How to Talk About Illness and Medicine in English
Hi, I’m Oli.
Welcome to Oxford Online English!
In this lesson, you can learn how to talk
about illness, medicine and healthcare in
English.
You’ll learn how to deal with a visit to
the doctor’s office, how to talk about different
healthcare systems, how to talk about going
to hospital, and more.
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Let’s start by looking at language you can
use if you need to see a doctor.
So, what can I do for you today?
Well, I’ve been having these headaches,
just behind my eyes.
How long have you been having them?
For about a week now.
They aren’t constant—they come and go,
but they’re really painful.
Do you have a fever?
No, I don’t think so.
Any respiratory symptoms?
How do you mean?
For example, do you have a blocked nose, a
sore throat, a cough, or anything like that?
No, nothing like that.
Is this the first time you’ve had a problem
like this?
As far as I can remember, yeah.
OK, please sit on the bed over here.
I need to check your pulse and blood pressure.
I’ll also need to check your lymph nodes
to see if they’re swollen.
In the dialogue, the doctor asked many questions.
Can you remember any?
Typically, the doctor will ask about your
symptoms, your medical history, and about
medication which you’re taking.
To ask about your symptoms, the doctor might
ask ‘Do you have a fever?’
‘Do you have a cough?’
‘Do you have a sore throat?’
The doctor might ask more questions about
a specific symptom.
For example: ‘How long have you been feeling
like this?’
‘Is this the first time you’ve had a problem
like this?’
‘How severe is the pain?’
If you’re describing your symptoms, it’s
common to use the present perfect tense, especially
for a problem that appears repeatedly.
For example: ‘I’ve been having really
bad headaches.’
‘I’ve been having some stomach problems.’
‘I’ve been having a lot of problems getting
to sleep.’
You could also add a time period, as in: ‘I’ve
had this cough for a week now.’
To describe more stable symptoms, use the
present simple tense.
For example: ‘I have a swelling in my right
knee.’
‘I have this rash on my arm.’
After you describe your symptoms, the doctor
might do some basic checks on you.
For example, he or she might want to take your pulse
check your blood pressure
or listen to your heartbeat or breathing using
a stethoscope.
Next, the doctor will suggest further treatment,
and possibly prescribe medicine for you to
take.
Are you taking any medication currently?
No, nothing.
Any allergies?
No.
I’m going to prescribe you some painkillers.
Take one as soon as you feel your headaches
starting.
If you’re still in pain after an hour, take
a second one.
Don’t take more than two pills in four hours,
or more than six pills in a 24-hour period.
OK…
Also, don’t drink alcohol or take any other
anti-inflammatories while you’re taking
these.
Can’t you do some more tests?
What if it’s something more serious?
If you’re still having the same problem
in two weeks, then we’ll need to investigate
further.
These things often clear up by themselves.
You should also make sure you get enough sleep,
stay hydrated, and avoid stress if possible.
Do I have to pay for the prescription?
You pay a seven-pound prescription fee.
I’m giving you enough pills to last four
weeks, so you should have enough.
Can I take it to any chemist’s?
Yes, of course.
There’s a pharmacy in the supermarket around
the corner.
You could get your medicine there.
OK, I’ll do that.
Thank you.
Doctors can prescribe you medicine or other
treatments.
They do this by writing what you need on a
piece of paper—a prescription.
‘Prescribe’ is the verb, and ‘prescription’
is the noun.
You can also use the noun ‘prescription’
to refer to the medicine which a doctor prescribes
for you.
For example, you could say: ‘The doctor
prescribed antihistamines, but they didn’t
help.’
‘I lost my prescription, so I’ll have
to call the doctor and see if she can send
me a replacement.’
Antihistamines are often taken by people who
have allergies.
In the dialogue, do you remember what kind
of medicine the doctor prescribed?
She prescribed painkillers.
Common painkillers are paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Painkillers may also be anti-inflammatories—they
reduce fever and swelling.
After you have your prescription, you can
collect your medicine from a pharmacy—also
called a chemist’s in UK English, although
both words are used.
