Health and Diseases + Vocabulary

Health and Diseases

Pictures

– Describe these pictures. Which of these two types of health care do you prefer? Why?

– What characteristics should the person in the picture have? Would you like to the same job? Why? Why not?

– Describe the picture.  Talk about the lifestyle of the person. In what way is the lifestyle same or different to yours?

– Describe the picture. Talk about what happens in the surgery. What questions may the doctor be asking?

Discussion

– Describe the human body.

2. Name some doctors. What do they cure?
3. Divide and name diseases. Have you ever had some of them?
4. How do you prevent diseases?
5. Do you take vitamins?
6. How can the spreading of infections be prevented?
7. Do you often have headaches? What do you do about them?
8. How often and when do you go to see your doctor?
9. Compare classical medicine with alternative. Give the pros and cons.

– What diseases do you remember having? What is your worst memory of being sick?
– How do you feel when you are sick and have to stay in bed?
– If you feel you may be getting the flu, what do you do
– Have you ever had an injury and if so, what was it and how did it happen? What did the doctors do and how long did it take to heal?
– How do you feel when you have to visit the dentist?

15.  Do you live a healthy lifestyle?
16.  What do you understand under „healthy lifestyle“?
17.  How do you manage stress?
18.  What do you consider the most stressful for you? How do you cope with the   situation?

– What have you got in your medicine chest?
– What does a healthy lifestyle mean?
– What is meant by healthy food?
– How important is staying healthy for you? What are the benefits of good health?
– What do you think are the main principles for maintaining good health?
– What do you personally do to protect your health? Do you feel that your lifestyle is healthy?
– Do you think that people in Slovakia are given proper health care?

26.  What is important to prevent diseases and accidents?
27.  Is prevention important? Why? „Prevention is better than cure. “ Do you agree?
28.  Have you ever been vaccinated against diseases?
29.  Is all medical care free of charge? In which cases does one pay for medical treatment?
30.  Compare state and private health system/care.
31.  Health insurance – Do you think it is important to pay? Do you get proper health care? 
32.  What do you think of the system of family doctors?

Role-plays and simulations

– You were supposed to go to the cinema with a friend, but you have come down with the flu. Call your friend and describe how you are feeling /including all your symptoms/ and apologise for no being able to meet him/her. /Role-play/

– How would you persuade your roommate to change his/her lifestyle? Try to explain the possible dangers of bad eating habits, smoking, stress and laziness. /Role-play/ 

3. Describe the situation what happens next when you arrive at doctor‘s. /waiting room, surgery, chemist’s/ /Simulation/

– You want to become a vegetarian because you are convinced that it is the only way to be healthy. Your parents disagree. What are your arguments to persuade them it is a good idea? /Role-play/

– Your best friend desires to become a model. She has been on a strict diet for over a year, and now she does not eat at all. You are convinced that she has anorexia nervosa and needs professional help as soon as possible. What do you do? /Role-play/

– Patient: You do not feel well. You want to explain to the doctor that all the members of your family are ill and that is why you think that you have got the flu. Describe your symptoms and answer all the doctor’s questions.

Doctor: Ask as many questions as possible to get information about your patient’s illness. You like using natural methods of healing. Suggest some things your patient can do to feel better. /Role-play/

Starostlivosť o zdravie

  – ľudské telo
– bežné a civilizačné choroby, telesné a fyzické stavy, návšteva u lekára, v lekárni
– zdravý spôsob života /správna životospráva, telesná a duševná hygiena/
– zdravotnícka starostlivosť /prevencia, očkovanie/
– štátne a súkromné zdravotníctvo /zdravotné poistenie, odborní lekári/

A.

The human body consists of a skeleton and muscles and the whole body is covered with skin. The body is made up of the head, the trunk and the limbs. The head, which is partly covered in hair, contains the brain, the centre of the nervous system. The parts of the head are the forehead, the eyebrows, the eyelids, the eyelashes, the temples, the ears, the eyes, the nose, the mouth, the cheek, the jaw and the chin. In the mouth there are teeth for chewing the food and a tongue for pushing the food between the teeth. 
The head is connected to the trunk by the neck. The trunk includes the chest, the back, the shoulders and the abdomen. Internal organs in the trunk are the heart, the lungs, the stomach, the liver, the spleen, the kidneys, the bladder, the gall-bladder and the guts.

The arms and legs are called the limbs. The leg is composed of the hip, the thigh, the knee, the calf, the ankle and the foot. The foot has a heel, a sole and 5 toes. The arm consists of the upper arm and the forearm, the armpit, the elbow, the wrist and the hand. The inner side of the hand is the palm. On each hand there are 4 fingers and a thumb.

