This Medical Spanish lesson focuses on learning how to talk about the 9 less common causes of abdominal pain in Spanish: Las 9 causas menos comunes del dolor abdominal.
After a quick review of anatomy and symptoms in Spanish, you’ll learn how to discuss less common causes of abdominal pain in Spanish such as:
- Appendicitis in Spanish
- Kidney infections in Spanish
- Kidney stones in Spanish
- Hepatitis in Spanish
- Gallstones in Spanish
- Stomach cancer in Spanish
- Hernias in Spanish
- Ovarian Cysts in Spanish
- Ovarian torsion in Spanish
Here is the Medical Spanish lesson I taught to the Facebook group:
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In the past, we talked about the 16 common causes of abdominal pain, but now it’s time to review the 9 less common ones. First to all, we need to review the basic sign and symptoms of abdominal pain in Spanish.
Signos y síntomas básicos / Basic Signs and Symptoms
We need to define some basic signs and symptoms from the beginning, that way it will be easier for you to understand the history of the problem.
Dolor / Pain
There are different words to explain the level and kind of pain your patient is feeling. Take your time to learn the meaning each of them 🙂
Spanish |
English |
|---|---|
| Leve | Light |
Moderado  | Moderate |
| Fuerte / Severo | Strong |
| Repentino | Sudden |
| Agudo | Sharp |
| Sordo | Dull |
| Después de comer | After eating |
| Con / Sin presión | With / Without pressure |
| Con movimientos específicos | With specific movements |
| Al orinar | With urination / Upon urinating |
Note: The word “al” means “upon” in this context, so every time you hear “al” and then a verb, it means upon doing that verb.
Síntomas / Symptoms
Again, learning these words is important to be able to provide a good diagnosis.
Spanish |
English |
|---|---|
| Náusea | Nausea |
| Vómito (con sangre) | Vomiting (with blood) |
| Diarrea (con sangre) | Diarrhea (with blood) |
| Estreñimiento | Constipation |
| Fiebre | Fever |
| Gas abdominal | Abdominal gas |
| Eructos | Belching |
| Cambios en la regla / menstruación Cólicos | Changes in the period Cramping |
| Abotagamiento: hinchado, inflado Ardor | Bloating: swollen, inflated Burning sensation |
La historia y el examen físico / History and Physical Test
We talked about how to take the medical history and useful phrases for the physical exam in Spanish in older posts, but let’s do a quick review to these concepts and other some useful questions you can ask to your Latino patients:
| English | Spanish |
| When did the pain start? | ¿Cuándo comenzó el dolor? |
| When is it worst? When is it better? | ¿Cuándo está peor? ¿Mejor? |
| Is there something that makes it better or makes it worst? | ¿Hay algo que lo mejora o empeora? |
| Have you had this pain before? | ¿Ha tenido este dolor antes? |
| Does it hurt when I touch here? | ¿Le duele cuando palpo / toco aquí? |
| Tell me if something hurts | Dígame si algo le duele |
| Is the pain related to
| ¿El dolor se asocia con…:
|
| Lie down on your back | Acuéstese boca arriba |
| I’m going to listen to your abdomen | Voy a escucharle el abdomen |
| Relax your abdomen, please | Relaje el abdomen, por favor |
Note: Remember you can find a full post about how to talk about pain in Spanish here 🙂
Less Common Causes / Causas menos comunes
Now it’s time to get down to business. Here is a short list with the less common causes of abdominal pain, the symptoms of each of them and the possible / available treatment depending on the severity of the illness.
Apendicitis / Appendicitis
| Spanish | English |
| El apéndice es una parte del intestino grueso que no tiene una función necesaria | The appendix is a part of the large intestine that does not have a necessary function |
| Hay algo que está bloqueando el apéndice y los contenidos no pueden salir del apéndice y por eso se ha infectado y está inflamado | There is something that is blocking the appendix and the contents can not leave the appendix and that is why it has become infected and is inflamed |
| El apéndice puede romperse y el contenido de los intestinos van a causar una infección en su abdomen | The appendix may rupture and the contents of the intestines will cause an infection in your abdomen. |
| En este momento podemos darle antibióticos y esperar que se abra. Si no, necesitaremos hacerle una cirugía para quitar el apéndice | At this time we can give antibiotics and wait for it to open. If not, we will need to do surgery to remove the appendix |
Infección de riñones / Kidney infection
| Spanish | English |
| Una infección de vejiga es común – pero a veces esta infección puede extenderse a los riñones | A bladder infection is common – but sometimes this infection can spread to the kidneys |
| Causa mucho dolor y puede dañar al riñón si no lo tratamos | It causes a lot of pain and can damage the kidney if we do not treat it |
| Necesitamos darle antibióticos intravenosos (por suero), hacerle un ultrasonido o un TAC (tomografía computada) para ver si hay cálculos también | We need to give you intravenous antibiotics (for serum), do an ultrasound or a CT scan to see if there are stones too |
Cálculos renales / Kidney Stones
| Spanish | English |
| La orina pasa de los riñones por los uréteres a la vejiga. Una piedra o un cálculo está estancado en el uréter o en el riñón y le está causando mucho dolor | Urine passes from the kidneys through the ureters to the bladder. A stone is stuck in the ureter or kidney and is causing a lot of pain |
| Esto puede causar una infección en los riñones | This may cause an infection in the kidneys |
| Necesitamos hacerle un TAC para ver el cálculo, darle medicamentos para el dolor, y si no puede pasar el cálculo es posible usar ultrasonido para romperlo. También hay un procedimiento con láser para romperlo si el ultrasonido no funciona. | We need to do a CT scan to see the stone, give you pain medication, and if the stone cannot pass, it is possible to use ultrasound to break it. There is also a laser procedure to break it if the ultrasound does not work. |
Hepatitis
Es un virus que ataca las células del hígado. Hay varios tipos de hepatitis: ABCDE. / It is a virus that attacks the cells of the liver. There are several types of hepatitis: ABCDE.
