Medical Vocabulary

describing a disease that can pass from person to person, usually by direct contact; describing a person with such a disease. - Patients who are still contagious are kept in isolation.

identify an illness by examining the symptoms - Only a medical professional can properly diagnose the cause of your problem.

identification of an illness by examination of the symptoms - If you're not happy with the doctor's diagnosis you could always get a second opinion.

illness; sickness; a disorder of the body - Polio is one of several serious diseases that have been nearly eradicated.

affected with a disease-causing organism - They were able to cure the infected left lung before the infection could spread to the right lung.

process of infecting; state of being infected; infectious disease - Breast milk can help protect babies against various infections.

describing a disease that can be transmitted through the environment; describing a human or animal capable of spreading an infection. See contagious - Avoid the dogs as they may still be infectious.

test that detects viral particles in blood or other body fluids. (PCR = polymerase chain reaction) - The PCR test is one of the tools that doctors use to diagnose certain coronavirus diseases.

practice of encouraging people to minimize contact and closeness, whether by banning large or even small groups/meetings (football matches, nightclubs), or by maintaining a minimum distance between people.

a physical or mental feature that indicates illness/disease - Typical symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, coughing, and shortness of breath.

attempt to cure or alleviate an illness or injury through medical care - Doctors cannot currently treat COVID-19 directly and instead concentrate on relieving symptoms.

medical care given to a patient for an illness or injury - There is currently no specific antiviral treatment for COVID-19, and infected patients receive supportive care to help relieve symptoms.

pain that won't go away- I can't sleep because my knees ache in the night.

emergency vehicle that rushes people to a hospital - We called the ambulance when Josh stopped breathing.

the rate at which blood flows through the body (high/low) - High blood pressure puts you at risk of having a heart attack.

injured body tissue that is visible underneath the skin - The woman was badly bruised when she came into the emergency room.

disease caused by the uncontrollable growth of cells - There are many different options when it comes to treating cancer.

a hard bandage that is wrapped around a broken bone to keep it in place - My leg was in a cast for graduation.

broken or cracked bone - Your wrist is fractured and needs a cast.

a place where people go to buy medication and other medical supplies - You should be able to buy a bandage at the pharmacy.