The movement of the body is produced by the contraction and expansion of the muscles. There are 230 bones in the human body.

People with bad eyesight wear glasses or contact lenses. Those who cannot see are blind. The eyes are the organs of sight. The nose is the organ of smell and the ears are the organs of hearing and balance. Those who cannot hear are deaf and those who cannot speak are mute. The nerves in the skin are the organs of touch and the taste buds, for tasting, are on the tongue. The five senses are sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.

Useful vocabulary:

doctors – GP /general practitioner/, dentist, paediatrician, orthopaedist, specialist for internal diseases, urologist, ophthalmologist, surgeon, dermatologist, ear and throat specialist, psychiatrist,

parts of the human body – head – hlava, skull – lebka, eyes – oči, brain – mozog ,hair – vlasy, nose – nos, face – tvár,  forehead – čelo, mouth – ústa, eyebrows – obočie,  eyelids – viečka, tongue – jazyk, eyelashes – mihalnice,  teeth – zuby , guns – ďasná, lips – pery,  cheeks – líca,  chin – brada, ears – uši, temples – spánky,  jaw – čeluste, neck – krk,  throat – hrdlo, shoulder – rameno, colarbone – kľúčna kosť,  arm – celá  ruka,  armpit – pazucha,  elbow – lakeť,  hand – ruka,  wrist – zápästie, fist – päsť,  palm – dlaň,  fingers – prsty, fingertips – končeky prstov,  thumb – palec,  nails – nechty,  knuckles – hánky,  leg – celá  noha,  thigh – stehno, knee – koleno,  ankle – členok, calf – lýtko, foot,feet – noha, toes – prsty, heel – päta, sole – chodidlo, limbs – končatiny,  joints – kĺby,  trunk – trup, spine – chrbtica, ribs – rebrá, chest – hrudník, back – chrbát,  hips – boky,  bottom – zadok,  bosom – prsia,  waist – pás,  abdomen – brucho,  intestines – vnútornosti, lungs – pľúca,  heart – srdce,  stomach – žalúdok,  liver – pečeň, kidneys – obličky, bladder – moč. mechúr, bone – kosť, gallblader – žlčník,  skeleton – kostra, flesh – mäso tela,  genitals – pohlavné orgány, muscle – sval, skin – koža,  nerves – nervy,  blood circulation – kr.obeh, tissue – tkanivo, veins – žily, blood vessels – cievy, glands – žľazy

B.

Diseases and illnesses
-  children’s diseases – measles, chicken-pox, mumps, rash, allergies, cough, constipation, diarrhoea, scarlet fever, tonsillitis, bronchitis, sore throat, rubella, 
-  adult people diseases – diabetes heart troubles, heart attack, indigestion, kidney stones, gall-bladder stone, asthma, cancer, peptic ulcer, rheumatism, sciatica,
-  infectious diseases – jaundice, AIDS, pneumonia, smallpox, flu
-  others – appendicitis, tuberculosis, nausea, dizziness, giddiness, insomnia, headache, toothache
-  accidents – fractures, burns, cuts, scalds /obareniny/, poisoning /swallowing, touching or breathing in a poisonous substance/, sprained ankle, twisted knee, swollen knee, broken leg,

ILLNESSES AND DISEASES – serious illness, curable, incurable, chronic, epidemic, infectious, hereditary, AIDS /Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome/ – AIDS, anaemia – chudokrvnosť,  appendicitis – zápal slepého čreva, asthma attack – astmatický záchvat, blood poisoning – otrava krvi,  bronchitis – zápal priedušiek, cancer – rakovina, concussion – otras mozgu, constipation – zápcha, contagious diseases – nákazlivé choroby, diabetes – cukrovka, diarrhoea – hnačka, diphtheria – záškrt, flu – chrípka,  heart attack – infarkt, indigestion – porucha trávenia,  insomnia – nespavosť,  jaundice – žltačka,  kidney stones – obličkové kamene, measles – osýpky, mumps – mums, nausea – žalúdočná nevoľnosť,  peptic ulcer – žalúdočné vredy,  plague – mor,  pneumonia – zápal pľúc,  polio – detská  obrna,  rheumatism – reumatizmus, scarlet fever – šarlach,  smallpox – kiahne, stroke – mŕtvica,  tonsillitis – angína, tuberculosis – tuberkulóza,  typhoid fever – týfus,  whooping cough – čierny kašeľ, salmonelosis, bulimia, anorexia, malnutrition, obesity, hypertension, leukemia, muteness, deafness, blindness, short-sightedness, long-sightedness

