41 SICK - my American friend

M- Today we’re talking about being SICK. M- Hi Cindy! C- Hi Marta! How are you today? M- I’m great, thanks! And you? C- Feeling great! And I’m so thankful too, because it seems as if everyone has a cold right now! Everywhere I go people are coughing, sneezing and blowing their noses! M- It’s this crazy weather- it’s sunny on Monday… C- ….and snowing on Tuesday! You’re right. I always seem to CATCH A COLD when the weather changes from one season to another. My nose acts as a sort of barometer! M- So let’s talk a bit today about being sick. C- That will be useful because a lot of people are feeling ‘’UNDER THE WEATHER’’ right now. M- They’re feeling ‘’under the weather’’ . C- That means they’re feeling a little bad, not well, a bit sick. First, let’s organize our discussion by parts of the body. We’ll start with the head. If your head hurts, that’s called a ‘’HEADACHE’’. M- But what if your headache is really strong? C- A strong headache is called a ‘’MIGRAINE’’ and it’s terrible. Migraine headaches can cause dizziness, blurred vision (that means your eyes don’t see well), nausea & sensitivity to light. M- A migraine. Got it. What about ear problems? C- Well, if your ear hurts- that’s an EARACHE …which can develop into an ear infection. Pay careful attention to ear pain and see a doctor if it worsens. M- What about when something irritates your nose, and you need to keep ‘’blowing your nose’’? C- Then you have a ‘’RUNNY NOSE’’. That can be caused by all kinds of irritants like dust & pollen. Or maybe you’ve caught a ‘’HEAD COLD’’. A head cold is when your whole head just feels bad. You may have a headache, sore throat, sneezing and a cough. M- Good times! C- I caught a head cold a few months ago and I blew my nose through the entire month of September! Let’s see, what else can we talk about? If you feel a little dizzy, you can also say ‘’I FEEL LIGHT HEADED’’. M- I feel light headed. That means ‘’I feel dizzy’’. Alright. C- If your neck hurts, maybe because you have slept the night before in a bad position, then you can say ‘’I HAVE A STIFF NECK’’. M- I have a stiff neck. C- Ok, let’s move a little lower down the body. If you feel a little nauseous, if your stomach feels bad, you can say ‘’I feel a little QUEASY’’. That means you feel nauseous. M- And if your back hurts? C- Like mine does right now? Then you have a BACKACHE. Or maybe it’s just a STIFF BACK and when you move around and get some exercise then your back will loosen up and feel better. M- How about an expression related to mood? C- Sure. If you’re feeling a little depressed, you can say ‘’I’m feeling BLUE’’, we’ve talked about that in a previous episode. You can also say ‘’I’M NOT MYSELF TODAY’’. M- I’m not myself today. Got it. C- ‘’I’m not myself today’’ can refer to your mood or your physical self. It can either mean you are a little depressed, or you’re not feeling well. M- Ok, give us an example. Cindy, how are you today? C- Oh, I’m not myself today. I guess I’m a little tired. Tonight, I’ll be sure to go to bed early. M- Let’s move on to the rest of the body. C- Okay, muscle contractions in the legs are pretty common. They’re very painful and usually (thankfully) don’t last long. When a muscle painfully contracts, for example from sitting in an uncomfortable position for too long, we call that a ‘’CRAMP’’. M- When a muscle contracts and causes pain- that’s called a ‘’cramp’’. C- Right, muscle contractions can cause cramps, but when we overextend a muscle that’s called a ‘’PULLED’’ MUSCLE. M- Can you give us an example? C- Sure. I tried to lift the sofa by myself, and I pulled a muscle in my back. The next time I move that heavy sofa, I will surely ask another person for help. M- What if we injure a joint, but it’s not broken? C- If we overextend, or twist a joint, that’s called a ‘’SPRAIN’’. It’s very painful and you may have swelling, but nothing is broken. M- Sprained ankles are very common. C- You can sprain your ankle playing basketball. You can sprain your knee while dancing. You can sprain your wrist while playing tennis. There are lots of ways to sprain your joints. Marta, have you ever sprained a joint? M - No, I haven’t. C – Lucky you! C- Thanks for listening everyone! Marta & I want to wish everyone a HAPPY & HEALTHY day! Take good care of each other, be good to each other and we hope to hear from you real soon. M- Stop by today and say hello on our Facebook page! C- Or on our blog at www.myamericanfriendblog.com. We’re also on iTunes, Podomatic, Twitter and YouTube. Take care everyone and thanks for listening! M- Thanks everyone! Bye bye! VOCABULARY: 1. ''....feeling under the weather.''