56 Medical Conditions In Spanish When You Have To Visit The Doctor

God forbid you need this blog post about medical conditions in Spanish, but if you need it… it’s better to be up-to-date with the necessary phrases and expressions.

Spring Spanish (a project I  co-founded) made a great video about this topic, so check all the Spanish you need for a doctor’s visit here:

In this guide, we’ll do our best to equip you with the most important terms for medical conditions in Spanish.

1. Visit the doctor with general health vocabulary

When you first arrive at the doctor’s office, you’ll need some basic health-related terms to explain your situation.

These phrases will help you start the conversation and describe your general state of health.

Let’s see all of these common Spanish phrases in a real dialogue:

María: “Buenos días, doctor. Me siento enferma desde hace unos días. Tengo fiebre y tos, y he perdido el apetito.” (María: “Good morning, doctor. I’ve been feeling sick for a few days. I have a fever and cough, and I’ve lost my appetite.”)
Doctor: “Entiendo, María. Vamos a examinarle y ver qué podemos hacer. ¿Ha tomado algún medicamento?” (Doctor: “I understand, María. Let’s examine you and see what we can do. Have you taken any medication?”)
María: “No, doctor. Pensé que era mejor consultarle primero. (María: “No, doctor. I thought it was better to consult you first.”)
Doctor: “Ha hecho bien. Después del examen, veremos si necesita una receta.” (Doctor: “You did well. After the examination, we’ll see if you need a prescription.”)

2. Common cold and flu in Spanish

Cold and flu symptoms are frequent reasons for doctor visits.

Knowing how to describe these common symptoms will help you get the right treatment quickly.

Imagine this situation:

Carlos: “Hola, doctora. Creo que tengo gripe. Estoy congestionado, tengo escalofríos y me duele la garganta.” (Hello, doctor. I think I have the flu. I’m congested, I have chills, and my throat hurts.)
Doctora: “Vamos a revisarle, Carlos. ¿Desde cuándo tiene estos síntomas?” (Let’s examine you, Carlos. How long have you had these symptoms?)
Carlos: “Empezó hace dos días con estornudos y moqueo, pero hoy me siento mucho peor.” (It started two days ago with sneezing and a runny nose, but today I feel much worse.)
Doctora: “Entiendo. Vamos a hacer algunas pruebas para confirmar si es gripe o un resfriado fuerte.” (I understand. We’re going to do some tests to confirm if it’s the flu or a severe cold.)

3. Uncomfortable digestive issues

Digestive problems can be embarrassing, but it’s important to communicate them clearly to your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Avoid embarrassing moments by explaining things clearly:

Ana: “Doctora, tengo problemas digestivos. Tengo náuseas constantes y he vomitado varias veces hoy.” [Doctor, I have digestive problems. I have constant nausea and I’ve vomited several times today.]
Doctora: “Siento oír eso, Ana. ¿Ha podido comer o beber algo?” [I’m sorry to hear that, Ana. Have you been able to eat or drink anything?]
Ana: “He intentado beber agua, pero no puedo retener nada. También tengo dolor de estómago.” [I’ve tried to drink water, but I can’t keep anything down. I also have stomach pain.]
Doctora: “Vamos a examinarla y hacer algunas pruebas para determinar la causa de estos síntomas.” [We’re going to examine you and run some tests to determine the cause of these symptoms.]

4. Headaches and migraines

Migraines can be excruciating to the point they impact your daily life.

Here’s how to describe different types of headaches and their symptoms.

Keep calm, and explain your headaches like this:

Pedro: “Doctor, sufro de migrañas frecuentes. El dolor es pulsante y tengo mucha sensibilidad a la luz.” [Doctor, I suffer from frequent migraines. The pain is throbbing and I’m very sensitive to light.]
Doctor: “Entiendo, Pedro. ¿Con qué frecuencia tiene estas migrañas?” [I understand, Pedro. How often do you have these migraines?]
Pedro: “Al menos dos veces por semana. A veces también tengo visión borrosa y me mareo con el dolor.” [At least twice a week. Sometimes I also have blurred vision and feel dizzy from the pain.]
Doctor: “Gracias por la información detallada. Vamos a discutir algunas opciones de tratamiento para aliviar sus síntomas.” [Thank you for the detailed information. Let’s discuss some treatment options to alleviate your symptoms.]

