Vocabulary/ B2 Vocabulary lessons and / Health and sickness – B2 English Vocabulary
Health and Sickness
Learn essential English vocabulary for health, medical conditions, and treatments.
About This Lesson
In this Pre-advanced Vocabulary Lesson about Health and Sickness, you will learn various terms and verbs associated with health, medical conditions, and treatments. Explore the pictures below and read the definitions and sentence examples.
Health and Sickness: Nouns and Noun Phrases
Infographic showing key health-related nouns and phrases for B2 English learners.
Health and Sickness: Nouns and Noun Phrases
Key vocabulary for describing health concepts, conditions, and wellness practices.
Healthcare
The maintenance or improvement of health via diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases.
Access to good healthcare is essential for maintaining public health.
Diet
The kinds of food that a person regularly eats (e.g., healthy, balanced, or unhealthy diet).
A balanced diet is key to a healthy lifestyle.
Lifestyle
The way a person lives, including habits, activities, and health behaviors.
Regular exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle.
Health issues
Problems related to a person’s physical or mental condition.
She went to the doctor to discuss her health issues.
Deficiency
A lack or shortage of a necessary nutrient or substance for health.
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to bone problems and other health issues.
Health risk
Something that increases the chance of developing a health problem.
Smoking is a major health risk.
To be in good shape
To be in good physical condition.
He exercises daily to stay in good shape.
To be out of shape
To be in poor physical condition.
After years of neglecting exercise, he felt out of shape.
Health scare
A situation causing serious worry about one’s health due to symptoms or test results.
Her recent health scare made her quit smoking.
Health-conscious
Being aware of and concerned about one’s health and wellness.
As a health-conscious person, she always chooses nutritious foods.
Mental health
A person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
It’s important to take care of your mental health as well as your physical health.
Life-threatening condition
A health problem that could result in death.
He was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition and required immediate surgery.
Terminally ill
Having a disease that cannot be cured and will likely lead to death.
The patient is terminally ill and receiving palliative care.
Sick note / Doctor’s note
A written statement from a doctor excusing someone from work or school.
She submitted a sick note to her employer after her hospital visit.
Conventional medicine
Mainstream medical treatments used by healthcare professionals.
He prefers conventional medicine over alternative therapies.
Alternative medicine
Healing approaches not typically part of conventional medicine (e.g., acupuncture, herbal remedies).
Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine that some people find helpful.
Health and Sickness: Verbs and Verb Phrases
Infographic of 'Health & Sickness – Verbs' with 16 images illustrating actions like prevent, look after your health, catch, come down with, etc.
Health and Sickness: Verbs and Verb Phrases
Common verbs and phrasal verbs used to talk about illness, treatment, and recovery.
To prevent
To stop an illness or condition from happening.
Vaccines can help prevent certain diseases.
To look after your health
To take care of your physical and mental well-being.
Regular exercise is a great way to look after your health.
To catch (a disease)
To become infected with an illness.
She caught the flu from her coworker.
To come down with
To start experiencing symptoms of an illness.
He came down with a cold after getting soaked in the rain.
To feel under the weather
To feel slightly ill.
She’s feeling a bit under the weather today, so she’s resting at home.
To contract
To become ill with a (usually serious) disease; formal usage.
He contracted the virus through a mosquito bite.
To develop (a condition)
To begin to have a medical condition.
People who smoke are more likely to develop lung diseases.
To suffer from
To be affected by a condition, often long-term.
Many elderly people suffer from arthritis.
To be diagnosed with
To have a condition identified by a doctor.
He was recently diagnosed with diabetes.
To prescribe
When a doctor authorizes medication for treatment.
The doctor prescribed antibiotics for her infection.
To relieve (pain)
To reduce or eliminate discomfort.
She took painkillers to relieve the pain in her back.
To get over / recover from
To return to health after being sick.
It took him a few weeks to recover from the pneumonia.
To be on the mend
To be in the process of recovering.
After the surgery, she was on the mend quickly.
To be back on your feet
To be healthy again after an illness.
He was back on his feet just a week after the flu.
To die of/from
To lose one’s life because of a condition.
Unfortunately, many people die of heart disease each year.
To pass away/on
A gentle or respectful way to say someone has died.
Her grandfather passed away peacefully in his sleep.