- to feel a bit sick, not quite well, tired, the feeling you have just before you catch a cold, to feel run down. EXAMPLE: Everyone in my office is sick with the flu. Today I am feeling a little under the weather. I feel very tired and I have a sore throat. 2. Headache- head pain as a result of many causes like stress, illness, loud noise, bright light, eye strain, injury...etc... Headaches can have many origins. EXAMPLE: Please turn the volume down on your stereo! That loud music is giving me a headache! 3. Migraine- a very strong, painful headache. 4. Blurred vision/Blurry vision- out of focus, not clear, fuzzy EXAMPLE: A migraine headache can be accompanied by nausea, blurred vision and sensitivity to light. 5. Earache/Ear infection- ear pain/infection in the ear canal EXAMPLE: An ear infection should be taken seriously. If you have ear pain you should visit a doctor for treatment. 6. Runny nose- irritation of the nose causing it ''to run'' . Many things can cause a ''runny nose'' like dust, pollen, pet fur or illness EXAMPLE: I love cats but unfortunately I'm allergic to cat fur. Every time I visit my sister's house, I always leave with a runny nose. Her cat is adorable but it makes me sneeze! 7. Head cold- common cold causing you to have a runny nose, sore throat, cough, headache and fatigue EXAMPLE: I always catch a head cold in October when the weather begins to change from warm & sunny to cold & rainy. 8. To feel ''light headed''- to feel dizzy EXAMPLE: I'm afraid of heights. I always feel light headed when I'm up too high. 9. To have a stiff neck- pain in your neck, usually as a result of strained muscles, for example, from keeping your head turned to one side for too long, sleeping in a bad position, or cold temperatures EXAMPLE: Last night, I fell asleep on my couch and awoke the next morning with a stiff neck. I took a hot shower and now the pain has subsided and I feel much better. 10. to feel a little ''queasy''- to feel a bit nauseous EXAMPLE: I can't stand horror movies! The sight of all that blood makes me feel queasy! I prefer funny movies instead. 11. to have a ''stiff'' back- to have a sore back, mild back pain EXAMPLE: I must purchase a new mattress for my bed. My old mattress is old and worn out. It's too soft and it sags in the middle. Every morning I wake up with a stiff back. 12. Feeling blue- feeling a little down, depressed, in a sad mood EXAMPLE: My brother has been feeling blue all day- it's because his favorite football team lost the Super Bowl Championship! And I'm happy because my favorite team WON! :-) 13. I'm not myself today- I'm in a bad mood today, I'm not feeling well today, I have a lot of stress/problems and I'm unfocused (this expression can be used for many things) EXAMPLE: I'm sorry, I'm not myself today. I'm a bit tired and I think I'm catching a cold. I have a headache today. Tonight I will be sure to go to bed early and get a good night's rest. 14. Muscle cramp- a strong contraction of a muscle, causing pain. The marathon runner suffered a muscle cramp in his leg at the end of the race. Unfortunately, he could not finish and had to drop out. 15. Pulled muscle- to over extend a muscle, causing pain Yesterday, I pulled a muscle in my back. I was at the gym and I tried to lift a weight that was too heavy for my body. 16. Sprain- to twist or bend a joint beyond its normal range of motion, causing pain or injury. My brother tripped on the basketball court and sprained his ankle. The doctor said it was not a serious injury. He's in a lot of pain, but nothing is broken. He's keeping it elevated. The doctor said he must put ice on it to keep the swelling down.