Medical Symptoms in Spanish | Speak Up At The Clinic

Words like dolor, fiebre, and náuseas let you say what you feel, where it is, and how long it’s been going on.

When you feel sick, you don’t want to hunt for words. You want to be understood fast. Spanish makes that doable if you learn the right building blocks: the symptom word, the body part, the timing, and what makes it better or worse.

This article gives you the phrases people actually say in clinics and urgent care. You’ll learn common symptom vocabulary, ways to describe pain, and short sentence patterns you can reuse on repeat. No fluff. Just language you can put to work.

Medical Symptoms in Spanish For Doctor Visits

Most medical Spanish starts with three simple moves: name the feeling, point to the place, then add timing. If you can do that, you can handle a triage desk, a phone call, or a quick visit.

Use These Three Starters

• “Tengo…” (I have…): “Tengo fiebre.”
• “Me duele…” (It hurts…): “Me duele la cabeza.”
• “Siento…” (I feel…): “Siento mareo.”

Small detail that saves confusion: “Me duele” is for pain in a specific place. “Tengo” works well for symptoms as a thing you have, like fever, cough, or nausea.

Get The Timing Right

Timing changes the whole picture. These phrases are short, common, and clear:

• “Desde ayer.” (Since yesterday.)
• “Desde hace tres días.” (For three days.)
• “Empezó hoy por la mañana.” (It started this morning.)
• “Va y viene.” (It comes and goes.)
• “Empeoró esta noche.” (It got worse tonight.)

Say Where It Is

Body parts come up nonstop. A few high-traffic ones:

• la cabeza (head)
• la garganta (throat)
• el pecho (chest)
• el estómago (stomach)
• la espalda (back)
• el brazo (arm), la pierna (leg)

Put it together like this: “Me duele el pecho desde ayer.” One sentence. Clear signal.

Pronunciation That Prevents Mix-Ups

You don’t need a perfect accent. You do need to avoid a few common tangles that can change meaning.

Stress And Speed

Spanish is steady and syllable-based. Slow down a touch and hit each syllable. If you rush, words blur together and you can lose the symptom.

Three Words People Mishear

• “Mareo” (dizziness) vs. “mareado/a” (dizzy): “Estoy mareado.”
• “Náuseas” (nausea) vs. “nervios” (nerves): “Tengo náuseas.”
• “Fiebre” (fever) vs. “fibra” (fiber): “Tengo fiebre.”

If you forget a word, point and use a fallback: “Aquí, dolor.” It’s not fancy, yet it lands.

Symptom Words You’ll Use Again And Again

Start with the symptoms that show up in intake forms and triage questions. Learn them as pairs: the noun and the adjective, so you can use whichever comes easier in the moment.

Common Symptoms

• dolor (pain) / me duele (it hurts)
• fiebre (fever) / tengo fiebre (I have fever)
• tos (cough) / tengo tos (I have a cough)
• náuseas (nausea) / tengo náuseas (I feel nauseated)
• vómitos (vomiting) / vomité (I threw up)
• diarrea (diarrhea)
• mareo (dizziness) / estoy mareado/a (I’m dizzy)
• fatiga (fatigue) / cansancio (tiredness)
• falta de aire (shortness of breath)

If you want a bigger list by category, the MedlinePlus en español: “Síntomas” index is a clean, trusted place to browse terms and match them to plain-language explanations.

Describe The Pain, Not Just The Pain

Clinicians often ask what the pain feels like. These descriptors are common and easy to remember:

• punzante (stabbing)
• ardor (burning)
• opresión (pressure/tightness)
• cólico (crampy)
• constante (constant)
• intermitente (on and off)

Try a full line: “Es un dolor punzante en la espalda, va y viene.” That gives shape to the problem.

Use The 0–10 Scale

Pain scales are standard. Keep it simple:

• “Del cero al diez, es un siete.” (From zero to ten, it’s a seven.)
• “Ahora es un cuatro, antes fue un ocho.” (Now it’s a four, before it was an eight.)

Add function when you can: “Me duele al respirar.” (It hurts when I breathe.) “Me duele al tragar.” (It hurts to swallow.)

Quick Reference Table Of Symptoms, Spanish, And Urgency

Use this table as a fast picker. It won’t diagnose anything. It helps you say the right words and signal urgency when a symptom sounds alarming.

Symptom (English)	Spanish You Can Say	Urgency Cue
Chest pain / pressure	Me duele el pecho / Siento opresión en el pecho	Call emergency services if it’s sudden, strong, or paired with breath trouble
Shortness of breath	Me falta el aire / Tengo dificultad para respirar	Urgent if new, worsening, or paired with blue lips or confusion
High fever	Tengo fiebre alta	Urgent if severe, persistent, or paired with stiff neck or rash
Severe headache	Me duele mucho la cabeza	Urgent if sudden “worst headache,” fainting, or weakness
Stroke warning signs	De repente: cara caída / brazo débil / habla rara	Emergency: call right away
Abdominal pain	Me duele el abdomen / el estómago	Urgent if rigid belly, repeated vomiting, or black/bloody stool
Vomiting	He vomitado / Estoy vomitando	Urgent if blood, dehydration signs, or can’t keep fluids down
Diarrhea	Tengo diarrea	Urgent if blood, severe weakness, or lasting several days
Allergic reaction	Ronchas / Hinchazón / Me pica la piel	Emergency if lip/tongue swelling or breathing trouble
Urinary burning	Ardor al orinar / Me arde al orinar	More urgent with fever, back pain, or pregnancy

Say What Makes It Worse Or Better

This is where you sound clear and specific, even with basic Spanish. Use these patterns:

Triggers And Relief

• “Empeora cuando…” (It gets worse when…)
• “Me duele más al…” (It hurts more when I…)
• “Me mejora con…” (It improves with…)
• “No me mejora con…” (It doesn’t improve with…)

Useful fill-ins: al caminar (when walking), al respirar (when breathing), después de comer (after eating), cuando me acuesto (when I lie down).

