Health and Illness
bite noun
a red, painful mark on your skin made by an insect or animal
a bite (bxa235)
I got a mosquito bite after walking in the park.
cardiac arrest noun
a sudden, life-threatening event when the heart stops beating
a cardiac arrest (bxa236)
Cardiac arrest can happen without warning or previous symptoms.
clinic noun
a small medical centre where you go to see a doctor or dentist
a clinic (bxa237)
Is the dental clinic open on Saturdays as well?
cut noun
an opening in your skin caused by something sharp
a cut (bxa238)
That cut looks infected, you should see a doctor.
drunk adjective
affected by alcohol, not able to think or behave normally
drunk (bxa239)
She doesn’t drive if she feels even slightly drunk.
emergency noun
a serious and dangerous situation that needs immediate action
an emergency (bxa240)
Call this number if you have a medical emergency.
examine verb
to look at someone’s body carefully to check their health
to examine (bxa241)
The doctor will examine your throat before prescribing anything.
injection noun
the act of putting medicine into your body using a needle
an injection (bxa242)
The nurse gave me an injection in my arm.
injure verb
to hurt a part of your body in an accident
to injure (bxa243)
Did he injure his leg during the football match?
mental adjective
relating to the health of your mind and emotions
mental (bxa244)
She’s taking time off due to mental health problems.
needle noun
a very thin, sharp piece of metal used to give injections
a needle (bxa245)
I looked away when the nurse inserted the needle.
operation noun
a medical procedure where a doctor cuts open the body to fix a problem
an operation (bxa246)
His operation lasted five hours but was successful.
painful adjective
causing pain in your body
painful (bxa247)
Are your knees still painful when you climb stairs?
pale adjective
having a lighter skin colour than usual, often because of illness
pale (bxa248)
The baby went pale and started crying loudly.
poison noun
a substance that can make you very ill or kill you if eaten or drunk
a poison (bxa249)
That mushroom contains a strong poison – don’t eat it!
poison verb
to make someone ill or kill them by giving them a harmful substance
to poison (bxa250)
Someone tried to poison the food with chemicals.
poisonous adjective
containing poison, able to make you ill or kill you
poisonous (bxa251)
Some fish are poisonous if not cooked properly.
quit verb
to stop doing something, especially a bad habit
to quit (bxa252)
I want to quit smoking by the end of summer.
strength noun
the physical power and energy in your body
a strength (bxa253)
Yoga builds inner strength and reduces stress levels.
suffer verb
to experience pain, illness, or difficulty
to suffer (bxa254)
Many people suffer from allergies in springtime.
symptom noun
a change in your body that shows you may be ill
a symptom (bxa255)
A sore throat is one common symptom of flu.
treatment noun
medical care given to someone who is ill or injured
a treatment (bxa256)
Is this treatment covered by your health insurance?
well-being noun
the state of being healthy, happy, and comfortable
a well-being (bxa257)
Physical and emotional well-being are closely linked.