INJURY – get hurt, cut oneself, fall down, slip, break a limb, get stung /pichnúť žihadlom/, be drowning, poison oneself, bleed, wound, cut, stab wound /bodná rana/, laceration /tržná rana/, dislocation /vykĺbenie/, swollen bruise /modrina/, scar /jazva/, blister /pľuzgier/, burn, scramp /kŕč/, concussion /otras mozgu/, blackout /prechodná strata vedomia/, epileptic fit, abortion

A visit to the doctor

If you are feeling ill, you should visit the doctor. At the health centre the doctors are available during their consulting hours. It is better to make an appointment with the doctor in his surgery time if we want to avoid long waiting in the waiting room which may often be crowded. When you arrive you may have to sit in the waiting room with the other patients till it is your turn to be examined by the doctor. When the doctor is ready to see you a nurse will call you into the surgery.

The nurse has to look for our medical record and wants to see our insurance card and then takes our temperature with a thermometer. In the surgery the doctor may ask you “What’s the matter with you? Do you have any pain? Where does it hurt? Do you have a fever?“ He will examine you carefully. He may look at your tongue, check your pulse and your blood pressure and listen to your heart and lungs. He also may want you to open your mouth to say “Ah“to see if your tonsils are red.  Sometimes he takes the blood count and throat culture or puts urine through lab tests.  Finally the doctor diagnoses the case and therapy and prescribes some medicine /drops, tablets, ointment/ and he will instruct you on the dosage. After seeing the doctor you should take the prescription he has given you to the chemist’s where the medicine will be dispensed to you. If you are not seriously ill you will probably recover after taking the medicine as directed and resting at home for a few days.

Classical vs. alternative medicine

Classical medicine offers treatment with painkillers. It fights against illness and disease with drugs and surgery by which doctors can save millions of people. On the other hand, taking a lot of medicine can destroy other organs of your body, e.g. liver or kidneys. That is why many people prefer other kinds of treatment which are sometimes called traditional or alternative medicine. The term traditional fits ancient arts such as herbalism but hardly applies to acupuncture or shiatsu. Alternative medicine looks at the whole person, not just the illness. This includes your age, your family background, eating habits, sleeping habits, regular exercise, job conditions, and bad habits like drinking, smoking and problems you have to face in your everyday life.

There are different types of alternative medicine like acupuncture, homeopathy and osteopathy. Acupuncturists use needles to make a person’s energy to flow in a more balanced way. The needles are rotated clockwise or anticlockwise, according to whether energy is to be stimulated or lessened. 
Everything we need exists in mature, which is why homeopathy uses natural plants and flowers to beat illness. Homeopathy is not concerned with the processes or causes of disease, but with its symptoms.

Osteopathy is a system of movements which correct problems with the bones and muscles.  Osteopaths push, pull and twist the body with their hands which puts all the bones or muscles in the right place.

While alternative medicine treats the body without using chemicals, traditional medicine is very important in accidents and emergencies. The best solution is when traditional and alternative medicine work hand in hand.

• What have you got in your medicine chest? – vitamins, headache/sleeping/sickness pills, pain killers, disinfection, nose drops, antiseptic, eyewash, bandage, band aid, medicinal herbs, medicinal charcoal, boric acid, peroxide, sticking plaster, pad /tampón/, thermometer, sling /trojrohá šatka/, ointment, laxative

• What diseases do you remember having? What is your worst memory of being sick? – I have had several of the common childhood diseases, such as measles/chickenpox/mumps...  Several times, I’ve also had the flu/tonsillitis/ a cold.... My worst illness was when I was about ....years old. At that time I....

• How do you feel when you are sick and have to stay in bed? – I am an active person, so having to stay in bed is annoying/boring/frustrating... for me. If I feel really miserable, I don‘t mind/am quite content/feel good about/...staying in bed.

• If you feel you may be getting the flu, what do you do? – I think it is best to rest so as not to get seriously ill/ stay at home and not infect others..., For me it’s good to do the necessary things but also get extra rest/ try to ignore the symptoms and concentrate on what I have to do..., I like to keep going to school because I don’t like to stay in bed/I’m afraid of missing too much schoolwork...

• Have you ever had an injury and if so, what was it and how did it happen? What did the doctors do and how long did it take to heal? – I have had a broken arm/sprained ankle... It happened while playing sport/in a car accident..., I had to stay in hospital/wear a plaster cast/walk on crutches/...for....weeks/months/.

• How do you feel when you have to visit the dentist? – I don’t mind going to the dentist because usually it doesn’t hurt too much/it’s good to prevent more serious problems. I very much dislike the dentist’s office because I’m scared of what he’ll do to me/I hate the drilling of my teeth...

