General Vocabulary English
Medical Environment | Taking the medical history | Physical Examination | Tests & Medication
- General
Phrases - Head,
Eyes, ENT - Heart,
Lungs - Abdomen,
Urology - Skin,
Neurology - Musculo-
skeletal - Gynaecology
- Downloads
I am going to give you a physical examination. | |
Would you mind taking off your clothes [except your pants/underwear and bra]? | |
You can put on this hospital gown. When you are done/finished, make yourself comfortable on the examination table. I'll be back in a few minutes. | |
I am going to … listen to your heart / check your blood pressure / take your temperature | |
Please lie (down) on your back. | |
Please lie (down) on your stomach/belly. | |
Please lie (down) on the stretcher / examination table / table. | |
Please put your arms beside you. | |
Fold your hands over your chest and pull up your knees (to your chest). | |
Be sure to let me know when it hurts. | |
Does it hurt you (here)? | |
Show me where it hurts, please. | |
Does that hurt? (when palpating) | |
Please turn your head to the side. | |
Please turn your head to the other side. | |
Please follow my finger without moving or turning your head. | |
Now we are finished. | |
Is there anything else that is bothering you? Is there anything that you have noticed? | |
You can get dressed now. | |
I will be back in just a few minutes. | |
Please stand up and put your clothes back on. | |
Thank you, I am finished now. |
Frequent Complaints | |
to feel congested | |
to sneeze | |
to have a cold / a runny nose / a stuffy nose / a cough / a sore throat / a tonsil infection / swollen tonsils / sinus congestion | |
to have watery eyes | |
to be hoarse / hoarsenes / to lose one’s voice | |
to have white specks / patches in the mouth | |
to have a coated tongue | |
to have a toothache / a cavity / a lose crown / a filling / bleeding gums | |
to be near-sighted / to be far-sighted / notice changes in your vision | |
cataracts / glaucoma | |
to be hard of hearing / to wear a hearing aid | |
to have ringing in your ears / hearing loss / tinnitus | |
Sample Medical History Questions | |
Do you have a lot of mucous in your nose? | |
Examination | |
Stick out your tongue and say, “aaahhh.” | |
Press your tongue to the roof of your mouth. | |
Tilt your head up / down, please. | |
Can you swallow for me? | |
Please turn your head to the side. | |
Touch your chin to your chest. | |
I am going to check your eyes now. Please look straight at me/over my shoulder. | |
Look at my finger and follow it with your eyes. | |
Keep your eyes focused on that spot. | |
Your throat looks a bit irritated. |
Heart | |
Frequent Complaints | |
coronary heart disease | |
heart attack | |
heart insufficiency | |
heart murmur | |
high blood pressure | |
heart arrhythmias | |
valve stenosis and valve insufficiency | |
septum defects | |
Sample Medical History Questions | |
Chest pain, tightening feeling = angina pectoris | |
Have you ever had any chest pain? Where? | |
Dependent on whether working, breathing, sitting/lying in a certain position, eating certain foods? | |
No improvement with nitrolingual or other medications? | |
Where does it hurt? Behind the sternum/breastbone, in the stomach? | |
Where does the pain radiate? To the arms, lower jaw, back? | |
Do you have pain while sitting or while doing activities? | |
Do you have sudden sweats? Do you break into sudden sweats? | |
Are you nauseated? Do you feel bad? | |
Do you have to vomit/throw up? | |
Do you have heartburn or acid reflux? | |
heart beat, dizziness (vertigo), fainting spells | |
Do you notice any irregularity of heart beat or any palpitations? | |
When? During physical activity or when sitting? | |
Do you have a shortness of breath? | |
Have you ever lost consciousness? | |
Are you dizzy or do you see black spots? | |
Do you have to go to the bathroom at night? How often? | |
Do you have fluid in your legs? Do you have swollen legs? Do you have edema? | |
Are any of your limbs swollen? Hands, feet, legs? | |
How long have they been swollen like this? | |
Are you a diabetic? Do you have high blood sugar? | |
Do you have high blood pressure? Do you know if you have high blood pressure? | |
Do you smoke? | |
Did you have congenital heart problems as a child? | |
Did you often have tonsil infections as a child? | |
Did you have rheumatic fever as a child? | |
Do you have a pacemaker? | |
Examination | |
Let me take/feel your pulse. | |
I am going to take your blood pressure now. | |
I am going to listen to your heart now. | |
Lungs | |
Frequent Complaints | |
cold | |
runny nose | |
cough | |
hoarseness (to lose one's voice) | |
sore throat | |
tonsil infection / swollen tonsils | |
lung inflammation / pneumonia | |
pleuritis | |
chronic bronchitis | |
asthma | |
emphysema | |
Sample Medical History Questions | |
Do you have shortness of breath? While sitting? While walking? While climbing up/walking up the stairs? | |
Do you have a cough? | |
Since when? How long have you been coughing? When did it start? Longer than 3 weeks ago? Suddenly? | |
Did you swallow something? | |
Do you have a dry cough? Irritation when coughing? | |
Do you have expectorations? Do you cough up anything? | |
