Synonyms and antonyms of Specific medical conditions in British Thesaurus

acidity (noun)

a medical condition in which the liquid in the stomach becomes too acid and makes you feel uncomfortable

acne (noun)

a medical condition in which your face is covered in spots. It mainly affects teenagers.

ADD (noun)

attention deficit disorder: a medical condition that makes someone more active than normal, makes it difficult for them to concentrate, and causes problems with their behaviour

ADHD (noun)

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a medical condition that makes someone more active than normal, makes it difficult for them to concentrate, and causes problems with their behaviour

alcoholism (noun)

a medical condition that makes it difficult for you to control the amount of alcohol you drink

allergy (noun)

a medical condition in which you become sick or your skin becomes covered with red marks as a reaction to something you eat, breathe, or touch

alopecia (noun)

a condition in which someone’s hair falls out

amenorrhoea (noun)

a medical condition in which a woman who is not pregnant does not menstruate (=produce a flow of blood once a month)

amnesia (noun)

a medical condition that makes you unable to remember things, often caused by damage to the brain

anaemia (noun)

a medical condition in which your blood contains too few red blood cells (=the cells that carry oxygen through the body)

anaphylactic shock (noun)

a serious medical reaction caused by someone eating or touching something that they are allergic to (=something that makes them ill). Common causes are nuts, eggs, and drugs such as penicillin.

anaphylaxis (noun)

anaphylactic shock

anemia ()

an American spelling of anaemia

aneurysm (noun)

a serious swelling in the wall of an artery (=tube carrying blood around the body)

angina (noun)

a medical condition in which not enough blood gets to your heart, so that you get pains in your chest

aphasia (noun)

a medical condition in which you are unable to use or understand some words, caused by damage to the brain

arteriosclerosis (noun)

a serious medical condition in which the sides of the arteries become thick, hard, and stiff, so that your heart has to work harder to force blood through your body

arthritis (noun)

a medical condition affecting your joints (=the place where two bones meet) making them very swollen and painful

Asperger’s syndrome (noun)

a problem in the development of a child's brain that can cause difficulty in communicating with and understanding other people. It is at the less severe end of a range of problems called Autism Spectrum Disorder.

asthma (noun)

a medical condition that makes it difficult to breathe

atrophy (noun)

a medical condition in which a part of your body becomes weaker or smaller because you are not using it or because blood is not reaching it

autism (noun)

a problem in the development of a child's brain that can cause serious difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people. It is at the more severe end of a range of problems called Autism Spectrum Disorder.

the bends (noun)

a serious and painful condition that divers get if they come up from under the water too quickly

brain death (noun)

a state in which someone’s brain has stopped working, so that they are in fact dead, even though a machine may continue to make their heart work

brittle bone disease (noun)

osteoporosis

carpal tunnel syndrome (noun)

a medical condition in which a nerve in your wrist is squeezed and your hand hurts

catalepsy (noun)

a medical condition in which you become unconscious and your body becomes stiff and fixed in position

catarrh (noun)

a medical condition in which your nose and throat become blocked with a thick liquid called mucus, usually when you have a cold

catatonia (noun)

a medical condition in which you cannot move or control your movements as a result of illness or shock

cauliflower ear (noun)

a medical condition in which someone’s ear is permanently swollen, usually because of an injury

cerebral palsy (noun)

a medical condition affecting someone’s control over their movement and speech, usually caused by damage to their brain before or during birth

CF (abbreviation)

cystic fibrosis

cleft palate (noun)

a medical condition in which there is a narrow space inside someone’s mouth at the top, so that it is difficult for them to speak clearly

club foot (noun)

a medical condition in which someone’s foot is twisted to one side

coeliac disease (noun)

a medical condition in which the body cannot digest food (=use and get rid of it properly) that contains gluten (=wheat protein)

colitis (noun)

a painful medical condition that affects your colon (=the tube that takes waste food out of your body)

congestion (noun)

a condition in which a part of your body is blocked with blood or another liquid

crabs (noun)

medical a medical condition in which you have very small insects in your pubic hair

cumulative trauma disorder (noun)

mainly American repetitive strain injury

curvature (noun)

medical a medical condition in which a part of your body, usually your back, is curved too much

cystic fibrosis (noun)

a serious medical condition that makes it very difficult for you to breathe and mainly affects children

decompression sickness (noun)

a serious medical condition that affects divers who come up to the surface of water too quickly

deep vein thrombosis (noun)

a serious medical condition in which a clot (=mass of thick blood) forms in a vein or artery

delirium tremens (noun)

a serious medical condition caused by drinking too much alcohol. Delirium tremens is often called the DTs.

