VOCABULARY FOR HEALTH

Symptom – a physical or mental change to the body that is caused by illness.

Sentence: nurses are taught how to identify and treat the symptoms of poisoning.

Road to recovery – the process of becoming healthy again.

Sentence: they didn’t think she’d survive the bout of pneumonia with her weak chest but she’s finally on the road to recovery.

Fit as a fiddle – to be in very good health.

Sentence: i was fed up with feeling tired, full of aches and pains and always getting colds so i changed my diet and took up running. Now I’m as fit as a fiddle.

To catch a cold – to get a cold.

Sentence: if it rains, he worries that he will catch cold. 

To feel washed out – to not have much energy after an illness.

Sentence: I’m much better than I was but I’m still feeling washed out.

To be under the weather – to feel unwell.

Sentence: I was so looking forward to the new club’s opening night but didn’t really enjoy it as I was feeling under the weather.

A chesty cough – a cough caused by mucus in the lungs.

Sentence: whenever i get a cold it nearly always develops into a chesty cough.

A runny nose – a nose that has mucus coming out of it.

Sentence: my daughter has cough and a runny nose. 

A blocked nose – when the nose has excess fluid due to a cold.

Sentence: a blocked nose is one of the worse symptoms of a cold as it can make it difficult to breathe.

To be on the mend – to be recovering after ill health.

Sentence: I suffered from depression after my brother was killed in an accident last year but I’m on the mend now and beginning to enjoy life again.

Disease – an illness caused by infection or poor health.

Sentence: chickenpox is a very common childhood disease.

Stay in shape – to take action to maintain good health and fitness.

Sentence: eating healthily and taking regular exercise helps me to stay in shape.

Vigorous exercise – intense exercise that causes sweating, heavy breathing and increased heart rate.

Sentence: vigorous exercise helps to keep the heart healthy.