Describing Health and Sickness: English Vocabulary List

relating to a condition where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own cells, tissues, or organs

"The disease is autoimmune."

"The disease is autoimmune and causes the body immune system to attack its own healthy cells."

related to diseases that can be transmitted from one person to another through direct or indirect means

"Measles is communicable."

"Measles is communicable and can spread easily from one person to another through coughing and sneezing."

(of an illness) difficult to cure and long-lasting

"He has chronic pain."

"The patient suffers from chronic back pain that has not improved despite trying many different treatments and medications over several years."

(of disease or illness) likely to be transmitted from one person to another

"The flu is catching."

"The flu is catching so stay away from people who are sick to avoid getting it yourself."

having autism spectrum disorder, a developmental condition that affects social interaction, communication, and behavior

"The child is autistic."

"Her son is autistic and has difficulty with social interactions and sensory processing."

(of a disease) not showing any symptoms associated with it

"She is asymptomatic."

"Many people with the virus are asymptomatic which means they show no symptoms but they can still spread the disease to others."

having a disease since birth that is not necessarily hereditary

"The condition is congenital."

"The condition is congenital and was present at birth even though it was not discovered until later."

(of a disease) transmittable from one person to another through close contact

"The flu is contagious."

"The common cold is highly contagious, spreading easily through close contact."

characterized by the gradual deterioration or decline of a particular organ, system, or function in the body

"The disease is degenerative."

"The disease is degenerative and will slowly get worse over time without any cure."

having the symptoms of a fever, such as high temperature, sweating, shivering, etc.

"The child is febrile."

"The child is febrile and has a high fever so the parents gave him medicine to reduce the temperature."

(of an illness) developing suddenly and progresses rapidly, often with severe and intense symptoms

"The infection is fulminant."

"The infection is fulminant and progresses very rapidly causing severe symptoms within hours."

(of a disease or a sick person) impossible to cure or unresponsive to treatment

"His cancer is incurable."

"His cancer is incurable but treatment can slow its progression and manage the pain."

causing or involving swelling and irritation of body tissues

"The injury is inflammatory."

"An allergic reaction can cause an inflammatory response with redness and swelling."

regarding one's mind, mental capacities, or aspects of mental well-being

"She is mentally prepared for the exam."

"She is mentally prepared for the exam because she has studied hard and reviewed all of the material many times."

(of pathology) related to a diseased state or an abnormal condition, especially one that is severe or harmful

"He has a morbid sense of humor."

"He has a morbid sense of humor and makes jokes about death and disease."

relating to or caused by an illness or disease

"It is pathological."

"The doctor suspected a pathological condition was causing the patient's unusual symptoms."

(of a physical illness) caused or aggravated by mental factors, such as stress and anxiety

"Her pain is psychosomatic."

"Her pain is psychosomatic which means it is caused by stress rather than a physical injury or illness."

related to conditions causing inflammation and pain in joints, muscles, or connective tissues

"She has rheumatic pain."

"She has rheumatic pain in her joints that gets worse when the weather is cold and damp."

relating to or suffering from tuberculosis, a severe and contagious infection that mainly affects one's lungs

"He has a tubercular cough."

"He has a tubercular cough and has been coughing up blood for several weeks now."

related to a condition or sound characterized by audible wheezing or whistling during breathing, typically caused by narrowed airways

"My son is asthmatic."

"My son is asthmatic and carries an inhaler with him everywhere he goes just in case."

affected by a disease

"The tree is diseased."

"The tree is diseased and will need to be cut down before it falls on the house."

extremely thin and weak, often because of illness or a severe lack of food

"The patient is emaciated."

"The emaciated prisoners were barely alive when the rescue team found them and they needed immediate medical attention to survive."

relating to an incurable chronic illness or a medical condition that will eventually lead to patient's death

"His condition is life-limiting."

"His condition is life limiting and he is not expected to live past the age of thirty."

related to or infected by malaria, a chronic disease that is caused by the bite of specific types of mosquito

"The region is malarial."

"The region is malarial so tourists must take preventive medication before visiting."

(of a disease or a crime) so chronic or serious that requires official notification and must be reported to the appropriate authorities

"The disease is notifiable."

"The disease is notifiable and doctors must report any cases to the health authorities."

looking pale or sickly

"He looks peaky today."

"He looks peaky today and seems pale and tired as if he is coming down with the flu."

affected by or belonging to celiac disease, a serious autoimmune disease and a digestive disorder that is triggered by eating foods that contain gluten

"She has celiac disease."

"She has celiac disease and cannot eat any food that contains gluten or wheat."

not adequately fed or nourished therefore in bad health

"The child is undernourished."

"The child is undernourished and needs food and vitamins to grow properly."

feeling sick or nauseous due to the motion of the ship or boat one is traveling with

"I feel seasick."

"I feel seasick and need to sit down before I fall over from the motion of the boat."

(of a headache) severe or massive

"I have a splitting headache."

"He suffered from a splitting headache that made it impossible to concentrate."

(of a disease or characteristic) able to be passed on to a child through the genes of its parents

"The disease is hereditary."

"The disease is hereditary and can be passed from parents to their children through their genes."

extremely emaciated, particularly due to illness, lack of food, or exposure to cold

"Her face is pinched."

"The pinched face of the worried mother showed her anxiety as she waited for news about her son who was in surgery."