HEART

 Exercise I: Which sentence is not relevant to a patient with heart problems?


1) Patient’s complaints:   A shortness of breath   B blurred vision   C tightness in the chest


2) What aggravates a heart patient’s problems?

     A going up the stairs   B climbing up a mountain   C swimming in a pool


3) Where does the pain radiate?  A to the neck   B to the shoulder   C to the loins


4) Where will the patient notice some swelling?   A wrist   B ankles   C feet


5) How does the heart beat? A rapidly   B it skips a beat   C musically


Exercise II: Tick the correct statement.


1)         A         The patient is referred by his family doctor.

            B         The patient himself decided to consult a specialist.

2)         A         The condition has been getting worse over the last few weeks.

            B         The condition has changed over the last four weeks.

3)         A         The pain radiates to his head.

            B         The pain radiates to his left arm.

4)         A         His heart always beats normally.

            B         He has palpitations.

5)         A         His heart beats either slowly or rapidly.

            B         His heart skips a beat several times per minute.

6)         A         Only one of his feet is swollen by the evening.

            B         The swelling of his feet disappears by the morning.



Exercise III: Formulate questions based on the patient’s answers.


D: Have you ever had any medical or heart problems?

P:  I’ve never been diagnosed with anything but I think something could be wrong with my heart.

D:

P: It beats irregularly especially when I smoke.

D:

P: I get pressure in my chest sometimes when I have to walk a long distance.

D:

P: Absolutely. I’m always short of breath when I go upstairs.

D:

P: Yes, I break out in a really bad sweat when my chest hurts.

D:

P: Down my left arm.

D:

P: Yes, my ankles seem to be swollen all the time.

D:

P: Yes, the pain is fairly constant, but it helps when I put my feet up.



Taken from:

Györffy  M. (2001) English for Doctors. Nakladatelství Triton. ISBN: 80-7254-203-6