Describing Symptoms
Use these phrases when you need to describe symptoms, discuss allergies, and understand a doctor's advice in a Spanish-speaking medical setting.
Key Phrases
Me duele mucho el estómago desde ayer y siento un dolor bastante agudo que no desaparece.
My stomach has been hurting a lot since yesterday and I feel a quite sharp pain that doesn't go away.
💡 Use 'me duele' followed by a body part to specify where the pain is located.
Tengo una fiebre muy alta que comenzó anoche y creo que necesito algo para bajar la temperatura.
I have a very high fever that started last night and I think I need something to lower the temperature.
💡 Useful for explaining the sudden onset of a fever when asking a doctor or pharmacist for help.
Soy alérgico a la penicilina, por lo que es importante que el médico me recete otro medicamento diferente.
I am allergic to penicillin, so it is important that the doctor prescribes a different medication for me.
💡 Crucial for warning healthcare providers about allergies before they prescribe any treatment.
¿Me podría recomendar algún jarabe para calmar esta tos seca que no me deja dormir por las noches?
Could you recommend a syrup to calm this dry cough that won't let me sleep at night?
💡 A polite request using the conditional 'podría' to ask a pharmacist for recommendations.
El doctor me aconsejó que tome estas pastillas tres veces al día después de cada comida principal.
The doctor advised me to take these pills three times a day after each main meal.
💡 Describes medical instructions using the present subjunctive after the verb 'aconsejar'.
Tengo un dolor sordo en la espalda que empezó hace una semana y se vuelve peor cuando camino.
I have a dull pain in my back that started a week ago and gets worse when I walk.
💡 Use 'dolor sordo' to describe a constant, low-level ache that is not sharp.
Si tomo este antibiótico, es probable que tenga una reacción alérgica porque mi piel es muy sensible.
If I take this antibiotic, it is likely that I will have an allergic reaction because my skin is very sensitive.
💡 Expresses probability using 'es probable que' followed by the present subjunctive.
El médico dice que debo descansar en cama y beber mucha agua hasta que me sienta mejor.
The doctor says that I must rest in bed and drink plenty of water until I feel better.
💡 Uses 'hasta que' with the subjunctive 'sienta' to show a condition lasting until a future state.
¿Es necesario que evite el sol mientras esté tomando este tratamiento para la infección de garganta?
Is it necessary for me to avoid the sun while I am taking this treatment for the throat infection?
💡 Uses double present subjunctive ('evite' and 'esté') for hypothetical conditions and obligations.