Sickness and Health

Vocabulary specific to the areas of health, fitness, activity and enjoyment is as important aspect of studying Spanish for vocational and study purposes. 

You may come across some of this in phrase books too, as illness and leisure pursuits often form a significant part of these resources. More explicitly health related vocabulary you’ll find here, although of course it’s far from an exhaustive list.

Here are a few useful terms for illnesses and parts of the body that you might need to describe if you’re ill or injured.

Conditions

• allergic to : ser alergico a …
• diabetes: la diabetes
• diarrhoea – una diarrea
• dizzy – mareado
• (feel) faint – estar mareado
• faint/pass out – desmayarse
• fever – una fiebre
• fracture – una fractura
• flu – la gripe
• hangover – una resaca
• heart attack – un infarto
• infection – una infección
• infected – infectado
• infectious – contagioso
• (to be) inflamed – inflamarse (se ha inflamado)
• migraine – una jaqueca
• sore throat – un dolor de garganta
• splinter (e.g. in finger) – un espigón
• sprain / strain – una torcedura
• to sprain / strain – torcerse el/la …
• strained – torcido
• stroke – apoplejía
• sunburn – la quemadura
• sunburned – quemado por el sol
• to vomit / be sick – vomitar

The body – head to toe

• (here, pointing) – aquí
• head – la cabeza
• eye – un ojo
• ear – la oreja
• nose – la nariz
• mouth – la boca
• teeth – los dientes
• throat – la garganta
• neck – el cuello
• shoulder – el hombro
• shoulder blade – el omóplato
• back – la espalda
• arm – el brazo
• elbow – el codo
• wrist – la muñeca
• hand – la mano
• finger – un dedo
• thumb – un pulgar
• heart – el corazón
• chest – el pecho
• breast – el pecho
• lung – el pulmzón
• stomach – el estómago
• bowels – los intestinos
• kidney – el riñón
• muscle – el músculo
• hips – las caderas
• buttocks – el trasero
• thigh – el muslo
• knee – la rodilla
• kneecap – la rótula
• ankle – el tobillo
• foot/feet – el pie / los pies
• toe – el dedo del pie

Medicine and Treatment

• medicine – un medicamento
• medication – la medicación
• painkiller – un analgésico
• paracetamol – paracetamol
• sunblock – un filtro solar
• injection – inyección
• inject – inyectar
• antibiotic – antibiótico
• antihistamine – antihistamínico
• rest – el descanso
• ice – hielo
• ice pack – una compresa de hielo
• bandage – un vendaje / vendar
• elevate – elevar
• X-Ray  un rayo X / radiografia
• ointment – ungüento / salvo
• lotion / cream – una crema

This section centres on the concepts of health, fitness, illness and wellness, which are so important to the leisure industries, but which are also important things you may need to communicate and deal with whilst living, working or studying in Spain.

Physical Activity and Health

Health and physical activity are clearly inextricably linked, and related to diet – dealt with on another page. Below are some key words you need to be familiar with, but you’re advised to scan and read, where possible, Spanish texts specific to your own field of interest.

• Health – la salud 
• Healthy (estar) – bien de salud 
• Unhealthy – (estar) mal de salud
• Wellbeing – el bienestar

• Fitness  – estado fisico 
• Fit – en forma 
• (to be) Unfit –  no estar en forma
• injured – herido/a (an injury is una herida)
• sick /ill – enfermo/a

• Physical activity  – la actividad fisica    
• Exercise – el ejercicio                                 
• To exercise  – hacer ejercicio
• active – activo/a

• I have a pain in… / (… hurts) – me duele …
• to hurt (something) – hacer daño a

Doctors and Hospitals

Vocabulary below is again limited to the most relevant general terms, and the advice of seeking out articles and information in the Spanish language is equally appropriate here.

• Doctor  – el médico                        
• Physiotherapist – fisioterapeuta (male or female) or ‘fisio’ 
• Doctors’ consultation / surgery – consulta           

• Pharmacy – la farmacia               
• Pharmacist – farmacéutico/a                   

• Emergency – urgencia
• Hospital  – el hospital               
• First Aid  – primeros auxilios   
• Rehabilitation  rehabilitación     
• To recover (get well) reponerse

Well …

The word ‘well’ or bien is a useful one to get to grips with whether in greetings, asking after someone’s health or describing your own, but also in a number of other useful phrases.  As seen elsewhere in this guide, it’s widely used as an adverb for describing how ‘well’ something is being done or has gone.  A few examples are given below, but along with ‘well’, bien can be used for ‘correctly’, ‘quite’, or ‘thoroughly’.

• ¿Estas bien (de salud )? Are you well / in good health? –
• Esta bien, gracias       I’m well, thanks, or,   Muy bien – fine 
• [remember to add ¿y usted? …  ‘and you?’]

• bien abierto – wide open
• bien despierto – wide awake
• bien informado – well-informed
• todo va bien – all’s well / everything’s fine
• fue bien – it went well

Other ‘well-‘ expressions:

• Pensándolo bien – on second thoughts     
• por tu bien – for your sake
• ir bien juntos – to go well together  
• bien balanceado – well balanced
• bien cocido – well done (cooking)            
• bien hecho – well done (task)