Because of the recent posts about using the caja I have included some terms that may assist non-Spanish speakers with Costa Rica’s medical maze. Last week I published the first part of this article
Abra la boca – Open your mouth.
Antes o después de cada comida – before or after each meal (instructions used for taking medication)
Antígeno Prostático Específico (APE) – a man’s PSA test
Cada …horas – every…hours ( instructions used for taking medicine)
Carné – an identification or membership card that shows you belong to the Costa Rican public healthcare system
Colesterol – cholesterol
Cuanto antes – as soon as possible
Curar una herida – to treat a wound
Débil – weak
Disentería – dysentary
El examen dio positivo/negativo – the test turned out positive/negative
Embarazada – pregnant
Epiléptico/a – epileptic
¿Es alérgico/a a algo? Are you allergic to anything?
Es urgente – It’s urgent.
¿Está tomando alguna otra medicina? – Are you taking any other medication?
Estar intoxicado/a – You have food poisoning. This doesn’t mean you are drunk although it sounds like it.
¿Hay un doctor que hable inglés? – Is there an English speaking doctor?
Hinchazón – swelling
Infección- infection
Insolación- sunstroke
Inconciente – unconscious
Mamograma – mammogram
Muestra de sangre/heces/orina – A sample of blood/stool/urine
Orden patronal – a slip issued each month proving your caja membership is up to date. You will be asked for it when you seek medical services.
Orinar – to urinate
Papanicolao or la frotis vaginal – pap smear
Pediatra – pediatrician
Picazón – itch
Próstata – prostate
Regla or período – a woman’s period
Ronchas or sapullido – a rash
Sangre – blood
Tengo una cita – I have an appointment.
Tener sobrepeso – to be overweight
No tengo una cita – I don’t have an appointment.
No tener cura or incurable – incurable
Yo quisiera sacar una cita? I’d like to make an appointment.
Yo quisiera ver a un especialista – I want to see a specialist.
Quemadura – burn
Respire profundo. Breathe deeply.
Sangrado –bleeding
Suturas or puntos – stitches
Tos – cough
Triglicéridos – triglicerides
Úlcera – ulcer
Urólogo – urologist
VIH – HIV
To be continued next week…
Tiquismos related to health:
El curalotodo – the cure it all. El culalotodo is a beautiful woman who can cure anything (vulgar)
De médico, poeta y loco todos tenemos un poco – we all have a little bit of a doctor, poet and craziness in us
Doña dolores – a person who is always complaining about pain or a hypochonriac
El matasanos – a funny name for a doctor. Literally means a “killer of healthy people.”
Los errores de los médico se tapan con tierra – Doctor’s errors get covered with dirt.
Mal de amores – love sick
Rompehuesos – a Costa Rican name for a variety of the flu. It literally means “bone breaker.”
Tú eres lo que comes – You are what you eat.
Un poco de locura cura – a little bit of craziness cures or is good