The doctor or pharmacist might also give you
advice on how to take your medicine.
For example: ‘Take one pill every twelve
hours.’
‘Make sure you take the pills with food.’
‘Avoid alcohol while you’re taking these,
or they might not be as effective.’
Finally, the doctor might also give you some
more general advice.
In the dialogue, the doctor mentioned three
things.
Do you remember them?
I said ‘You should also make sure
you get enough sleep, stay hydrated, and avoid
stress if possible.’
Last question for this section: what happens
if you don’t stay hydrated?
If you don’t stay hydrated by drinking enough
fluids, you’ll get dehydrated.
Next, let’s look at language to use if you
aren’t sure where to go or how to get medical
help.
So, weird question, but what do I do if I
need to see a doctor?
I’ve never been to hospital or anything
here, and I have no idea how it works.
You have insurance?
No.
No?
Anyway, what’s wrong with you?
Nothing much.
I have this swelling in my wrist, and it’s
a little uncomfortable to move it.
I’d just like to get it checked out.
Well, you could go to a public hospital.
I think as a resident you’re entitled to
free public healthcare, but even if you have
to pay, it won’t be much.
You might have to wait for a long time, though.
You mean, you have to wait to see a doctor?
Yes, that too, but I meant that after you
see a doctor, it might be a long time before
you get any treatment.
From what I hear, the public health system
is really overstretched at the moment, and
people have to wait weeks or months for treatment.
So, you have private health insurance?
Yeah, most people do.
You could also go to a private clinic, or
just go to a GP and let him or her refer you
to the right specialist if you need further
treatment.
Would that be very expensive?
A GP appointment normally costs about 40 or
50 Euros.
For further treatment, it depends what you
need, obviously.
Of course, if you’re uninsured, it’ll
be more expensive, but it’s not likely to
be ridiculous.
Maybe I’ll do that, then.
I’d prefer to get it looked at sooner.
Can you recommend anyone?
I can give you the details for my GP.
There’s also a website I can show you where
you can find a doctor closer to where you
live, if you like.
That sounds great.
Thanks.
In your country, if you need to see a doctor,
what do you do first?
Can you go directly to a hospital, or do you
need to go to a GP or smaller clinic first?
Let’s take the UK as an example.
Most people in the UK use public healthcare,
which is almost completely free.
Some people choose to buy private insurance,
which can give you more choice about where
and when you get treatment.
If you’re using public healthcare, you’ll
generally register with a GP.
‘GP’ stands for ‘general practitioner’,
meaning a doctor who doesn’t specialise
in one area.
GPs mostly work in small clinics, not in hospitals.
If you have a problem, you’ll go to your
GP first.
Your GP will then help you to arrange further
treatment if you need it.
For example, your GP might refer you to a
specialist if you need more targeted treatment.
In other countries, most people have healthcare
insurance.
In some places, healthcare can be very expensive
if you’re uninsured.
What about in your country?
Look at three questions:
One: do most people use public healthcare,
or is it more usual to buy private health
insurance?
Two: is public healthcare high-quality and
reliable?
Why or why not?
Three: are all residents entitled to free
public healthcare, or are there restrictions?
Could you answer these questions?
Try it!
Say an answer out loud, or write it down.
Or, do both!
Remember that you might need to repeat and
practise your answer several times, so that
it is fluent and clear.
Did you do it?
If so, feel free to share your answers with
other learners in the comments.
Let’s move on.
What happens if you have a more serious health
issue, and you need to stay in hospital?
Have you heard about what happened to Louis?
No, what?
He went to the doctor’s for a routine check-up,
and they discovered he had a major cardiac
problem.
They sent him to A&E right away; they wouldn’t
let him go home even for an hour.
Then, he had surgery the same day.
No way!
I saw him on Tuesday.
He looked absolutely fine.
Yeah, I was shocked, too.
Anyway, we should go and see him, don’t
you think?
He would probably appreciate some company.
Sure…
How long are they keeping him in?
