Many people, even highly literate people, have trouble understanding words used in health care. In some instances, a word may be totally unfamiliar. In other cases, a word may be familiar, but the person may not understand it in a health care context.
For example, upon hearing "keep your glucose in a normal range," people know what normal means about a person, and they may have a range in their kitchen, but they may miss the intended concept in terms of health care. Even people who understand the concept may need more information than the phrase provides. They need to be told what glucose measurements are considered normal.
Words with a Latin or Greek prefix present special problems. The health science field is full of such words. Here is a small sampling: pre-op, post-op, prenatal, premature, unsweetened, decontaminate, antibacterial. For example, the risk factor for poor readers with diabetes is that they may recognize one part of the word, such as the "sweetened" in unsweetened, and then skip the "un." This kind of guessing can lead to the opposite behavior.
Four kinds of words cause much of the misunderstanding:
Often these kinds of words can be made understandable by explaining them with common words, by an example, or by a visual.
See charts below for specific examples of words to watch and suggestions for clear health communication.
| A | ||
|---|---|---|
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Abdomen | Stomach area, stomach, belly | |
| Abscess | A pocket of infection | |
| Active role | Taking part in; take part in; be a part of; join | |
| Activity | Motion, movement, action, act | |
| Actually | Really, in fact, truly, it is true that, it is a fact that | |
| Adequate | Enough, the amount you need, as much as you need | |
| Adjust | Change | |
| Adjustment | A change | |
| Adolescents | Teenagers, teens | |
| Adverse | Bad , negative | |
| Advisable | Wise, makes sense, a good idea, a good plan | |
| Advocacy | Support, give support, try to change, aid | |
| Affect (have an effect on) | Change, upset, move, disturb, modify | |
| Agitation | Anger, upset, being nervous and worried, very tense | |
| Ailment | Sickness; illness; problem with your health | |
| Allergen | Something that causes an allergy, something you are allergic to | |
| Alleviate | Lessen, lighten, ease, quiet | |
| Anemia | Too few red blood cells in your blood, (lay term used a lot is "thin blood") | |
| Aneurysm | A bulge in a blood vessel that may burst | |
| Angina | Chest pain | |
| Animal product | Made from animals (such as butter, eggs, meat) | |
| Anorexic | Extremely underweight; starving oneself | |
| Anti-inflammatory | Lowers swelling, pain and fever | |
| Anxiety | Very worried, very nervous | |
| Arrhythmia | Irregular heart beat; a heart beat that is not regular | |
| Arteries | Muscular tubes that carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body | |
| Arthritis | Joint pain | |
| As recommended | As you were told by your provider/doctor/nurse/dietician; As suggested by your …. | |
| Associated | That comes with; that goes along with; that is a part of; works with | |
| At its source | Where it starts | |
| Atrophy | Weak, become weak, waste away | |
| Audiologist | Hearing doctor | |
| Aural | Hearing , related to the ear | |
| B | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Behavior | How a person is acting, actions | |
| Benefit | Do good for, help | |
| Benign | Will not cause harm; harmless; is not cancer | |
| Blood Pressure | Pressure of blood on the walls of blood vessels | |
| Bloodstream | Blood | |
| Bone Marrow | Tissue inside the bone that makes red blood cells | |
| Borderline | On the edge of; on the line between | |
| Briefly | In short; for a short time | |
| Bronchial | Having to do with the lungs; in the lungs; the tubes that take air to the lungs | |
| Bruxism | Grinding or clenching the teeth | |
| Bulimic | Extreme overeating (binging) followed by throwing up that is forced; eating too much food and then making yourself throw up | |
| C | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Cardiac | Heart | |
| Cardiac arrest | Heart attack | |
| Cardiovascular | Heart and blood vessels | |
| Cataracts | The lens of the eye clouds over and it becomes hard to see | |
