Medical Terms in Spanish — Symptoms, Medications and Doctor Phrases

Key takeaways

• Core medical vocabulary: el médico/la médica (doctor), la receta (prescription), el dolor (pain), la fiebre (fever), los síntomas (symptoms).
• To describe pain: "Me duele + body part" — Me duele la cabeza (My head hurts).
• To say how long you've had symptoms: "Llevo + time + con + symptom" — Llevo dos días con fiebre.
• For allergies: "Soy alérgico/a a..." — critical phrase for any medical appointment.
• Emergency: ¡Llame a una ambulancia! (Call an ambulance!) — Spain: 112, Mexico: 911, Argentina: 107.

You're traveling in a Spanish-speaking country and wake up with a fever and severe headache. Or you're helping a Spanish-speaking family member navigate a healthcare appointment. Or you work in a field where communicating about health with Spanish speakers is part of your job. You can interactive Spanish online through step-by-step lessons built for real progress.

Medical vocabulary in Spanish is genuinely high-stakes — getting it right matters in ways that most vocabulary categories don't. A misunderstood symptom, a missed allergy, or a confused medication instruction can have real consequences.

This guide covers the core medical vocabulary you need — healthcare facilities and providers, symptoms, body systems, medications, emergency phrases, and the phrases for making appointments and talking to doctors — organized for real situations.

Healthcare facilities and providers

Healthcare providers:

• el médico / la médica — doctor / physician
• el médico de cabecera / de familia — GP / family doctor
• el especialista / la especialista — specialist
• el enfermero / la enfermera — nurse
• el cirujano / la cirujana — surgeon
• el dentista / la dentista — dentist
• el psicólogo / la psicóloga — psychologist
• el farmacéutico / la farmacéutica — pharmacist
• el paramédico / la paramédica — paramedic

Symptoms and complaints

1

Describing pain in Spanish

The verb doler is the key structure for reporting pain to a doctor. It works like gustar: the body part is the subject.

• Me duele la cabeza. — My head hurts.
• Me duele el estómago. — My stomach hurts.
• Me duelen las rodillas. — My knees hurt.
• ¿Dónde le duele? — Where does it hurt? (doctor asking)

Describing the type of pain:

• un dolor agudo — a sharp pain
• un dolor sordo — a dull ache
• un dolor pulsante — a throbbing pain
• un dolor quemante — a burning pain
• un dolor constante — a constant pain
• un dolor intermitente — an intermittent pain

Describing how long you've had symptoms:

• Llevo dos días con fiebre. — I've had a fever for two days.
• Empezó ayer por la mañana. — It started yesterday morning.
• Me duele desde hace una semana. — It's been hurting for a week.

Grammar note: The structure llevar + time + con + symptom is the most natural way to say how long you've had something: Llevo tres días con tos (I've had a cough for three days). Alternatively: Tengo tos desde hace tres días (I've had a cough for three days — "since three days ago").

Common illnesses and conditions

Medications and treatments

Medication instruction phrases:

• Tómelo dos veces al día. — Take it twice a day.
• Con las comidas. — With meals.
• En ayunas. — On an empty stomach.
• Antes de acostarse. — Before going to bed.
• No conduzca después de tomar este medicamento. — Do not drive after taking this medication.

Allergies and medical history

These are some of the most important phrases to know and communicate correctly in any medical context.

• Soy alérgico/a a la penicilina. — I am allergic to penicillin.
• Tengo alergia al gluten. — I have a gluten allergy.
• No tengo alergias conocidas. — I have no known allergies.
• Estoy tomando [medication]. — I am taking [medication].
• Tengo antecedentes de [condition]. — I have a history of [condition].
• Estoy embarazada. — I am pregnant.
• Soy diabético/a. — I am diabetic.
• Tengo hipertensión. — I have high blood pressure.
• Me han operado de [organ/condition]. — I have had surgery on / for [organ/condition].

Important note: Allergy information must be communicated precisely. Soy alérgico/a a... (I am allergic to...) followed by the substance is the clearest structure. If you have life-threatening allergies, consider carrying a written card in Spanish: Soy alérgico/a a [substance]. En caso de emergencia, administrar [treatment].

At the doctor's office

Making an appointment:

• Quisiera hacer una cita con el médico. — I'd like to make a doctor's appointment.
• Quisiera pedir hora para el doctor. — I'd like to book an appointment with the doctor.
• Es urgente. — It's urgent.
• ¿Cuándo tiene disponibilidad? — When do you have availability?

In the consultation:

• ¿Qué le pasa? — What's wrong? / What's the matter? (doctor asking)
• ¿Desde cuándo tiene estos síntomas? — How long have you had these symptoms?
• ¿Tiene alguna alergia a medicamentos? — Do you have any medication allergies?
• ¿Está tomando algún medicamento actualmente? — Are you currently taking any medication?
• Voy a tomarle la tensión. — I'm going to take your blood pressure.
• Voy a auscultarle. — I'm going to listen to your chest.
• Respire hondo. — Take a deep breath.
• ¿Hay algo que empeore el dolor? — Is there anything that makes the pain worse?

Understanding the diagnosis:

• ¿Puede repetirlo más despacio? — Can you repeat it more slowly?
• ¿Puede escribirlo? — Can you write it down?
• No entendí bien el diagnóstico. — I didn't fully understand the diagnosis.
• ¿Es grave? — Is it serious?
• ¿Cuánto tiempo tardaré en recuperarme? — How long will my recovery take?

Medical emergency phrases

Emergency numbers: Spain — 112, Mexico — 911, Argentina — 107, Colombia — 123, Chile — 131. The phrase ¡Es una emergencia médica! is understood everywhere.

• ¡Llame a una ambulancia! — Call an ambulance!
• ¡Necesito ayuda! — I need help!
• ¡Es una emergencia! — It's an emergency!
• No puedo respirar. — I can't breathe.
• Tengo un dolor fuerte en el pecho. — I have severe chest pain.
• Estoy sangrando mucho. — I'm bleeding heavily.
• Creo que me rompí el brazo. — I think I broke my arm.
• Se desmayó. — He/she fainted.
• ¿Hay algún médico aquí? — Is there a doctor here?

Vital signs and medical tests

How to prepare medical Spanish before you need it

• Prepare your medical history in Spanish: Write out your allergies, current medications, and health conditions in Spanish before traveling. Keep it on your phone.
• Learn your chronic condition vocabulary: If you have diabetes, asthma, or another condition, learn the specific vocabulary for it — how to say what you have and what medications you take.
• Practice the doler structure: Know immediately how to say where it hurts — me duele el pecho, me duelen las piernas — without having to think.
• Memorize the emergency phrase: ¡Llame a una ambulancia! ¡Es una emergencia! — know this before you need it.
• Use AI conversation practice: Apps like Promova offer conversation scenarios including medical appointments and health descriptions, helping you practice the vocabulary before you're in a real situation.

Summary

Medical Spanish vocabulary is built around a few key structures: me duele + body part for pain, tengo + symptom for conditions, llevo + time + con + symptom for duration, and soy alérgico/a a... for allergies.

Core vocabulary covers healthcare facilities (hospital, clínica, urgencias, farmacia), symptoms (fiebre, tos, mareo, dolor), medications (pastilla, receta, dosis), and emergency phrases (¡Llame a una ambulancia!).

Medical vocabulary is worth preparing before you need it — writing out your health history in Spanish, learning your condition-specific vocabulary, and practicing the doctor conversation phrases. In a health situation, being understood clearly can make a real difference.