MEDICAL VOCABULARY

Sprain: the stretching or tearing of ligaments that connect the bone and joint.

Sentence: I sprained my knee playing soccer.

Tender: painful when touched or used

Sentence: The incision was tender after the surgery.

Spasm: the uncontrollable tightening of a muscle

Sentence: Ever since I injured my leg i’ve been having muscle spasms in my upper thigh.

Seizure: sudden violent movements or unconsciousness caused by electrical signal malfunction in the brain

Sentence: People who suffer from epilepsy are prone to seizures.

Scrubs: plain uniform (usually green, white, or blue) worn by medical professionals

Sentence: I have some extra scrubs in my locker.

Numb: unable to feel it, usually for a short time.

Sentence: The needle will make your lower body feel numb.

Malignant: expected to grow and get much worse (especially related to cancerous cells).

Sentence: I’m afraid at least one of the tumours is malignant.

Light-headed: feeling of dizziness and being off-balance, caused by lack of oxygen in the brain

Sentence: If you are feeling light-headed again, lie down and call me.

Fatal: causing death

Sentence: The doctor made a fatal error when he wrote the wrong prescription.

Dislocated: when a bone is temporarily separated from its joint

Sentence: You will have to wear a sling because of your dislocated shoulder.

Dementia: loss of mental capacity

Sentence: It is hard to watch a loved one suffering with dementia.