
IV.

lab results tests that come back from a laboratory and The lab results have come in and you
noun help doctors make a diagnosis are free to go home.

lab (laboratory) place where samples of blood/urine etc. are I'll take these samples down to the lab
noun taken for testing on my way out.

life support a machine that keeps patients alive by The woman has severe brain damage
noun helping them breathe and is currently on life support.

The victim was shot in two places but

life-threatening when injuries and conditions are extremely
the bullet wounds are not life-
adj serious
threatening.

light-headed feeling of dizziness and being off-balance, If you are feeling light-headed again,
adj caused by lack of oxygen in the brain lie down and call me.

malignant expected to grow and get much worse I'm afraid at least one of the tumours is
adj (especially related to cancerous cells) malignant.

medical school
After eight years of medical school I
(med. school) place where someone trains to be a doctor
can finally practice medicine.
noun

newborn You have to support her neck because

an infant that is less than three months old
noun she is still a newborn.

numb The needle will make your lower body

no feeling in a certain body part
adj feel numb.

OR (operating
the place where major surgeries and You must wear a face mask and gloves
room)
operations take place while you are in the OR.
noun

operation noun a medical procedure that involves going The operation lasted seven hours, but
operate on verb inside a person's body in an attempt to fix a it was successful.
problem

pain strong discomfort in certain areas of the We gave your husband some medicine
noun body to relieve some of the pain.

pain killer, pain

type of medicine that takes away some or all You can take two pain killers every four
reliever
of the discomfort of an illness or injury hours.
noun

paralyzed We thought her legs were paralyzed

unable to move certain areas of the body
adj for life, but she is learning how to walk.

patient a person staying in a hospital or medical The patients in Room 4 are not getting
noun facility along.

pharmacist a person who fills a doctor's prescription and Ask the pharmacist if there is a generic
noun gives people advice about medication brand of this medication.

pharmacy,
a place where people go to buy medication You should be able to buy a bandage at
drugstore
and other medical supplies the pharmacy.
noun

physician Ask your family physician to refer you

doctor
noun to a specialist.

poison noun a substance that is very dangerous if it enters The child was bitten by a poisonous
poisonous adj the human body snake.

The woman was well prepared for

prenatal
of the time period leading up to giving birth labour because she took the prenatal
adj
classes.

the correct amount and type of medication

prescription noun You will need to visit your doctor to get
needed to cure an illness or relieve
prescribe verb another prescription.
symptoms

You will have to pay for a private

privacy noun
being alone; personal (eg test results) hospital room if you don't want a
private adj
room-mate.

radiation If the radiation doesn't kill all of the

high energy X-rays that destroy cancer cells
noun abnormal cells, the cancer will come
 back.

residency part of a doctor's training that takes place in

resident the hospital; John is a resident under Dr Brown.
noun a student working under a doctor

routine check-up a doctor's appointment to check a person's I'd like to see you a year from now for a
noun general health routine check-up.

scrubs plain uniform (usually green, white, or blue)

I have some extra scrubs in my locker.
noun worn by medical professionals

scrub up carefully wash hands before and after seeing I have to scrub up and get ready for
verb a patient surgery.

I went to another doctor to get a

second opinion input from a second doctor about an illness
second opinion about these
noun or symptom
headaches.

sudden violent movements or

seizure People who suffer from epilepsy are
unconsciousness caused by electrical signal
noun prone to seizures.
malfunction in the brain

shock The woman was in shock after being

body not getting enough blood flow
noun pulled from the river.

side effects other symptoms that might occur as a result One of the side effects of
noun of a certain medication or procedure antidepressants is a loss of appetite.

sore
painful I have a sore throat and a runny nose.
adj

Ever since I injured my leg I've been

spasm
the uncontrollable tightening of a muscle having muscle spasms in my upper
noun
thigh.

specialist a doctor that is an expert in a certain kind of My family doctor is sending me to a

noun medicine specialist.

sprain an injury (less serious than a break) to a joint

I sprained my knee playing soccer.
noun/verb (ankle, wrist, knee etc)

stable condition a patient is stable if their medical condition is You can see your husband now; he is in
noun no longer changing rapidly a stable condition.

sting
sharp, temporary pain It may sting when I insert the needle.
noun/verb

stress noun worry that causes muscles to tighten and You need to take some time off work
stressed adj blood pressure to rise and relieve some of your stress.

ligaments (parts that hold the joints

swelling noun I knew my ankle was sprained because
together) growing bigger and rounder after
swollen adj it was so swollen.
an injury to a joint

symptoms pain or physical changes that occur because You have all of the symptoms of a
noun of an illness or disease diabetic.

We brought Jesse to emergency

temperature amount of heat measured in a body; higher
because he was running a (high)
noun than normal temperature
temperature.

tender The incision was tender after the

painful when touched or used
adj surgery.

test results medical information that helps doctors The test results came back negative.
noun understand a patient's condition or body You aren't pregnant.

therapy treatment aimed at improving a person's I was able to go back to work a few
noun mental or physical condition weeks after starting the therapy.

transplant moving of an organ from one human to

The heart transplant saved your life.
noun another

a test that examines the body's internal

ultrasound The ultrasound shows that we are
organs and processes using sound waves
noun expecting a baby boy.
(often used during pregnancies)

the lifeline from the mother to the fetus I had an emergency C-section because
umbilical cord
(when cut at birth this forms the belly the umbilical cord was wrapped
noun
button) around the baby's neck.

I hit my head on the steering wheel and

unconscious alive, but appearing to be asleep and
was still unconscious when the
adj unaware of the surroundings
ambulance arrived.
urine sample a small amount of the body's liquid waste The urine sample tells us how much
noun that is tested for different medical reasons alcohol is in your blood.

vein the thin tubes that transport blood around I'm just looking for the best vein in
noun the body and back to the heart which to insert the needle.

virus a dangerous organism that causes the spread The virus is contractable through the
noun of minor and major diseases exchange of bodily fluids.

visiting hours time of day when friends and family are I'm afraid you'll have to come back
noun allowed to visit patients in hospital during visiting hours.

vomit discharge of a person stomach contents The pregnant woman can't stop
noun/verb through the mouth vomiting.

ward a section of a hospital or health facility where I should warn you that we're entering
noun patients stay the mental health ward.

wheelchair a chair on wheels used for transporting If you get in the wheelchair I'll take you
noun patients from place to place down to see the garden.

wound noun injury to body ("flesh wound" means not The wounded soldiers are being
wounded adj deep) airlifted to the hospital.

The technician took x-rays of my

x-ray
a photograph of a person's bones and organs shoulder to make sure it wasn't
noun/verb
broken.