| Spanish | English |
| Hepatitis A: Un virus que contraemos por comer comida contaminada. Muchas veces son mariscos | Hepatitis A: A virus that we contract by eating contaminated food. Many times they are seafood |
| Hepatitis A: le podemos dar cuidados de apoyo para el dolor – no hay cura, el cuerpo puede eliminarlo por sí mismo | Hepatitis A: we can give you supportive care for pain – there is no cure, the body can eliminate it by itself |
| Hepatitis B: Este virus es más serio. Se contrae de fluidos del cuerpo. Pueden ser fluidos sexuales y puede pasar de mamá a bebé | Hepatitis B: This virus is more serious. It contracts from body fluids. They can be sexual fluids and can change from mom to baby |
| Hepatitis B: hay algunas medicinas que sirven más o menos para hacer al virus dormirse y para suprimirlo | Hepatitis B: there are some medicines that serve more or less to make the virus fall asleep and to suppress it |
| Hepatitis C: Es un virus que se contrae por la sangre, normalmente es a través de las jeringas. | Hepatitis C: It is a virus that is contracted through the blood, usually through syringes. |
| Hepatitis C: hay medicinas nuevas que pueden eliminar el virus pero usted tiene que abstenerse de drogas y alcohol por 6 meses antes de dárselos | Hepatitis C: there are new medicines that can eliminate the virus but you have to abstain from drugs and alcohol for 6 months before giving them |
Cálculos biliares / Gallstones
| Spanish | English |
| La bilis se produce en el hígado para la digestión de comidas grasosas. | Bile is produced in the liver for the digestion of fatty foods. |
| La vesícula es donde el cuerpo almacena la bilis. | The gallbladder is where the body stores bile. |
| Cálculos pueden formarse en la vesícula y causar mucho dolor. | Stones can form in the gallbladder and cause a lot of pain. |
| Las mujeres mayores de 40 años que tienen hijos y que tal vez tienen sobrepeso son más propensas a padecer de la vesícula | Women over 40 who have children and who may be overweight are more likely to have problems with their gallbladder |
| No debe comer comidas altas en grasa. Si hay una infección, necesita una cirugía | You should not eat high fat foods. If there is an infection, you need surgery. |
Cáncer del estómago / Stomach cancer
| Spanish | English |
| Es uno de los cánceres más comunes del mundo | It is one of the most common cancers in the world |
| Se presenta con dolor de estómago, sentimiento que está lleno sin comer mucho, bajar de peso, sangre en el excremento y vomitar (con sangre) | It presents with stomach pain, a feeling of fullness without eating much, losing weight, blood in the stool and vomiting (with blood) |
| Si es descubierto temprano, podemos hacerle una cirugía para quitar una parte del estómago | If it is discovered early, we can do surgery to remove part of the stomach |
| También le podemos dar quimioterapia y cuidados de apoyo | We can also give you chemotherapy and supportive care |
La Hernia
| Spanish | English |
| Es un defecto o punto de debilidad de la pared abdominal | It is a defect or point of weakness of the abdominal wall |
| A veces es problemático y sintomático cuando los intestinos pasan por la hernia – los intestinos están apretados lo que causa que la sangre no puede circular por los intestinos. | Sometimes it is problematic and symptomatic when the intestines go through the hernia – the intestines are tight which causes the blood can not circulate through the intestines. |
| Hay 2 soluciones:
| There are 2 solutions:
|
Quistes en el ovario / Ovarian cysts
| Spanish | English |
| Los quistes son sacos de fluido o sangre cerca del ovario. Pasa con frecuencia con ovulación cuando el óvulo sale del ovario. | Cysts are sacs of fluid or blood near the ovary. It frequently happens with ovulation when the ovum leaves the ovary. |
| Los quistes pueden romperse y por eso hay que hacer ultrasonido para ver si se han roto. También es posible una cirugía laparoscópica para quitar el quiste | The cysts can break and that’s why you have to do ultrasound to see if they have broken. Laparoscopic surgery is also possible to remove the cyst |
Torsión del ovario / Ovarian Torsion
| Spanish | English |
| Es peligroso cuando el ovario gira sobre sí mismo porque puede privar el ovario de la sangre que necesita | It is dangerous when the ovary turns on itself because it can deprive the ovary of the blood it needs |
| Masas (como quistes) y otras cosas pesadas (un embarazo ectópico o fuera del útero) pueden provocar la torsión | Masses (like cysts) and other heavy things (an ectopic pregnancy or outside the uterus) can cause torsion |
| Es necesario hacerle un ultrasonido y probablemente una cirugía para enderezarlo | It is necessary to do an ultrasound and probably surgery to straighten it |
Now is your turn! ¡Ahora te toca a ti!
Study this abdominal pain vocabulary in Spanish with the flashcards below
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