From what I heard, they want to monitor him
for a few days, and then he can go home.
So, when can we go?
Do they have set visiting hours?
Yeah, it’s in the afternoon some time.
I can check on their website.
Let me check with his wife, too, because I’m
sure she’ll be spending time there, and
I think there’s a two-visitor maximum.
I hope he’s alright.
I’ve never had an operation or had to stay
overnight in hospital, but I imagine it’s
fairly miserable.
Yup, you’re not wrong.
Hopefully he’ll be discharged soon.
We should take him some fruit or something
nice to eat.
Can we do that?
I think so, but I’ll check to be sure.
Look at a sentence from the dialogue: ‘They
sent him to A&E right away.’
Do you know what ‘A&E’ means?
A&E stands for ‘accident and emergency’.
It’s the hospital department where you go
if you have a serious medical issue.
In American English it’s commonly called
‘ER’—‘emergency room’.
Let’s look at four more sentences from the
dialogue.
In each sentence, there’s a word missing.
Can you remember the missing words?
If not, you can also go back and review the
dialogue to find them, if you want!
Did you find the missing words?
Let’s look.
‘How long are they keeping him in?’
means ‘How long will he have to stay in
hospital?’
‘They’ here refers to the hospital staff.
Hospitals have visiting hours, when you can
go and spend time with your friends and relatives
who are staying there.
Even if you need to go to hospital, you might
be an outpatient, meaning that you go to hospital,
do what you need, and then go home again.
The opposite is ‘inpatient’, meaning that
you need to stay overnight.
When you’re ready to leave hospital and
go home, they discharge you.
You can discharge yourself earlier, but your
doctors might try to persuade you to stay
longer.
Now, let’s look at our final section: recovering
from a health problem.
So, how are you feeling?
Quite fragile, to be honest.
I mean, I feel better than I did, but it’s
a long process.
Well, that’s to be expected.
You had a major operation.
How long do they say it’ll take to recover?
They don’t give exact answers to things
like that.
I guess every case is different, but they
said I should be back to normal in around
three months.
Three months?!
Obviously I won’t be like this for three
months, or at least I hope not.
I get tired so easily right now.
They told me I should get some strength back
in a couple of weeks.
Do you have to go back in for any more tests?
I have to go tomorrow to get the incision
cleaned and dressed.
It’s a big wound, so that’ll take a while
to heal just by itself.
Apart from that, I think I have to go back
in a month or so for an ECG.
Maybe there’s more, but I’m not focusing
on that right now.
One day at a time!
Do you need any help with anything?
Please ask if you do.
I’d love to help if I can.
That’s kind of you!
If you want, you could take me for a walk.
I’m not supposed to go outside by myself,
but it’s nice to get some fresh air.
I start going crazy if I’m just stuck in
bed or at home all day.
Sure, how about tomorrow?
That would be great!
Come by any time.
Let’s look at some language you heard in
the dialogue.
Do you remember how this language was used?
Could you explain what these sentences mean?
Remember, you can pause the video to think,
or go back and review the dialogue if you
need to.
‘Fragile’ is similar to weak.
It’s often used to describe things which
break easily, like china plates or things
made of glass.
If you’re feeling fragile, you feel weak
and ill.
If you’re recovering from a serious illness
or an operation, you’ll need to get your
strength back.
You also heard the phrase ‘get back to normal’.
For example: ‘It’ll take a few weeks to
get back to normal.’
A wound is an opening or a cut in your skin.
If you have an operation, the surgeon will
need to make an opening in your skin, which
needs to heal afterwards.
Finally, ‘one day at a time’ is a phrase
which means you focus on the present, rather
than thinking about the future.
You can use it when you’re dealing with
a difficult or complex situation.
You can also use the longer phrase ‘take
things one day at a time.’
For example: ‘Everything’s so busy right
now.
I can’t make plans for next year.
I’m just taking things one day at a time.’
Of course, we hope you don’t need the language
you’ve seen in this lesson.
But, we still hope it was useful for you.
Thanks for watching!
See you next time!