B2 – Essential Vocabulary for Health & Medication

Medical Equipment & Health Items

A wheelchair used for mobility assistanceWheelchair
A pair of crutches for walking supportCrutches
A walker frame for elderly or injured patientsWalker
A walking cane for balance supportCane
A humidifier device for adding moisture to airHumidifier
An air purifier for filtering indoor airAir Purifier
A heating pad for pain reliefHeating pad
A hot water bottle for warmth therapyHot water bottle
An arm sling for supporting an injured armSling
A plaster cast for immobilizing a broken boneCast
Vitamin supplement bottlesVitamins
Over-the-counter medication available without prescriptionOTC (Over-the-counter)

Types of Medication

A medical tablet or pillTablet
A medicine capsuleCapsule
A topical medicinal creamCream
A medicinal ointment tubeOintment
Pain reliever medicationPain reliever
Antacid medicine for stomach issuesAntacid
Cold and flu tabletsCold Tablets
A bottle of cough syrupCough syrup
Throat lozenges for sore throatThroat lozenges
Eye drop bottle for eye treatmentEye drops
Nasal spray for congestionNasal spray
An inhaler for respiratory conditionsInhaler

Clinical Collocations & Descriptions

Patient experiencing excruciating pain in abdomen
Pain Excruciating pain: Extremely intense or unbearable pain. “The patient was rushed to the emergency room because he was experiencing excruciating pain in his lower abdomen.”
Person with throbbing pain in thumb
Pain Throbbing pain: Pain that feels like a steady, rhythmic pulse. “After hitting his thumb with the hammer, he felt a constant throbbing pain that seemed to pulse with every heartbeat.”
Woman with persistent back discomfort
Pain Persistent discomfort: A lasting feeling of being unwell or in mild pain. “Even though the sharp pain had subsided, she still felt a persistent discomfort in her back that made it difficult to sit for long periods.”
Doctor prescribing medication to alleviate joint pain
Management Alleviate pain: To make pain more bearable or less severe. “The doctor prescribed a stronger medication to help alleviate the pain caused by the chronic inflammation in her joints.”
Applying ointment to soothe irritation symptoms
Management Soothe symptoms: To gently calm or relieve a physical problem. “Gently apply the medicated ointment to the affected area to soothe symptoms of irritation and reduce localized pain.”
Swelling going away with rest
Management Go away: To disappear completely. “The swelling will go away with rest and elevation of the injured limb.”
Patient following a recovery regime with physical therapy
Management Follow a regime: To strictly adhere to a prescribed medical plan. “To ensure a full recovery after the procedure, it is vital that the patient strictly follows a regime of daily physical therapy and rest.”

Essential Clinical Verbs

AggravateTo make a condition worse
Scratching a rash aggravating the condition Scratching the rash will only aggravate the condition.
Make worseTo increase severity (Smoking)
Smoking making a lung condition worse Smoking can make a lung condition worse and slow down healing.
Subside / LessenTo go away or decrease
Pain subsiding after a few hours After a few hours, the pain began to subside.
ContractTo catch an illness (formal)
Person who contracted the flu He contracted the flu during the winter season.
UndergoTo experience surgery/exam
Patient preparing to undergo surgery She will undergo surgery next week.

Pharmacy & Prescriptions

Example of a prescription label with medication details
CategoryVocabulary Terms
LabelsPrescription number, Dosage, Expiration date, Refills
ActionsFill a prescription, Pick up medication, Prescribe

Natural Usage & Warnings

TAKE Pills, tablets, capsules, syrup.
APPLY Ointments, creams.
USE Drops, sprays, inhalers.
UNDERGO Surgery, physical exams, procedures.

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