| Categories | Groups | |
| Cautiously | With care; slowly | |
| Certain | Some, for sure | |
| Cervix | Opening to the uterus/womb | |
| Challenges | Problems | |
| Chemotherapy | Cancer treatment that uses strong drugs | |
| Cholesterol | A waxy fat-like substance found in the body and in some foods | |
| Chronic | Does not end; constant; is a life-long condition | |
| Cirrhosis | Liver disease, scars on the liver from alcohol abuse, bad nutrition or hepatitis (infection) | |
| Clinical studies | Studies, tests | |
| Clotting | Hardening into a scab; blood thickens and makes a scab to prevent further bleeding | |
| Cognitive | Learning; thinking | |
| Collaborate | Work together; work as partners; work with others | |
| Colon | Large intestine | |
| Combination | Mixture; blend; together with | |
| Communicate | Talk with, write to, reveal, to spread a disease to others | |
| Concerned | Worried about, has to do with | |
| Condition | How you feel; health problem | |
| Confidential, confidentiality | Private, keep private, secret | |
| Congenital heart disease | Heart disease since birth; heart disease passed down through the family (genetic) | |
| Congestion | Stuffy nose, coughing a lot, bringing up mucous | |
| Congestive heart failure | Heart is not pumping like it should | |
| Considerable | Quite a bit of; a lot of | |
| Considered | Thought to be, seen to be | |
| Constipation | Hard bowels | |
| Constricted | Get narrow, narrow | |
| Contains | Has | |
| Continue | Keep on, go on, take again, stay | |
| Contraception | Birth control | |
| Contribute | Play a part, adds to, is a part of | |
| Coordinate | Make all parts of your care work together; talk with other doctors, nurses, or other health care providers; work as a team | |
| Cornea | The outside layer of the eye that lets light in so you can see; the tough outside layer of the eye | |
| Critical | Important, must do, cannot skip | |
| Currently | At this time, now | |
| D | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Decreased appetite | Does not want to eat, loss of appetite, can't eat | |
| Defined | Means, is the same as | |
| Definitely | For sure | |
| Dementia | Disorder of the brain causing loss of memory, slowed and confused thinking; can't think straight | |
| Dermatology | Medicine that deals with skin and skin diseases | |
| Desirable | Wanted, needed, best, looked for, worth having or doing | |
| Detached | Separated ,stand apart, separates from, comes away from (i.e. detached retina) | |
| Determine | Decide, agree on, settle on, find out | |
| Develop | Get, have | |
| Diabetes | A disease of the pancreas; the body cannot use food correctly | |
| Diagnose | Find the cause of your illness, find the name of your illness | |
| Diagnosis | Cause of your illness, the name of your illness | |
| Dialysis | Treatment that gets rid of toxins (or poisons) when your kidneys can't do it on their own | |
| Diarrhea | Loose stools, many loose bowel movements | |
| Diastolic | The bottom number; the pressure in your blood vessels between heart beats | |
| Diet | What you eat; your meals; eating less to lose weight | |
| Dietary cholesterol | Cholesterol that is found in the food you eat | |
| Difficult | Very hard | |
| Dilate | To make bigger, to enlarge, to open up | |
| Dilute | To water down, make thinner | |
| Directed | Told by your doctor, nurse, or other health care provider | |
| Disability | Has trouble doing something, cannot do [something] | |
| Discomfort | Aches, pains, soreness, worry, not comfortable, don't feel good | |
| Discretion | Good judgment, keep private | |
| Disorder | Sickness, illness, disease | |
| Donor | Person who gives his/her organ(s) to someone else who needs them | |
| Dosage | Dose, how much medicine you should take, amount | |
| Drowsiness | Very sleepy | |
| Drug interactions | How one drug acts with another | |
| Dysfunction | Problem, not working as it should | |
| E | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Edema | When body fluids build up too much, often with swelling | |
| Elderly | Older people; seniors | |
| Emetic | Medicine to make you throw up | |
| Enables | Lets, allows | |
| Encouraged | Gave support, made [me] want to | |
| Endocrinology | The study of glands and hormones | |
