At the Doctor: Explaining Symptoms

Hello everyone! Welcome to today’s English lesson. We’re going to learn how to talk about our health and explain symptoms when we visit the doctor. This is a very important skill, especially when you are in an English-speaking country. We will cover common vocabulary, useful phrases, and practice with dialogues. Let’s begin!

Common Vocabulary for Symptoms

When you don’t feel well, you need to describe what is happening to your body. Here are some common words and phrases:

• Headache: Pain in your head. Example: “I have a terrible headache.”
• Fever: When your body temperature is too high. Example: “I feel hot and I think I have a fever.”
• Cough: When air comes out of your throat with a sudden, loud sound. Example: “I have a bad cough, especially at night.”
• Cold: A common illness that makes you sneeze and cough. Example: “I have a cold, my nose is runny.”
• Flu (Influenza): A more severe cold, often with a fever, body aches, and fatigue. Example: “I feel very weak, I think I have the flu.”
• Sore throat: When your throat is painful, especially when you swallow. Example: “My throat is very sore.”
• Stomach ache: Pain in your stomach. Example: “I have a stomach ache after lunch.”
• Backache: Pain in your back. Example: “My back aches all the time.”
• Rash: A red area on your skin, sometimes itchy. Example: “I have a red rash on my arm.”
• Nausea / Nauseous: Feeling like you want to vomit. Example: “I feel nauseous and dizzy.”
• Dizzy: Feeling like you are spinning or losing your balance. Example: “I get dizzy when I stand up quickly.”
• Weakness / Weak: Not having much strength or energy. Example: “I feel very weak and tired.”
• Fatigue / Fatigued: Extreme tiredness. Example: “I’m experiencing a lot of fatigue.”
• Injury / Injured: Harm or damage to a part of your body. Example: “I have an injury on my knee.”
• Pain: A general feeling of discomfort. Example: “I have a sharp pain in my chest.”

Key Phrases for Explaining Symptoms

When you talk to the doctor, you need specific phrases to describe what’s wrong. Here are some useful ones:

• “I have a…” (followed by a symptom noun)
  • “I have a severe headache.”
  • “I have a high fever.”
  • “I have a runny nose.”
• “My (body part) hurts / aches.”
  • “My head hurts.”
  • “My back aches.”
  • “My knee hurts when I walk.”
• “I feel…” (followed by an adjective describing your state)
  • “I feel sick.”
  • “I feel nauseous.”
  • “I feel dizzy and weak.”
  • “I feel very tired.”
• “I’m experiencing…” (more formal, for ongoing symptoms)
  • “I’m experiencing a lot of fatigue.”
  • “I’m experiencing some sharp pains.”
• Asking about duration:
  • “How long have you had these symptoms?”
  • “I’ve had it for three days.”
  • “It started last night.”
  • “I’ve been feeling like this since yesterday morning.”
• Describing location:
  • “The pain is in my lower back.”
  • “It hurts right here (pointing).”
• Describing intensity:
  • “The pain is mild / moderate / severe.”
  • “It’s a dull ache.”
  • “It’s a sharp pain.”
  • “It’s a constant pain.”

Grammar Focus: Using Simple Present and Present Perfect

When talking about symptoms, we often use two tenses:

1. Simple Present: For symptoms happening now or general statements.
   • “My throat is sore.”
   • “I feel tired.”
   • “My head hurts.”
2. Present Perfect: To talk about symptoms that started in the past and continue to the present. We often use “for” or “since.”
   • “I have had a fever for two days.” (The fever started two days ago and is still present.)
   • “I haven’t slept well since Monday.” (The difficulty sleeping started on Monday and continues.)
   • “I have been coughing a lot lately.” (This emphasizes the continuous nature of the action.)

Describing Your Symptoms Clearly

It’s important to provide details so the doctor can understand your condition. Think about these aspects:

• Location: Where exactly does it hurt? “My pain is in my chest.” “It’s on the left side of my head.”
• Type of Pain: Is it a sharp pain, a dull ache, a throbbing pain, a burning sensation? “I have a dull ache in my knee.” “It’s a sharp pain when I breathe.”
• Severity: How bad is the pain? Use words like “mild,” “moderate,” “severe,” “terrible,” “unbearable.” “The pain is quite severe.” “It’s a mild headache.”
• Duration: How long have you had the symptom? “It started yesterday.” “I’ve had this cough for a week.”
• Frequency: Is it constant, or does it come and go? “The pain is constant.” “It comes and goes.”
• What makes it better or worse? “Eating makes my stomach ache worse.” “Rest makes my headache a little better.”

Common Symptoms and Descriptions Table

Here is a quick summary of how to describe some common symptoms:

Symptom	How to Describe It (Examples)
Headache	“I have a pounding headache.” “My head hurts badly on the left side.”
Sore Throat	“My throat is very sore when I swallow.” “It feels scratchy and painful.”
Cough	“I have a dry cough that won’t stop.” “I’m coughing a lot, especially at night.”
Stomach Ache	“My stomach hurts and I feel nauseous.” “I have a sharp pain in my lower stomach.”
Fever	“I have a high fever and chills.” “I feel hot and cold at the same time.”

Dialogues

Let’s look at some examples of conversations at the doctor’s office. Pay attention to how the patient explains their symptoms.

Dialogue 1: A Common Cold

Doctor: Hello, Mr. Johnson. What brings you in today?

Mr. Johnson: Hello, Doctor. I haven’t been feeling well for a few days. I think I have a bad cold or maybe the flu.

Doctor: I see. What are your symptoms?

Mr. Johnson: Well, I have a sore throat, a cough, and a runny nose. I also feel very tired and have a mild headache.

Doctor: How long have you had these symptoms?

Mr. Johnson: They started about three days ago. My throat became sore first, and then the cough and runny nose followed. The fatigue is the worst part now.

Doctor: Okay. Let me take a look at your throat and listen to your chest.

Dialogue 2: Explaining Back Pain

Doctor: Good morning, Ms. Lee. Please have a seat. What seems to be the problem?

Ms. Lee: Good morning, Doctor. I’m having a lot of back pain. It’s really bothering me.

Doctor: Where exactly does it hurt?

Ms. Lee: It’s in my lower back, right here (points to her lower back). It’s a dull ache most of the time, but sometimes it’s a sharp pain when I try to bend over.

Doctor: How long have you had this pain?

Ms. Lee: I’ve had it for about a week now. It started subtly, but it’s gotten worse, especially in the evenings.

Doctor: Does anything make it better or worse?

Ms. Lee: Resting helps a little, but sitting for too long makes it worse. And when I lift anything, the sharp pain returns.

Doctor: Alright, I’ll need to examine your back. Please lie down on the examination table.

Practice Time!

Now it’s your turn to practice! You can:

1. Role-play: Find a partner and take turns being the doctor and the patient. Describe different symptoms using the vocabulary and phrases we learned.
2. Write it down: Imagine you have one of the symptoms we discussed. Write a short paragraph describing it to a doctor, including location, type of pain, severity, and duration.
3. Listen and repeat: Practice saying the vocabulary words and phrases out loud. Pay attention to your pronunciation.

Conclusion

Great job today! Learning to explain your symptoms clearly is a vital part of communicating in English. Remember to use specific vocabulary, describe the duration and intensity, and point to the exact location if possible. The more details you can provide, the better the doctor can help you. Keep practicing these phrases, and you’ll feel much more confident next time you need to talk about your health.

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