Language/Spanish/Vocabulary/Health

LA SALUT / THE HEALTH

Being "enfermo" = sick or "herido" = injured in the place where you live is unpleasant, but when you are traveling this experience worse. Seeking medical help in a foreign country can be confusing and intimidating. I'm not a doctor, but I want to help the community.

The most common ways to ask about someone's health are:

• ¿Cómo estas? (informal) ¿Cómo esta usted? (formal) = How are you
• ¿Estás bien? (informal) ¿Esta usted bien? (formal) = Are you okay?
• ¿Cómo te sientes? (informal) ¿Cómo se siente? (formal) = How are you feeling?
• ¿Como te encuentras? (informal) ¿Como se encuentra? (formal) = How do you feel?

*Caution: The verb “encontrar / encontrarse” is irregular. It can refer to the verb to find or to meet or maybe to feel. I'll tell you some examples later.

The person will most likely respond:

• Estoy bien, gracias. = I'm fine, thank you.
• Estoy bastante bien, gracias. = I'm pretty well, thank you.
• Regular / Así así = So-so
• No tan bien. = Not so well.
• No me siento bien. = I don't feel well.

*Attention: The word "siento" can refer to the verb "sentarse" = To sit For example: Me siento en está silla. = I sit in this chair.

• No me encuentro bien. = I don't feel well.

* Caution: It's time to say you some examples about “encontrar / encontrarse".

1. About “encontrar”: No encuentro las llaves. = I can't find the keys.
2. About “encontrarse”: Todos los días me encuentro con tu hermana. = Every day I meet your sister.
3. About “encontrarse”: No me encuentro bien. = I don't feel well.

When you hear or see that the person is not well, then you can ask:

• ¿Qué te pasa? (informal) ¿Qué le pasa? (formal) = What's the matter?
• ¿Qué te sucede? (informal) ¿Qué le sucede? (formal) = What's wrong?

If the person does not want to go into details, it's better to divert the conversation. The person can thank the concern, simply.

• No te preocupes, estaré bien. ¡Gracias! = Don't worry, I'll be fine. Thank you!

If his/her condition is not serious, he/she can visit a family doctor = “médico de cabecera”

If his/her condition is severe, he/she can go to a hospital = "hospital"

Now, let's see how to express the “síntomas” = symptoms.

One of the most common questions is ¿dónde te duele? = where does it hurt?

Use the verb “doler” = to hurt

This verb is special because we don't say, “Yo duelo”, we say “Me duele”. “Me” is the átono personal pronoun. You also need to know the singular and plural form.

- Me duele + singular noun with its corresponding article. (one thing)

- Me duelen + plural noun with its corresponding article. (set of things)

For example:

• Me duele la espalda. = My back hurts.

• Me duelen los dientes. = My teeth hurt.

Right and left. Sometimes you'll need to specify by adding "Derecho/Derecha" or "Izquierdo/Izquierda"

For example:

• Me duelen los pies. = My feet hurt.
• Me duele el pie derecho. = My right foot hurts.
• Me duele el pie izquierdo. = My left foot hurts.

• Me duelen las piernas. = My legs hurt.
• Me duele la pierna derecha. = My right leg hurts.
• Me duele la pierna izquierda. = My left leg hurts.

The átono personal pronoun “Me” can conjugate with many verbs, evidently!

For example:

• Me sangra la nariz. = My nose's bleeding.
• Me pica la piel. = My skin itches.

As you will have observed, many times the Spanish or English languages are expressed differently.

More examples:

• Me ha salido un sarpullido/ una erupción. = I have a rash.
• Me han salido manchas. = I have spots.
• Me entran calambres. = I have cramps.
• Me entran sudores. = I have sweats.

About To Have. Use this formula. Verb “tener” = to have + Noun “dolor” = pain + Preposition “en” = in + (thing, singular or plural, whit article).

For example:

• Tengo un dolor en el pecho. = I have a pain in the chest.
• Tengo dolor en la oreja derecha. = I have pain in the right ear.
• Tengo dolor en la oreja izquierda. = I have pain in the left ear.
• Tengo dolor en las muñecas. = I have pain in the wrists.

*Caution: The word “muñeca" (singular) or “muñecas" (plural), it could also be a toy in Spain. Its translation into English is doll or dolls.

It's true that in English you can express the pain with the suffix -ache, but in Spanish we use the previous formula with a variant, "Tengo dolor" + Preposition "de" + (Thing).

For example:

• Tengo dolor de oído. = I have a earache.
• Tengo dolor de muela. = I have a toothache.
• Tengo dolor de cabeza. = I have a headache.
• Tengo dolor de espalda. = I have a backache.
• Tengo dolor de estómago. = I have a stomachache.

The verb "tener" = to have can help you give many explanations.

Look at the examples:

• Tengo dificultad para respirar. = I have shortness of breath.
• Tengo ardor de estómago. / Tengo acidez. = I have heartburn.
• Tengo un terrible dolor de garganta. = I have a horrible sore throat.
• Tengo una migraña severa. = I have a severe migraine.
• Tengo la presión arterial alta. = I have the high blood pressure.
• Tengo la presión arterial baja. = I have the low blood pressure.
• Tengo alergia al polen. = I have allergy to pollen.
• Tengo una magulladura. = I have a bruise.
• Tengo escalofríos. = I have chills.
• Tengo un hueso roto. = I have a broken bone.
• Tengo fiebre. = I have fever.
• Tengo un arañazo / rasponazo. = I have scratch.
• Tengo la gripe. = I have the flu.

In Spain, the doctor may ask you, "¿como vas al baño (al inodoro)?" = how do you go to the bathroom (the toilet)? You go obviously walking, but the question refers to your bowel movements. Answers can be simple.

• Voy normal = Normal
• Voy con diarrea. / Tengo diarrea. = I have diarrhea.
• Voy estreñido. / Tengo estreñimiento. = I have constipated.

*Attention: In Spain, “constipado” is not constipated. “Constipado” is synonymous of “resfriado” = caught a cold.

• Cogí un refriado. = I caught a cold. = Cogí un constipado.

Obviously you can use the verb "sentir" = to feel.

For example:

• Siento náuseas. = I'm feeling nauseous.

Sometimes you will have to add the átono personal pronoun "Me".

For example:

• Me siento mareado. = I feel dizzy.
• Me siento deprimido. = I feel depressed.

Although the verb to feel is characteristic of people or animals, it can also be applied in other circumstances.

For example:

• Mi pecho se siente apretado / oprimido. = My chest feels tight.

There are verbs that do not need pronouns or objects. For example "toser" = To cough or "estornudar" = To sneeze. Express the verb in first person and you can add an adverb.

• Toso mucho. = I cough a lot.
• Estornudo mucho. = I sneeze a lot.

Use the verb “estar” = To be. Everyone knows this verb.

For example:

• Estoy cansado. = I'm tired.