What is the color of your expectorations? Whitish-gray, yellowish-green, blood? | |
Do you cough up blood? | |
Do you wheeze? | |
Do you have any pain or discomfort while breathing? While taking a deep breath? While inhaling and exhaling/breathing in and out? | |
Do you work in a coal mine or with asbestos? | |
Do you take high blood pressure medication/tablets/pills/medicine? | |
Do you regularly take/use aspirin? | |
Are you hoarse? | |
Do you have problems/troubles with hoarseness? | |
Examination | |
(Please) Take a deep breath and hold it. | |
(Please) Now you can breathe normally again. | |
Cough. Cough again. |
Sample Medical History Questions | |
Do you have body aches/pains, stomachache, stomach cramps, appetite, no appetite or diarrhea? | |
Do you feel full all the time? | |
Do you have a bloated feeling? Are you bloated? | |
Do you have constipation? Are you constipated? | |
Do you have a fever? Have you had a fever? | |
Do you feel sick to your stomach? Are you nauseated? Do you have nausea? | |
Have you vomited? Have you thrown up? | |
Have you lost weight recently? Have you gained weight recently? | |
Do you have blood in your stool/feces? | |
Do you have black stool/feces? | |
Have you had different colored stool/feces than normal/usual? | |
Do you have (any) pain? | |
Where does it hurt? | |
Where does the pain radiate/spread to? | |
Do you have pain when resting? While performing physical activity? | |
Do you have pain after eating? | |
Do you have pain during the day or night? | |
How often do you have this pain? | |
How long does the pain last? | |
Quality of the pain? Describe the pain? | |
visceral pain: dull, stabbing, cramping + nausea, | |
Do you have the pain after eating certain foods? | |
Does the pain go away after eating certain foods? | |
In the last hour, have you eaten mushrooms, eggs, mayonnaise, chicken or something else that might have been special? | |
Are you allergic to certain foods? | |
Which foods disagree with you? | |
Do you get heartburn? | |
Do you have indigestion often? | |
Do you go to the bathroom/have bowel movements more frequently / more often than normal? | |
How are your stools? Are they regular? Are you constipated? Do you have diarrhea? | |
Are your bowel movements more or less than normal? | |
Has anything changed about your stool / bowel movements recently? | |
Have you noticed their color? | |
Did the color of your stool/bowel movements change recently (black, with blood, bloody, white)? | |
Do you have abdominal/stomach pain? | |
Do you have pain in your stomach? | |
What is the consistency of your stool/bowel movements? Is it hard, soft, with mucous, runny, liquid or watery? | |
How much do you drink (per day)? | |
Do you have pain or a burning sensation when you urinate / when you go to the bathroom? | |
What color is your urine? | |
Is your urine bloody or dark? Is it (not) clear? | |
Do you have to go to the bathroom often at night? | |
Do you sometimes accidentally urinate on yourself? Are you incontinent? | |
Examination | |
Please lie (down) on your back. | |
Please lie (down) on your stomach/belly. | |
Please lie (down) on the stretcher/examination table/table. | |
Please put your arms next to you. | |
Fold your hands over your chest and pull up your knees (to your chest). | |
Be sure to let me know when it hurts. | |
Does it hurt you (here)? | |
Show me where it hurts, please. | |
Does that hurt? (when palpating) |
Skin | |
Frequent Complaints | |
itchy, pruritus | |
boil, furuncle | |
blister | |
rash | |
itch | |
to scratch | |
lump, bump | |
bruise | |
pimple | |
spot | |
wart | |
mole | |
sunburn | |
sting (for example bee) | |
scrape (a scraped knee) | |
bug bite | |
hives | |
a tender lymph node/swollen glands | |
pus | |
to break out in a rash | |
to have a burning sensation | |
Sample Medical History Questions | |
Have you ever noticed any swollen glands or lymph nodes? | |
Have you had any lumps in that part of your neck? | |
Have you noticed any moles? | |
Does it itch? | |
Nervous System | |
Frequent Complaints | |
dementia | |
stroke | |
cerebral palsy | |
epilepsy | |
coma | |
prickling sensation, tickling or tingling, pins and needles | |
numbness | |
tremor | |
writhing movements | |
seizure | |
The nerve that supplies the muscles of the leg. | |
to lose feeling in a leg | |
Sample Medical History Questions | |
How would you rate your memory, attention span? | |
Have you had any changes in your vision (sight), double vision (diplopia)? Stiffness in your neck? | |
How long have you had these headaches? | |
Does the headache wake you up at night? | |
Did you fall down? Did you pass out/faint? | |
Did you get dizzy or trip? | |
Does your foot feel like it has gone to sleep? | |
Examination | |
Are you sore at all if I push on your cheeks or your forehead like that? | |
Look straight ahead. | |
Follow my finger with your eyes. | |
Can you feel this? | |
I want you to close your eyes and tell me when you feel me touching you. | |
Does it feel sharp/blunt over here? | |
Does this feel about the same? Does it feel the same on both sides? | |
Bite down hard, clench your teeth. | |
Don't let me push/pull you. | |