dermatitis (noun)

a medical condition in which parts of your skin become red and sore or covered in spots

diabesity (noun)

the combination of diabetes, obesity and the associated health problems

diabetes (noun)

a serious medical condition in which your body does not produce enough insulin to reduce the amount of sugar in the blood

Down’s syndrome (noun)

a medical condition that someone is born with, that makes them develop in a different way from most people, mentally and physically. Down’s syndrome is often simply called Down’s.

dropsy (noun)

old-fashioned the medical condition oedema

DVT (noun)

deep vein thrombosis

dwarfism (noun)

the condition of being much smaller than an average person and having arms and legs that are short compared to the body

dyslexia (noun)

a medical condition affecting the brain that makes it difficult for someone to read and spell words correctly

dystrophy (noun)

a condition in which a part of your body gradually becomes weaker

eating disorder (noun)

a medical condition such as anorexia or bulimia in which someone tries to control their weight in a way that makes them ill

eclampsia (noun)

a medical condition in which a pregnant woman with high blood pressure has convulsions (=violent uncontrolled movements)

economy class syndrome (noun)

informal deep vein thrombosis

eczema (noun)

a medical condition that makes your skin dry, sore, and itchy

epilepsy (noun)

a serious medical condition that affects the brain and makes you suddenly shake in an uncontrolled way or become unconscious

exposure (noun)

the harmful effect of very cold weather on your body

fever (noun)

a medical condition in which the temperature of your body is very high and you feel ill

frostbite (noun)

a medical condition in which cold weather seriously damages your fingers, toes, ears, or nose

gallstone (noun)

a small hard mass that can form in your gall bladder

gangrene (noun)

a serious medical condition in which a part of someone’s body decays when the blood stops flowing to it because of an injury or disease

gingivitis (noun)

a medical condition that makes your gums painful

globesity (noun)

the global problem of the number of people who are overweight or obese

glue ear (noun)

a medical condition in which a thick substance inside your ear makes it difficult for you to hear. It mainly affects young children.

grand mal (noun)

a serious form of epilepsy

haemorrhage (noun)

an occasion when blood flows out of an injured organ inside someone’s body, rather than out of their body through a cut in the skin

haemorrhoids (noun)

painful swollen areas around your anus (=the hole where solid waste comes out of your body). An informal name for haemorrhoids is piles.

halitosis (noun)

a medical condition in which your breath has a very unpleasant smell. A more usual word is bad breath.

hare lip (noun)

offensive a cleft palate

hay fever (noun)

a medical condition caused by pollen (=powder produced by flowers) that affects your nose and eyes as if you had a bad cold

heart disease (noun)

a serious medical condition affecting your heart

heart failure (noun)

a serious medical condition in which your heart does not work properly

heat exhaustion (noun)

the feeling of being extremely tired and weak that you get when you do too much physical activity in hot conditions

heatstroke (noun)

a serious medical condition caused by doing too much physical activity in hot weather

hemorrhoids ()

the American spelling of haemorrhoids

hernia (noun)

a medical condition in which an organ pushes itself through the wall of muscles around it

hives (noun)

a medical condition in which you get red itchy spots on your skin, often because you have eaten a particular food. The medical name for this is urticaria.

hole in the heart (noun)

a medical condition in which someone is born with a small hole in one of the parts that divide the different areas of their heart

hyperglycaemia (noun)

a medical condition in which someone has too much sugar in their blood

hypertension (noun)

a condition in which your blood pressure is extremely high

hypoglycaemia (noun)

a medical condition in which someone has a low level of sugar in their blood

hypokalaemia (noun)

a medical condition in which someone has a low level of potassium in their blood

hypothermia (noun)

a serious medical condition in which your body temperature is very low

hysteria (noun)

a medical condition in which someone is unable to control their emotions or behaviour

