Sino-Swedish Programme 18/03 Being Ill (Sick)

Sorry, guys,

Been a long time getting round to writing this: its been an exceptionally [out of the ordinary] busy time lately.

To follow up on last weeks vocabulary concerning the face, the last class was all about the rest of our bodies and naming the various parts in English - most of you know where your shoulders are so lets go from there:

armpits...the pits [holes] underneath our arms from which sweat comes out of our bodies
upper arm...the top part of our arm from shoulder to...?
elbow...the joint which allows our arms to bend
forearm...part of our arms from our elbow to our..?
wrist...where most of us wear our wristwatch
fingers...there are eight of them.
thumbs...a thumb on each hand lets up pick things up.
palm...the part of our hand we use to smack things with
chest...upper body from neck down on both men and women
boob...informal word for women's breasts
pecs...informal name for men 's breasts
nipple... the part of the breast used in both animals and humans to give milk
midriff...from the end of our rib bones to our waist
waist...the middle of our bodies
tummy/belly...our stomach
belly button...our navel: often pierced these days
hips...where our legs join our bodies; where we wear our jeans
bum/bottom/arse/ass(American)...the part we sit down upon
genitalia...refers to the private or reproductive parts of all creatures bodies, male & female
penis...male reproductive organ
vagina...female reproductive organ
thighs...the tops of our legs to our...?
knees...the part of our legs which bend
shin...front of our lower leg
calf...the muscles at the back of our lower legs
ankle...where our feet join our legs, easily broken in sport
toes...the "fingers" on our feet. There are ten.

We also spoke about going to the doctor.
surgery...A doctors office and rooms: in the West these are not at the hospital but, usually, in shopping areas
receptionist...person who makes the appointment for us
nurse...helps the doctor. A nurse must ALWAYS be in the room if you are asked to remove your clothes. If not, refuse to do so until one comes
prescription...the paper on which the doctor writes the names of the medicine you need
Chemist...a shop, a little like Watsons, where you exchange your prescription for medicine
Chemist...also the title of the person who dispenses [gives out] your medicine
a cold...when your nose is red and watery and you sneeze a lot
flu...often starts from a cold: your bones are sore, you cough and feel exhausted (tired)
pneumonia...sometimes develops from flu: you find it difficult to breathe
period pains/cramps...pain some women get each month when they...?
menstruate...the formal word for a period
S.T.D...means a Sexually Transmitted Disease
U.T.I...Urinary Tract Infection. It hurts to pee, you get stomach (tummy) cramps. This has nothing to do with STD's but means your kidneys aren't working properly.
Sprain...when you hurt one of your muscles and cannot move it (most common with ankles)
Acute pain...very sharp pain that feels you are being stabbed with a knife
dull pain...constant pain which doesn't stop
sore...how our throats often feel when we have a cold
headache...pain in our heads. If you get a headache that a) doesn't go away b) keeps coming back or c) makes you vomit go to a doctor as soon as possible.
backache...pain in our back - usually the lower back
paracetamol...the tablets we take to cure a headache or pain
aspirin...tablets we take for a cold
vitamin c...needed for colds. Also found in oranges and lemons so drink plenty of this juice too


You must ask about your Medical Insurance when you arrive: this usually means that visits to the doctor are free and medicines are either free or very cheap.

Don't go to class if you have a heavy cold or the flu. You will not be considered a good student if you do: people will think you are very inconsiderate and bad-mannered as you might make them sick(ill) as well.

ALWAYS use a tissue when you sneeze, but if you can't get one in time NEVER sneeze into your hand. Sneeze instead into the inside of your elbow so other people don't catch your germs if you shake their hand or touch something.

It is not considered rude to blow your nose in public or at the table: sniffing (the noise you make when you try to stop your nose from running(dripping) is considered bad manners. Make sure however, that if you blow your nose you turn away from other people. Same with sneezing.

When you have a cold or flu throw your used tissues down the toilet and flush them away so the germs don't spread. If you are not always going to be near a toilet take a small plastic bag with you and put all your used tissues in it. When it is full empty it down the loo(toilet) or tie the top together very tightly and put it in a rubbish bin.

ALWAYS cover your mouth if you have to cough. Usually we do this with our fist (bent knuckles) and not an open hand as we do for a yawn.

If you are told by the doctor or University nurse to take "bedrest" that means go straight to bed, keep warm and sleep. NOT "Go to your room and play video games"!! Try to keep away from other people even if you don't go to bed. Spreading germs and sickness is not appreciated
by anyone.