| Engage | Put into place, hold, keep, attract | |
| Enlarge | Become larger, grow | |
| Ensure | Make sure, make certain | |
| Epidemic | A disease that spreads quickly to a lot of people | |
| Epidermis | Outer layer of the skin | |
| Erect | Stands straight, stiff | |
| Esophagus | The tube that carries food from your throat to your stomach | |
| Estimated | Likely, around, nearly, about, close to | |
| Excessive | Too much | |
| Exhibit | Show, display | |
| Experience | Have (have signs of), feels | |
| External/environmental triggers | Outside things (stress, infection, allergy, medicine, etc.) that cause a condition to start up | |
| F | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Factor | thing, item | |
| Fatigue | Very tired | |
| FDA approved | Approved by the government (FDA) ; Food and Drug Administration | |
| Fine-tune | Change; make small changes | |
| Frequently | Often | |
| Function | Action, acts like, the job of | |
| G | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Gastrointestinal | Related to the stomach and intestines, digestive system | |
| Gauge | Measure; get a better idea of; test, check, mark | |
| Genetic | Condition passed down through the family | |
| Gerontologist | Doctor for older people | |
| Gingivitis | Gum disease | |
| Glaucoma | Disease caused by high pressure inside the eye | |
| Glucocorticoid | Hormones produced by the body that reduce swelling | |
| Gynecology | Medicine dealing with health care for women | |
| H | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Halitosis | Bad breath | |
| Hazardous | Not safe; dangerous | |
| HDL | "Good" cholesterol | |
| health care professional | Provider, doctor or nurse | |
| Hemoglobin | Part of the red blood cells that carries oxygen to the rest of the body | |
| Hepatitis | Enlarged liver because of illness or virus | |
| Heterosexual | Men attracted to women; women attracted to men OR men who have sex with women; women who have sex with men | |
| Homosexual | Gay or lesbian | |
| Human Immunodeficiency Virus | HIV | |
| Hyperarousal | Very tense, easy to startle, can't sleep, very tired, very anxious | |
| Hypertension | High blood pressure | |
| Hyperthyroid | Speeded up thyroid; too active | |
| Hypothyroid | Slow thyroid; not active enough | |
| I | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Identify | Find out | |
| Imbalance | Out of balance | |
| Immediate | At once, right away | |
| Immune System | Part of the body that fights off infections; the body's defense system | |
| Immunization | Shots to prevent diseases | |
| Impaired | Loss; not working | |
| Impotence | Erection problems, can't have erection | |
| Increase gradually | Add to slowly (Example (exercise): add 5 minutes a week) | |
| Indicated | Used for | |
| Inflammation | Pain, swelling, heat and redness in a part of the body | |
| Informed | Told | |
| Informed decision | Make the best choice for you, know what you are choosing, have the best information about what you choose | |
| Infrequent | Not often, rare | |
| Inhibitor | Drug that stops something that is bad for you | |
| Initial | At first, first | |
| Insomnia | Problem falling and/or staying asleep | |
| Insulin | Hormone that controls blood sugar in the body | |
| Intake | What you eat or drink; what goes into your body | |
| Intended for | Meant for, just for, only for | |
| Interaction | How things work together (Drug interaction: Some drugs change the way other drugs work; some drugs do not work well together) | |
| Interfere | Get in the way of, block, hold up | |
| Intermittent | Off and on | |
| Internist | Doctor | |
| Intimate | Close, private, personal | |
| Intraocular | Inside the eye | |
| C | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Jaundice | Yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes | |
| Juvenile | Children, kids, teens | |
| K | ||
| L | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Lactose | A sugar found in milk | |
| Landmark | Very important (adj.); Important event; turning point (noun) | |
| LDL | "Bad" cholesterol | |
| Lesion | Wound; sore; infected patch of skin | |
| Libido | Sex drive, interest in sex | |
| Lubrication | To make slippery | |