IBS (noun)

irritable bowel syndrome: a medical condition in which you have stomach pains and pass solid waste from your body more or less often than is normal

immunodeficiency (noun)

a condition in which your body does not have the normal protection against diseases

impotence (noun)

a medical condition in which a man is not able to have sex because his penis does not stay hard

insomnia (noun)

a medical condition in which you have difficulty sleeping

irritable bowel syndrome (noun)

IBS

malnutrition (noun)

a medical condition in which you are weak or ill because you do not eat enough or do not eat enough of the right foods

migraine (noun)

a very bad headache that often makes you unable to bear strong light

mini stroke (noun)

informal a short interruption in the blood supply to the brain

narcolepsy (noun)

a medical condition that makes you fall asleep very suddenly

necrosis (noun)

a condition in which part of the body has decayed and no longer works normally

nettle rash (noun)

a medical condition that causes large red spots on your skin for a short time

obesity (noun)

a condition in which someone is too fat in a way that is dangerous for their health

osteoarthritis (noun)

a serious medical condition that affects the parts of your body where your bones join each other, for example your knees, making it difficult for you to move

osteoporosis (noun)

a medical condition in which your bones become more likely to break. It often affects older people, especially women.

palsy (noun)

old-fashioned a medical condition that makes the muscles in your arms, legs, or face shake

paraplegia (noun)

a medical condition in which you cannot move the parts of your body below your waist

peptic ulcer (noun)

a small painful area inside your stomach, usually caused by bacteria

persistent vegetative state (noun)

a condition in which a person shows no sign of any brain activity, for example following a serious injury, and is kept alive only by the use of medical machines

petit mal (noun)

a type of epilepsy that is less serious than grand mal

piles (noun)

informal haemorrhoids

pre-eclampsia (noun)

a medical condition that affects pregnant women and quickly becomes dangerous if it is not treated

prolapse (noun)

a medical condition in which an organ in your body moves out of its usual position

psoriasis (noun)

a medical condition in which your skin becomes red and dry and pieces of dead skin fall off

repetitive strain injury (noun)

RSI

rhinitis (noun)

a medical condition in which the inside part of your nose becomes red and swollen and produces liquid

RSI (noun)

repetitive strain injury: a painful condition of the muscles in the hands and arms, caused by doing repeated small fast movements, for example while typing

senile dementia (noun)

old-fashioned dementia

sepsis (noun)

infection of your blood or body tissues, especially when this is serious and could kill you

shock (noun)

a medical condition in which you suddenly become very weak and cold and do not react normally, especially after a serious accident or injury

sick building syndrome (noun)

a medical condition that affects people who work in buildings where the air is not healthy

SIDS (noun)

sudden infant death syndrome: a medical condition that causes a baby to die suddenly in its bed

sleep apnoea (noun)

a condition where someone briefly stops breathing many times while they are asleep

slipped disc (noun)

a painful medical condition affecting your back, in which one of the parts that connect the bones in your spine has moved out of its usual place

spina bifida (noun)

a serious medical condition in which someone’s spinal cord is damaged, making them paralysed (=unable to move parts of their body)

stroke (noun)

a medical condition in which blood is suddenly blocked and cannot reach the brain, or in which a blood vessel in the brain breaks, often causing a loss of the ability to speak or to move particular muscles

sudden infant death syndrome (noun)

SIDS

sunstroke (noun)

a dangerous physical condition that results when your body temperature gets too hot, for example when you have been working for too long in the sun

swine flu (noun)

a disease similar to flu that spreads quickly from one person to another and causes problems such as a sore throat and cough, thought to be related to a virus which infects pigs

synaesthesia (noun)

a condition in which two or more of the five senses that most people experience separately are mixed so that, for example, a person may see colour when they hear a particular sound or read a particular word

tennis elbow (noun)

a medical condition in which your elbow swells and hurts

thrombosis (noun)

a serious medical condition in which your blood gets thicker and forms a clot that stops the blood flowing normally

TIA (noun)

transient ischaemic attack: a short interruption in the blood supply to the brain

tinnitus (noun)

a medical condition in which you hear a continuous noise in your ears

transient ischaemic attack (noun)

a short interruption in the blood supply to the brain; also called a TIA

tunnel vision (noun)

medical a medical condition in which you can only see what is directly in front of you

ulcer (noun)

a sore area on the inside of an organ in your body or on your skin that sometimes bleeds or produces a poisonous substance

varicose veins (noun)

a medical condition in which the veins in your legs become swollen and sore