# Health and Illness
### 1. How to stay healthy

- **Physical activity:** exercise regularly – walking, cycling, going to the gym.
- **Healthy diet:** lots of vegetables and fruit, less meat / junk food / sugar / salt; drink enough water.
- **Sleep:** 7–9 hours.
- **Avoid:** smoking, drinking too much alcohol, taking drugs.
- **Mental health:** reduce stress, hobbies, time with friends, time outside.

### 2. Common illnesses

- **Cold / flu:** runny nose, cough, sore throat, fever / temperature, headache, sneezing.
- **Skin issues:** acne, rash, allergies, itchy skin.
- **Stomach:** food poisoning, diarrhoea, upset stomach, vomiting.
- **Injuries:** cuts, scratches, bruises, sprained / twisted ankle, broken bone.

### 3. Serious illnesses

- **Heart attack** – blood flow to the heart is blocked.
- **Stroke** – blood supply to the brain is disrupted.
- **Cancer** – uncontrolled cell growth (lung, breast, skin, etc.).
- **Diabetes** – body can’t control blood sugar.
- **Kidney / liver disease.**
- **Alzheimer’s** – loss of brain functions, memory.
- **Mental illness:** depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia.

### 4. The healthcare system

- **GP (general practitioner)** – first contact, general issues, writes prescriptions and referrals.
- **Specialists:**
    - **Dentist** – teeth
    - **Optician / optometrist** – eyes / glasses
    - **Paediatrician** – children
    - **Cardiologist** – heart
    - **Surgeon** – performs operations
    - **Anaesthetist** – anaesthesia
    - **Pharmacist** – medicines
    - **Psychiatrist / psychologist / therapist** – mental health

### 5. Visiting the doctor

- **Make an appointment**, sit in the waiting room.
- The doctor **checks your temperature, blood pressure, heart rate**, looks down your throat, listens to your lungs, does a physical examination.
- May give you a **prescription**, send you for **blood tests / x-ray / ultrasound**, refer you to a specialist.
- For emergencies → **ambulance / A&E (BrE) / ER (AmE)**.

### 6. Medicines and treatment

- **Pills / tablets:** paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin – fever and pain.
- **Liquid:** cough syrup, throat spray.
- **Eye drops, nose spray.**
- **Plaster / bandage / antiseptic cream** for cuts.
- **Injection / shot / vaccination** with a syringe and needle.
- **Inhaler** – asthma.
- **Antihistamine** – allergies.
- **Ointment / cream** – skin problems.
- **Antibiotics** – bacterial infections (don’t work on viruses).

### 7. When you break a bone

- Go to hospital for an **x-ray**.
- Get a **plaster cast / splint**.
- May need **crutches / a wheelchair / physiotherapy**.

### 8. Czech vs. UK / US healthcare

- **CZ:** public, mostly free at the point of use, financed by **insurance contributions** (zdravotní pojištění). You choose your GP and specialist.
- **UK:** **NHS** – mostly free, funded by taxes. Long waiting times.
- **USA:** mainly **private insurance**. Very expensive without coverage; **Obamacare / ACA** tried to expand access.

### 9. Mental health

- Increasingly recognised as just as important as physical health.
- Common issues: **anxiety, depression, burnout**.
- Treatments: **therapy (CBT), medication (antidepressants), lifestyle changes**.
- Stigma is decreasing, especially among younger generations.

### 10. Healthy lifestyle trends

- **Sport & gym memberships.**
- **Veganism / vegetarianism / plant-based diets.**
- **Mindfulness, meditation, yoga.**
- **Sleep tracking / wearables** (Apple Watch, Fitbit).
- **Mental health apps.**

### 11. Useful phrases when ill

- *I don’t feel well. / I feel sick. / I’m going to throw up.*
- *I have a headache / toothache / stomach ache.*
- *I have a sore throat / a runny nose / a fever.*
- *I’ve sprained my ankle / I think I’ve broken my arm.*
- *I’m allergic to bees / pollen / penicillin.*
- *I’m short of breath / dizzy / weak.*

### 12. Speaking strategy

Start with healthy lifestyle basics, then common illnesses, then the system (GP, specialists, hospital). Mention prescriptions and an example illness you’ve had. Compare CZ healthcare with the UK or US system. End with mental health as a modern issue.