如何用英文描述症狀？醫師最需要聽到的 7 個重點

走進診所或急診時，最常卡住的不是聽不懂醫生，而是不知道怎麼把自己的不舒服「整理成醫師聽得懂的英文」。其實英語系國家的醫療人員在問診時，腦中有一個固定清單：什麼時候開始、痛在哪裡、是什麼樣的痛、有多嚴重、有沒有變化、什麼會讓它變好變壞、還有沒有別的症狀。這篇是這個小系列的總覽，後面 6 篇會一一深入。

本文僅教英文溝通，不提供醫療診斷或治療建議；緊急症狀請尋求當地急救或醫療協助。

核心單字表

English term 中文意思 例句
symptom 症狀 I have a few symptoms I want to describe.
onset 開始的時間／發作 The onset was around 9 p.m. last night.
severity 嚴重程度 The severity has been getting worse.
duration 持續時間 The duration is about three days.
trigger 誘發因素 Cold air seems to be a trigger.
sharp / dull 銳痛／鈍痛 It feels like a sharp pain, not dull.
constant / intermittent 持續／間歇 The pain is constant, not intermittent.
associated symptom 伴隨症狀 I also have an associated symptom — dizziness.

必背句型

  1. I started feeling this about ___ ago.（這個症狀大約 ___ 前開始）
  2. It comes and goes.（時有時無）
  3. The pain is here, on my lower right side.（痛在這裡，右下方）
  4. It feels like a ___ pain.（這是一種 ___ 的痛）
  5. On a scale of 1 to 10, it's about a ___.（1 到 10 分，大概 ___ 分）
  6. It gets worse when I ___.（當我 ___ 的時候會變嚴重）
  7. It gets better when I ___.（當我 ___ 的時候會緩解）
  8. I also have ___ along with it.（同時還有 ___）
  9. Nothing seems to make it better.（什麼方法都沒效）
  10. This has never happened before.（以前從來沒有發生過）
  11. It's similar to what I had ___ ago.（這跟我 ___ 前那次有點像）
  12. I'm worried because ___.（我擔心是因為 ___）

錯誤說法 vs 自然說法

不太自然 自然好用
I have very pain. I'm in a lot of pain.
My stomach is sick. I have a stomachache. / My stomach hurts.
I am dizzy a little bit only. I feel a little dizzy.
The sick start yesterday night. It started last night.
I feel fire inside my chest. I have a burning feeling in my chest.

情境對話

Doctor: What brings you in today?（今天怎麼了？） Patient: I've had stomach pain since yesterday morning. It started slowly and got worse after lunch.（我從昨天早上開始肚子痛，慢慢開始的，午餐後變更嚴重。） Doctor: Where exactly does it hurt?（具體痛在哪裡？） Patient: Right here, on the lower right side. It feels sharp when I move.（這裡，右下方。我一動就會有刺痛感。） Doctor: On a scale of 1 to 10?（1 到 10 分呢？） Patient: About a 7. I also feel a little nauseous.（大約 7 分，還覺得有點噁心。）

可替換句型模板

  • I've had [SYMPTOM] for [DURATION].
    • I've had a headache for two days.
    • I've had this cough for about a week.
  • The pain is [QUALITY] and [LOCATION].
    • The pain is sharp and on my left side.
    • The pain is dull and around my lower back.
  • It gets worse when [TRIGGER] and better when [RELIEF].
    • It gets worse when I bend down and better when I lie still.
  • I also have [ASSOCIATED SYMPTOM].
    • I also have a fever.
    • I also have some numbness in my fingers.

小練習

  1. 把「我從早上 8 點開始頭痛，到現在沒停」翻成英文。 答： I've had a headache since 8 a.m., and it hasn't stopped.
  2. 把「咳嗽大概兩個禮拜，晚上特別嚴重」翻成英文。 答： I've had a cough for about two weeks, and it's worse at night.
  3. 用 1–10 分量表描述「中等程度的腰痛」。 答： It's about a 5 out of 10 — moderate lower back pain.

看診前可複製的英文整理表

My symptoms today

  • Started: ___ (when)
  • Location: ___
  • Quality: sharp / dull / burning / cramping
  • Severity: ___ / 10
  • Worse with: ___
  • Better with: ___
  • Other symptoms: ___
  • Past similar episodes: yes / no
  • Current medications: ___

延伸閱讀

  • 疼痛英文怎麼說？位置、程度、感覺與持續時間
  • 持續時間英文：症狀從什麼時候開始、多久了、是否反覆
  • 症狀變化英文：變嚴重、改善、復發、沒有緩解
  • 緩解與誘發因素英文：什麼會讓症狀變好或變壞
  • 嚴重程度英文：mild, moderate, severe 與 1 到 10 分疼痛量表
  • 伴隨症狀英文：發燒、頭暈、噁心、麻木、呼吸困難

再次提醒：本文聚焦英文溝通技巧，不能取代醫師的判斷。若出現胸痛、呼吸困難、意識改變、嚴重出血等情況，請立刻撥打當地急救電話或前往急診。