Health & lifestyle (nouns & phrases)
1 healthcare Healthcare is the system of services that look after people’s health by diagnosing, treating and preventing illness.
Universal healthcare helps whole communities stay healthier for longer.
2 diet Your diet is the kind of food you usually eat – for example, a healthy diet, a balanced diet or a very poor diet.
A balanced diet with plenty of vegetables can reduce the risk of disease.
3 lifestyle Your lifestyle is the way you live day to day – your habits, routines and choices that affect your health.
Sitting all day and never exercising is part of an unhealthy lifestyle.
4 health issues Health issues are physical or mental problems that affect how well you feel or function.
Stress and lack of sleep can lead to serious health issues over time.
5 deficiency A deficiency is not having enough of a substance your body needs, such as a vitamin or mineral.
Iron deficiency can make you feel tired and weak.
6 health risk A health risk is something that increases the chance you will develop a medical problem.
Smoking is a major health risk for your heart and lungs.
7 in good shape To be in good shape means to be physically fit and strong.
He runs three times a week to stay in good shape.
8 out of shape To be out of shape means to be unfit and not used to physical activity.
After months without exercise, she felt completely out of shape.
Conditions & medical systems
9 health scare A health scare is a worrying situation when you think you might have a serious illness.
After her health scare, she finally decided to change her habits.
10 health-conscious A health-conscious person pays close attention to their wellbeing and tries to make healthy choices.
More and more young people are becoming health-conscious and reading food labels.
11 mental health Mental health is your emotional, psychological and social wellbeing.
Talking to friends can really support your mental health.
12 life-threatening condition A life-threatening condition is an illness or injury that could cause death.
He was taken to hospital with a life-threatening condition.
13 terminally ill Someone who is terminally ill has an illness that cannot be cured and will eventually cause their death.
The patient is terminally ill and is now receiving palliative care.
14 sick note / doctor’s note A sick note or doctor’s note is a written statement that explains why you cannot work or attend school.
He handed in a doctor’s note after spending three days in hospital.
15 conventional medicine Conventional medicine is mainstream, science-based treatment used by doctors and hospitals.
She trusts conventional medicine and always follows her doctor’s advice.
16 alternative medicine Alternative medicine includes treatments outside of standard medical practice, such as acupuncture or herbal remedies.
He uses alternative medicine alongside conventional treatment to manage his back pain.
Health & sickness — verbs (1)
Prevention & becoming ill
1 prevent an illness To prevent an illness is to stop it from developing in the first place.
Vaccinations can prevent many serious childhood diseases.
2 look after your health If you look after your health, you actively take care of your body and mind.
Getting enough sleep is one way to look after your health.
3 catch a disease To catch a disease means to become infected with it.
He caught the flu from a colleague at work.
4 come down with (an illness) If you come down with something, you start to feel its symptoms.
I think I’m coming down with a cold — my throat is sore.
5 feel under the weather If you feel a bit under the weather, you feel slightly unwell or not at your best.
She’s feeling under the weather today, so she stayed at home.
6 contract a disease To contract a disease (formal) means to become ill with a serious illness.
He contracted the virus while travelling abroad.
7 develop a condition If you develop a condition, it gradually begins to affect your health.
People who smoke are more likely to develop heart problems.
8 suffer from (a condition) If you suffer from a condition, you live with it and its symptoms over a long period.
She suffers from chronic migraines and sees a specialist regularly.
Health & sickness — verbs (2)
Diagnosis, treatment & outcomes
9 be diagnosed with If you are diagnosed with a condition, a doctor officially identifies what illness you have.
He was diagnosed with diabetes after several blood tests.
10 prescribe medication When a doctor prescribes medication, they officially say which medicine you should take.
The doctor prescribed antibiotics for the infection.
11 relieve pain If something relieves your pain, it makes it less strong or makes it disappear.
The cream helped relieve the pain in her knee.
12 get over / recover from To get over or recover from an illness means to return to your normal level of health.
It took him a month to recover from the operation.
13 be on the mend If you are on the mend, you are getting better after being ill or injured.
She’s been on the mend ever since she left hospital.
14 be back on your feet If you are back on your feet, you are fully active and healthy again.
He was back on his feet only ten days after the surgery.
15 die of / from To die of or from a condition means to lose your life because of it.
Thousands of people die from heart disease every year.
16 pass away / pass on To pass away or pass on is a more gentle way of saying “to die”.
Her grandfather passed away peacefully at home.