| M | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Malignant | Life-threatening, spreading | |
| Mammogram | Breast X-ray | |
| Mastectomy | Breast removal | |
| Medical condition | Disease, illness, medical problem, condition | |
| Melanoma | A mole or dark spot on the skin that is cancer | |
| Membrane | A thin layer of tissue covering (over a part of the body) | |
| Mg | Milligram; very small amount used to measure drugs | |
| Migraine | A very bad, severe headache | |
| Moderate | Average, medium, normal | |
| Monitor | Keep track of, check | |
| Motivated | Made (me) want to; move to action | |
| N | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Nasal congestion | Stuffy nose | |
| Natural disaster | An event of nature ; disasters such as floods, forest fires and earthquakes | |
| Nausea | Sick feeling in the stomach | |
| Necessary, necessarily | Needed, should have, need to have | |
| Neglect | Lack of care, don't care for, don't take care of | |
| Neurologist | Doctor who treats the nerves and brain | |
| Nocturia | Going to the bathroom a lot at night | |
| Noncancerous | Not cancer | |
| Noncontagious | Can't "catch" it from another person | |
| Non-prescription | Over the counter, you can buy off the shelf, you can buy without a prescription | |
| Normal range | Where it should be; common amount | |
| Noticed | Saw | |
| Nutrient | Something in food that is good for you | |
| O | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Obese | Extremely overweight, weighs too much | |
| Obstetrician | Pregnancy /birth doctor | |
| Occur | Happen | |
| Oncology | Medicine dealing with tumors/cancer | |
| Opened a dialogue | Could talk with | |
| Ophthalmologist | A doctor that treats eye disease | |
| Optic | Eye | |
| Option | Choice | |
| Optometrist | A doctor that prescribes glasses | |
| Oral | By mouth | |
| Original container | The bottle or box it came in | |
| Orthodontics | Braces | |
| Orthopedist | Bone doctor | |
| Osteoporosis | Disease that makes bones easy to break; causes bones to become weak | |
| Otolaryngologist | Ear, nose and throat doctor | |
| Overreach | Go too far, strain | |
| P | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Papules | Bumps on the skin | |
| Pathology | Studying a disease | |
| Perform | Do | |
| Periodontal disease | Gum disease | |
| Permanent | Lasting, last forever | |
| Persistent | Constant, lasting | |
| Pharmacies | Drug stores | |
| Physical reaction | What happens in your body, your body will react | |
| Placebo | A sugar pill used to test other drugs | |
| Plasma | Part of the blood used for sick patients | |
| Platelets | Part of the blood that makes it clot and forms scabs | |
| Polyp | A growth | |
| Possible | May, likely, can be done | |
| Postnatal | After the baby is born | |
| Potent | Strong, strength | |
| Poultry | Chicken, turkey, duck | |
| Premenstrual | Before your period | |
| Prenatal | Before the baby is born | |
| Prescription | Medicine ordered by the doctor | |
| Prevalence | Number of times something happens | |
| Prevalent | Common; happens often | |
| Primarily | Above all, mainly, mostly, first of all | |
| Prioritize | Put in the right order; put first things first; put things in order of importance | |
| Procedure | Something done to treat your problem; operation, a treatment | |
| Progressive | Gets worse (or better) | |
| Prolonged | Lasts a long time, too long | |
| Promote | Help, support | |
| Proper | Correct, right | |
| Prosthesis | Replacement for a body part, such as a man-made arm | |
| Proven history | A good record, has proved that | |
| Provide | Give, send | |
| Psychiatrist | Mental health doctor | |
| Psychologist/therapist | Person trained to help with mental health problems | |
| Psychology | Mental health | |
| Pulmonary | Having to do with the lungs | |
| Pustules | Pimples; pimples with pus | |
| Q | ||
| R | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Reaction | Result, end result, response, ended up, acted against | |
| Rebate | Get money back | |
| Recapture | Bring back | |
| Recommend | Suggest | |
| Recreational drug | A drug that is not legal | |
| Red meat | Meat that is dark red in color before cooking; Beef, lamb | |
| Reduce | Lower, bring down | |
| Re-experiencing | Happens to you again and again, over and over | |
