ESL Podcast 227 – Describing Symptoms to a Doctor

Dr. van Eyck: Good morning, I’m Dr. van Eyck. I understand that you’re not feeling well.

Nico: That’s right, doctor. I’ve had a stomachache for three days. The pain comes and goes, but I also have heartburn and I am feeling bloated all the time.

Dr. van Eyck: Well, let’s take a look. Have you felt nauseous? Does it hurt when I press here?

Nico: Oh yes, that hurts, and I feel nauseous all the time. But, doctor, that’s not all. I’ve also had bad headaches in the past week and I feel fatigued¹ all the time.

Dr. van Eyck: Have you had a stuffy² nose, a cough, a sore throat, or an earache³?

Nico: Yes, I’ve had all of those.

Dr. van Eyck: You have? All of them?

Nico: And, there’s more. I’ve been feeling pains in my leg. Sometimes it feels stiff and sometimes I lose feeling in it. I’m having a lot of trouble walking.

Dr. van Eyck: I have to say that you have an unusual combination of symptoms. Have there been any significant changes in your life in the past few days?

Nico: Well, my in-laws are visiting from out of town. Do you think you’ll need to admit me into the hospital for tests?

Dr. van Eyck: I’m not sure that’s necessary. Are things really that bad at home?

Nico: You have no idea!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 fatigued   

adj. 疲乏的

参考例句：

• The exercises fatigued her. 操练使她感到很疲乏。
• The President smiled, with fatigued tolerance for a minor person's naivety. 总统笑了笑，疲惫地表现出对一个下级人员的天真想法的宽容。

2 stuffy   

adj.不透气的，闷热的

参考例句：

• It's really hot and stuffy in here.这里实在太热太闷了。
• It was so stuffy in the tent that we could sense the air was heavy with moisture.帐篷里很闷热，我们感到空气都是潮的。

3 earache   

n.耳朵痛

参考例句：

• I have been having an earache for about a week.我的耳朵已经痛了一个星期了。
• I've had an earache for the past few days.我耳痛好几天了。