Meds And Allergies

Clinics ask about medicines and allergies early. Keep these lines ready:

• “Tomo…” (I take…)
• “Soy alérgico/a a…” (I’m allergic to…)
• “No tengo alergias conocidas.” (No known allergies.)
• “Tomé ibuprofeno/paracetamol y no me ayudó.” (I took ibuprofen/acetaminophen and it didn’t help.)

If you don’t know the Spanish drug name, say the brand or show the bottle. Add: “Es esto.” (It’s this.)

Red Flags You Should Be Able To Say Fast

Some symptoms need urgent action, not a long conversation. If you’re unsure, it’s safer to treat it as urgent and get help.

Stroke Phrases That Match The Standard Check

Stroke screening is often taught with F.A.S.T. If you want a clear overview of the signs and a simple checklist, see the CDC “Signs and Symptoms of Stroke” page and the American Stroke Association F.A.S.T. materials.

Spanish lines you can use in the moment:

• “De repente no puedo hablar bien.” (Suddenly I can’t speak well.)
• “Tengo debilidad en un lado.” (I have weakness on one side.)
• “Se me cae la cara.” (My face is drooping.)
• “No puedo levantar el brazo.” (I can’t raise my arm.)

Breathing And Chest Symptoms

Breathing trouble gets attention fast. Use direct words:

• “Me falta el aire.” (I’m short of breath.)
• “Me duele el pecho al respirar.” (My chest hurts when I breathe.)
• “Siento presión en el pecho.” (I feel pressure in my chest.)

For respiratory illness signs like fever, cough, sore throat, and body aches, the CDC “Signs and Symptoms of Flu” page lists the standard symptom set used in many clinics.

Table Of Clinic Phrases You Can Reuse

These are plug-and-play lines for intake questions. Read them out loud once or twice, then keep them on your phone.

English	Spanish	When To Use It
It started today.	Empezó hoy.	Timing
It started three days ago.	Empezó hace tres días.	Timing
It comes and goes.	Va y viene.	Pattern
It’s constant.	Es constante.	Pattern
It hurts when I swallow.	Me duele al tragar.	Trigger
It hurts when I breathe.	Me duele al respirar.	Trigger
I’m allergic to penicillin.	Soy alérgico/a a la penicilina.	Allergies
I take these medications.	Tomo estos medicamentos.	Meds list
I don’t understand. Can you repeat?	No entiendo. ¿Puede repetir?	Clarity
Please speak more slowly.	Por favor, hable más despacio.	Clarity

Simple Sentence Patterns That Cover Most Visits

If you freeze under pressure, patterns save you. Pick one and fill the blanks.

Pattern 1: Feeling + Place + Timing

“Tengo [síntoma] en [lugar] desde [tiempo].”

“Tengo dolor en la garganta desde ayer.”

Pattern 2: Pain + What Triggers It

“Me duele [lugar] al [acción].”

“Me duele la espalda al caminar.”

Pattern 3: Severity + Change Over Time

“Ahora es un [0–10], antes fue un [0–10].”

“Ahora es un cuatro, antes fue un ocho.”

Handling The Usual Questions At Intake

Front-desk questions can feel rapid-fire. If you can answer these, you’re in good shape.

Age And Basics

• “Tengo 32 años.” (I’m 32.)
• “Peso 70 kilos.” (I weigh 70 kg.)
• “Mido 1,75.” (I’m 1.75 m.)

Medical History

• “Tengo diabetes.” (I have diabetes.)
• “Tengo presión alta.” (I have high blood pressure.)
• “Estoy embarazada.” (I’m pregnant.)
• “Me operaron hace dos años.” (I had surgery two years ago.)

If you don’t know a term, you can still communicate: “No sé el nombre, pero…” (I don’t know the name, but…) and describe what you mean.

What To Do If You Can’t Find The Right Word

This happens to everyone, even fluent speakers. Don’t stall. Use one of these tactics and keep moving.

Use A “Show And Tell” Combo

• Point to the spot: “Aquí.” (Here.)
• Use a simple noun: “Dolor.” (Pain.)
• Add timing: “Desde ayer.” (Since yesterday.)

Ask For A Rephrase

• “¿Cómo se dice en otras palabras?” (How do you say that in other words?)
• “¿Puede escribirlo?” (Can you write it?)

Writing helps because you can translate later, show it to a friend, or match it to the terms you’re learning.

A Small Practice Routine That Sticks

If you want this to stay in your head, don’t memorize a giant list. Practice in tight loops.

One Minute, Once A Day

1. Pick one symptom word: dolor, fiebre, tos, náuseas.
2. Say one sentence with timing: “Tengo tos desde hace dos días.”
3. Say one sentence with a trigger: “Me duele al tragar.”

That’s it. After a week, you’ll have a set of phrases that feel automatic.

Printable-Style Checklist You Can Keep On Your Phone

Copy this into a note. Fill in the blanks before an appointment, then hand it over or read it aloud.

• Síntoma principal: ________
• Lugar: ________
• Cuándo empezó: ________
• Qué lo empeora: ________
• Qué lo mejora: ________
• Dolor 0–10: ________
• Medicamentos: ________
• Alergias: ________

If you can say these pieces clearly, you’ll get better questions, faster triage, and fewer repeat explanations.