Close your eyes really tight. | |
Show me all your teeth. | |
Smile and frown. | |
Raise your eyebrows up, wrinkle your forehead. | |
Stick your tongue against your cheek, against my finger and push. | |
Move your shoulders up and down, shrug. | |
Look at the tip of your nose. | |
I want you to walk in a straight line, heel to toe, across the room. | |
Try to relax, let your muscles relax and try not to tighten up. | |
I'm going to test your reflexes now. | |
Stand up, put your heels together, hold out both arms, palms up, and now close your eyes for a few minutes. |
Frequent Complaints | |
to pull a muscle | |
to sprain a leg | |
to tear a ligament | |
My leg feels stiff. | |
to get a cast, splint | |
a crutch | |
to have gout | |
a broken/fractured leg | |
a torn meniscus | |
Examination | |
Please straighten out/stretch/raise/lower your arm | |
Could you bend down? | |
Bend your knees. | |
I am going to bend your toes back, now straighten your leg. | |
I am going to ask you to lift up this leg for me. And now hold it up. | |
Don't let me push it down. | |
Pull back, toward you. | |
Hold your arms up to your side and don't let me push them down. | |
Turn your hands over, make a fist. | |
Are you sore at all if I push on your back like that? | |
Keep your knees and feet steady and firm. | |
Would you please roll over on to your tummy? | |
Point your toes up toward your head. | |
Hold your fingers apart and don't let me push them together. | |
Grasp my finger and don't let me pull it through. | |
Hold your thumb and your pinky together and don't let me pull through. |
Sample Medical History Questions | |
menstruation/period – menstrual cycle/menstrual period | |
Do you have regular periods? | |
How long does your period last? | |
When did you have your last period? When was your last menstrual period? | |
Do you have any problems during menstruation? | |
Do you take medication for menstrual problems? Do you take medicine for relieving problems associated with your period? | |
Do you have spotting between periods? | |
How old were you when your period started? | |
When did you stop having your period? | |
Do you have heavy bleeding? | |
Does your period last longer than five days? | |
sexual intercourse – intercourse – sex – to have sex – to have intercourse – to make love – sexual contact – sexual partners - partners | |
How often do you have sexual intercourse per week? | |
Do you have intercourse frequently with different/varying partners? | |
Do you experience pain while/when having sex? | |
Have you ever been pregnant? | |
Do you have children? How many children do you have? | |
Have you ever had an abortion? | |
Have you ever had a miscarriage? | |
Is it possible that you are pregnant (at the moment)? | |
Have you ever had unprotected sex? | |
Were there any complications during your last pregnancy? | |
When did you last have your period? When was the last time you had your period? | |
When was the last day of your menstrual cycle? | |
How long did your period last? How strong was the bleeding? | |
Do you have a gynaecologist that you see/visit regularly? | |
When was your last pap smear? | |
Do you go regularly to your gynaecologist for check-ups and pap smears? | |
Are there any problems with the pregnancy? | |
Do you have a steady partner? Are you in a steady relationship? | |
Are there any hereditary diseases in your family? | |
Do you have diabetes (sugar), high blood pressure, kidney problems, circulatory/heart problems, thyroid trouble (over function or under function of the thyroid)? | |
Is there anyone in your family who has these diseases? | |
contraception/birth control | |
Are you taking “the pill?” Which one? What is the name of the pill? | |
Do you use condoms? | |
Do you use inter-uterine devices (IUDs), for example, the spiral? | |
Do you take the “the morning after pill”? Have you taken “the morning after pill?” | |
Do you use the “natural” method according to the calendar or the temperature method? | |
Would you like information on birth control methods? | |
Do you have (any) vaginal discharge? | |
What color is the discharge? | |
Do you have fever? | |
Do you have any itching? | |
Do you feel any burning when you urinate? | |
Is it painful to have sexual intercourse? | |
Do you have pain during your menstrual cycle? | |
Is it painful all the time (always)? | |
Do you have anemia? Do you suffer from anemia? | |
Have you ever had a sexually transmitted disease? What about one of your sexual partners? | |
Have you ever had an AIDS test taken? | |
Do you know if you are HIV positive? | |
Have you noticed a knot/knots in your breast? | |
Do you regularly perform self-breast exam(ination)s? | |
Since the start of menopause, have you had a menstrual cycle or vaginal discharge? |
Note: The vocabulary tables are provided as Excel files. Each of them contains several spreadsheets according to the structure used on the website.
Download tables "Physical Examination": | |
English - French | |
English - German | |
English - Spanish | |
English - Catalan | |
English - Italian | |
English - Norwegian | |
English - Swedish | |
English - Polish | |
English - Portuguese | |
English - Slovenian | |
English - Greek |