| Reflux | To flow back; when acid backs up out of the stomach | |
| Refrain | Stop; stay away from, don't | |
| Regularly, regular e.g. | Every month, every week, every day, the same time each day, week etc. | |
| Regurgitate/vomit | Throw up | |
| Rehabilitation | To get better; to become healthy again, get your strength back | |
| Related to | Has to do with, has something to do with, goes along with, goes with | |
| Reliable, reliably | Can count on, can depend on | |
| Relieve | Lessen, help, ease | |
| Repeatedly, repeated | Often, over and over | |
| Repetitive | Happens over and over, again and again | |
| Replace | Take the place of | |
| Request, requested | Ask for, asked for | |
| Resources | Names of [organizations] that can help you, more facts that can help you; information that can help you, where to go for help, who to call for help/to find out. | |
| Respiratory | Breathing | |
| Respond | Take action, act, do | |
| Restlessness, Restless | Not able to rest or relax, can't sit still | |
| Rheumatic | Stiff, sore muscles or joints | |
| Rheumatology | Muscle and joint health | |
| Rheumatologist | Arthritis and joint doctor | |
| Risk factor | Will increase your chance of getting [ ] | |
| RN | Nurse; Registered Nurse | |
| Routinely | Often (Example: every week; every other day), at the same time each day, week, month etc. | |
| Ruddy | Redness | |
| S | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Safety profile | Safety record | |
| Saturated fat | Unhealthy fat from meat or dairy products; animal fat (such as lard or chicken fat) | |
| Scoliosis | Curved spine | |
| Scored tablet | Tablet with a line that makes it easy to cut in half | |
| Screening | Test, check for | |
| Seasonal | During certain seasons of the year, certain times of the year, name specific seasons | |
| Seizure | A sudden attack of spasm in the brain | |
| Sensitivity to light | Be sensitive to light, eyes can't stand the light, light hurts the eyes | |
| Severe | Terrible, serious, dangerous, very bad | |
| Sexual activity | Having sex | |
| Sexually Transmitted Disease | Disease passed from person-to-person by sex (or by sexual contact), STD | |
| Side effect | Something you feel that was caused by a medicine you take | |
| Significant | Very good, a lot of | |
| Significantly | Enough to make a difference; Makes a big difference | |
| Similar | Same as, like | |
| Situation | In your place, in your state | |
| Social contact | Staying in touch with family and friends | |
| Speech pathologist | Speech therapist | |
| Stroke | Brain stops working suddenly | |
| Suffocation | Air is cut off, cannot breathe | |
| Support | Help | |
| Symptoms | Signs, warning signs, what you are feeling (specify) | |
| Syncope | Blackout; loss of consciousness; fainting | |
| Syndrome | Disease, a pattern of things that can happen | |
| Systolic | The top number; the pressure in your blood vessels when the heart beats | |
| T | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Tailored | Made just for you | |
| Temporary | For a short time, short term (Example: for less than a week) | |
| Tooth decay | Cavities | |
| Toxin | Poison, pollution | |
| Transmit | To spread | |
| Trauma | Being hurt by someone or something else, badly hurt | |
| Treatable | Can be treated | |
| Tremor | Shaking | |
| Triad | Group of 3 | |
| Tumor | A group of cells that grow out of control | |
| U | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Unable | Cannot | |
| Uncontrollable | Can't be controlled | |
| Unexpected | Did not expect | |
| Unexplained | Can't explain | |
| Unique | Special | |
| Unsaturated fat | Healthier fat, fat that is not from animals (such as from nuts and vegetable oils) | |
| Unusual | You have not seen before, rare | |
| Usually | Often, most often, almost always | |
| Uterus | Womb | |
| UVA/UVB rays | Rays of the sun that can harm the skin | |
| V | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Vertigo | Dizziness | |
| Visible | Can be seen | |
| W | ||
| Problem Word: | Alternative Word/Explanation: | |
| Wellness | Good health; feeling good | |
| Whole grains | Oats, wheat, brown rice | |
| X | ||
| Y | ||
| Z | ||
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