5. Talk about allergies in Spanish

Sadly, allergies are increasingly common.

Here’s how to discuss them and describe your symptoms to a Spanish-speaking doctor.

Let’s role-play this, too:

Lucía: “Doctora, creo que tengo una reacción alérgica. Me pica la piel y tengo los ojos hinchados.” [Doctor, I think I’m having an allergic reaction. My skin itches and my eyes are swollen.]
Doctora: “¿Sabe si es alérgica a algo en particular, Lucía?” [Do you know if you’re allergic to anything in particular, Lucía?]
Lucía: “Soy alérgica a los frutos secos, pero no he comido ninguno. Sin embargo, tengo alergias estacionales.” [I’m allergic to nuts, but I haven’t eaten any. However, I do have seasonal allergies.]
Doctora: “Entiendo. Vamos a examinarla y posiblemente le recetaré un antihistamínico para aliviar los síntomas.” [I understand. Let’s examine you and I’ll possibly prescribe an antihistamine to relieve the symptoms.]

6. Explain chronic conditions in Spanish

Chronic conditions require specific vocabulary in every language, and it’s true for Spanish, too.

Here’s how to discuss long-term health issues with your Spanish-speaking healthcare provider.

Time to revisit for a doctor’s check-up:

Miguel: “Doctor, vengo por mi control de diabetes. Últimamente he notado que también tengo problemas para dormir.” [Doctor, I’m here for my diabetes check-up. Lately, I’ve noticed that I’m also having trouble sleeping.]
Doctor: “Gracias por informarme, Miguel. ¿Cómo están sus niveles de azúcar?” [Thank you for letting me know, Miguel. How are your sugar levels?]
Miguel: “Los he mantenido bajo control, pero este insomnio me preocupa. ¿Podría estar relacionado con mi diabetes?” [I’ve kept them under control, but this insomnia worries me. Could it be related to my diabetes?]
Doctor: “Es posible. Vamos a revisar sus niveles y discutir cómo podemos mejorar su calidad de sueño junto con el manejo de su diabetes.” [It’s possible. Let’s check your levels and discuss how we can improve your sleep quality along with managing your diabetes.]

7. Describing pain in Spanish

Accurately describing pain helps doctors diagnose issues.

Here’s a comprehensive list of terms to help you communicate your pain effectively.

Explain your pain in Spanish like this:

Elena: “Doctora, tengo un dolor en la espalda baja. Es un dolor constante y a veces irradia hacia mi pierna derecha.” [Doctor, I have pain in my lower back. It’s a constant pain and sometimes it radiates to my right leg.]
Doctora: “Entiendo, Elena. En una escala del 1 al 10, ¿qué tan fuerte es el dolor?” [I understand, Elena. On a scale of 1 to 10, how strong is the pain?]
Elena: “Yo diría que es un 7. Es bastante intenso y me dificulta dormir por las noches.” [I’d say it’s a 7. It’s quite intense and makes it difficult for me to sleep at night.]
Doctora: “Gracias por ser tan específica. Vamos a examinar su espalda y posiblemente hacer algunas pruebas para determinar la causa del dolor.” [Thank you for being so specific. We’re going to examine your back and possibly do some tests to determine the cause of the pain.]

8. Practice worksheet for medical conditions in Spanish

Get ready to be on top when emergency rises. Here’s a sneak peek of our pre-made flashcards for medical conditions in Spanish:

If you want, you can practice more. Just click the button below, and you’ll access our Full Practice Worksheet Library!

9. Learn the medical conditions in Spanish with Conversation Based Chunking

Conversation Based Chunking is an effective method for learning Spanish medical vocabulary.

This technique is all about breaking down conversations into smaller, manageable chunks and practicing them.

Here’s how you can apply this method:

1. Start with a simple exchange, like greeting the doctor and stating your main symptom.
2. Practice this chunk until you’re comfortable with it.
3. Add the next part of the conversation, such as the doctor asking for more details.
4. Practice the extended chunk, then add another part.
5. Continue this process, building a complete doctor-patient dialogue.

We already gave you some conversations that you can rely on, but we still have a free offer for you: it’s the Spanish Chunking Starter Pack.

In this package, you’ll get an essential Spanish chunking list, other resources to learn Spanish, and access to our Full Practice Worksheet Library.