Useful vocabulary

Treatment – medical care, pretend an illness, be on a sick leave, undergo an examination, make an appointment with the doctor, surgery hours, general check-up, vomit, sneeze, recover, cure, faint, strip to the waist, take tb’s temperature, listen to sb’s heart/lungs, listen to sb breathe, look into sb’s throat, check sb’s blood pressure and pulse,, test sb’s reflexes, do a blood test, allergic to, breathing difficulties, cold compress /obklad/, cotton wool, extract a tooth,  fight off the virus, flu shot /očkovanie proti chrípke/, inflammation of the throat /zápal hrdla/, insect bite, irritation in the throat /dráždenie v hrdle/, lose consciousness, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation,  National Institute of Public Health, pick up a virus, plaster cast /sádrový obväz/,  surgery hours, a doctor on call /pohotovostný lekár/

dental care – brush, toothbrush, floss, cavity /dutina/, bad tooth, toothache, filling, drill, extract, pull out, wisdom tooth, receding gums, plaque, crown, dentures, braces /strojček na zuby/, dental hygiene

departments in a hospital – Cardiology, Dermatology, Emergency Room, ENT /Ear, Nose and Throat/, Gastroenterology, Gynaecology, Haematology, Immunology, Intensive Care, Laboratory, Neurology, Oncology, Operating Centre, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Pathology, Radiology, Rehabilitation, Ultrasound, Urology, X-ray

medicine – medicament, medication, pill, tablet, capsule, drops, ointment, powder, lotion, syrup, gargle, lozenge /cukrík na cmúľanie pri kašli/, sedatives, painkillers, tranquillizers, sleeping pills, antibiotics, dose, overdose, side-effect, interaction

C.

What does a healthy lifestyle mean?

-  go to bed early, get up early, eat healthily, no bad habits, do body-building exercises, a healthy diet, no stress, a lot of sleep, have a regular daily routine, sufficient sleep, take a rest, overwork, avoid excitement, no smoking, no alcohol, healthy food, physical training, go for walks,

What is meant by healthy food?

-  a lot of vitamins, eat fruit and raw vegetables, drink good water, eat slowly, take time to eat, eat more times a day in small amounts, not eat smoked meat and sausages, not drink spirits, little salt and spices, little or no caffeine, eat lean meat, fish, poultry, cereals, dark bread, avoid fat meat and high calorie dishes
•  How important is staying healthy for you? What are the benefits of good health? – I believe that health is one of the most important aspects of life / extremely precious / more valuable than money.  When you are healthy, you not only have no aches and pains but you are also physically fitter/more emotionally balanced / better socially adjusted.

•  What do you think are the main principles for maintaining good health? – One of the important rules for health is a good diet consisting of.... Also important are.....

•  What do you personally do to protect your health? Do you feel that your lifestyle is healthy? – I try to protect my health by ... Also, I avoid health hazards such as tobacco/excess alcohol/ drugs.... I think my lifestyle is quite healthy because..... I feel my lifestyle could be healthier if I......

D.

The number of health centres and hospitals in our country has been growing. There are not only health centres in all towns, but there is also a doctor at every big factory and in every bigger village.

Everybody in our country has the right to choose a doctor. At present two types of health facilities operate in this country: state and private ones.
Medical care is provided for our citizens from birth to death. Each of us is looked after even before birth under the scheme called prenatal care which includes medical check-ups before the child is born and then maternity ward services. Soon after birth each child is vaccinated.

Each school child is under medical supervision which means that he or she has to undergo a series of preventive medical and dental check-ups where his body is examines, his teeth checked and eyesight tested. 

A healthy lifestyle, prevention and personal responsibility for our health can help us avoid possible dangers like infectious diseases, heart attacks and brain damage. We need to go to the doctor for check-ups, get eye exams done, weigh ourselves regularly, and see the dentist twice a year. Many people care about their health and never forget to clean their teeth, do breathing exercises, go for a run, take vitamin pills, have a massage, and have a sauna or a steam bath. Others need to learn that if they don’t take care of themselves now, they may not be around later.

E.

Although medical care in our country is basically free of charge, the government encourages all citizens to be responsible for their health and has introduced a system in which the patient partly shares the cost of some treatment and medicine.

According to the law, all citizens are covered by health insurance. Though there are several health insurance companies, state and private, most people belong to the General Health Insurance Company. The Health Insurance System is currently undergoing some changes. Employers pay health insurance for their employees but private persons must pay for their insurance themselves while the state pays the insurance for children and retired people.