Presenting complaints
A patient who is experiencing pain may be frustrated. The health professional needs to ask questions pertaining to particular parts of the body, question how pain radiates to other parts of the body, and to determine the degree of pain.
Objectives:
- Recognize the parts of the body
- Ask about the intensity and degree of pain
- Use adjectives to describe types of pain
- Ask about pain movement (radiation of pain)
Preparation activity
What do you know about this topic in English?
Fill in the blanks with a word that describes pain.
-
I am menstruating. I have terrible ________ in my stomach.
ThrobbingBurningCrampingCrushingShootingStinging -
I have a terrible headache. I think it is a migraine. My head is ________
Throbbing
BurningCrampingCrushingShootingStinging -
Ouch, I cannot eat anything. I have a________ pain in my tooth.
ThrobbingBurningCrampingCrushingShootingStinging -
When I urinate, I have a ________ feeling. I think it is a urinary infection.
ThrobbingBurningCrampingCrushingShootingStinging -
I think I have an insect bite. I have a________ pain in my finger.
ThrobbingBurningCrampingCrushingShootingStinging -
I have a ________ pain in my chest. I can’t breathe. Am I having a heart attack?
ThrobbingBurningCrampingCrushingShootingStinging
Match the words and phrases to the correct question. How do you ask about …?
-
Description of the pain?
Where is the pain?How strong is the pain?What does the pain feel like?What sets the pain off?What makes the pain better? -
Location of pain
Where is the pain?
How strong is the pain?What does the pain feel like?What sets the pain off?What makes the pain better? -
Triggers
Where is the pain?How strong is the pain?What does the pain feel like?What sets the pain off?What makes the pain better? -
Relieves
Where is the pain?How strong is the pain?What does the pain feel like?What sets the pain off?What makes the pain better? -
Level of pain
Where is the pain?How strong is the pain?What does the pain feel like?What sets the pain off?What makes the pain better?
Listen and repeat
Listen to the following examples and practice repeating the phrases.
Expressions and Examples: Asking about pain
Where does it hurt?
Can you describe the pain?
How bad is it?
Does it go anywhere else?
When does it start?
When does it stop?
How long does the pain last?
How often does it happen?
What relieves the pain?
What triggers the pain?
Is your pain mild, moderate, or severe?
Let’s Listen: Podcast
In this podcast, the patient complains about chest pain. The health professional will ask questions about the pain: location, level, and triggers. Let’s listen to the conversation that is in progress.