Health & Medicine

Medical and healthcare vocabulary

Introduction

Healthcare communication requires specific vocabulary. From doctor visits to discussing treatments, medical words help you navigate health-related situations confidently.

This chapter presents vocabulary for health and medicine beyond basic body terms. You'll learn words for medical care, treatments, and healthcare systems that help you communicate in medical contexts.

Themes

All Vocabulary (NGSL) in This Chapter (21)

• patient A person receiving medical treatment; able to wait calmly
• influence The power to affect people's behaviour or decisions; to have an effect on
• drug A medicine or substance that affects the body or mind
• treatment Medical care given to a patient; the way someone behaves towards another
• medical Relating to medicine or the treatment of illness
• nurse A person trained to care for sick or injured people
• cancer A serious disease caused by uncontrolled cell growth; the zodiac sign
• secure Safe from danger; firmly fixed; to obtain or make safe
• recover To return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength; to get back somethi...
• injury Physical harm or damage to the body
• emergency A serious, unexpected situation requiring immediate action
• illness A disease or period of being unwell
• symptom A physical or mental sign of illness; an indication of a problem
• wound An injury to the body; to injure
• infection The invasion of the body by harmful organisms; a disease caused by this
• recovery The process of returning to a normal state after illness or difficulty
• virus A tiny organism that causes disease; malicious computer code
• surgery Medical treatment involving cutting into the body; a doctor's consulting room
• clinical Relating to medical treatment and observation of patients; or coldly detached...
• therapy Treatment intended to heal or relieve a condition
• cough To expel air from the lungs with a sudden sharp sound