Read the four texts to learn more about different diseases and what symptoms are associated with them. Have you ever suffered from any of them?

Dorota Giżyńska

A

Hi Beth!

Thanks for your last email. I’m glad you like the book I recommended.

I have a lot of time now, too. Guess what! I’m in bed with flu. It’s not really that bad now, but my doctor was really worried when she saw me. I was coughing really badly and I had a fever. I was sweatingsweating [sweat]sweating and I was also short of breath.short of breathshort of breath. And what was surprising, I lost my appetiteappetiteappetite. You know me. I like my food. My doctor thought it could be pneumoniapneumoniapneumonia, but she examined my chest with a stethoscopestethoscopestethoscope. Fortunately, she couldn’t hear any rattlingrattling [rattle]rattling and she said she couldn’t feel any fluidfluidfluid in my chest either. So, it’s been 5 days now. I’m stuck in bed and don’t know what to do. Of course, I googled the symptoms and when I read the descriptions, I was really scared. People on the internet said it could be tuberculosistuberculosistuberculosis. It’s a serious disease with similar symptoms actually, but usually you have a persistentpersistentpersistent cough for at least 3 weeks and you cough up bloodcough up bloodcough up blood, which I didn’t have.

Anyway, do you think you could recommend something I could read or watch?

Let me know,

Toby

B

HepatitishepatitisHepatitis: inflammationinflammationinflammation of the liver

It usually happens as a result of a viral infectionviral infectionviral infection, or it is caused by drinking too much alcohol.

Symptoms:

- fever

- muscle and jointjoint (noun)joint pain

- losslossloss of appetite

- stomach pain

- yellow colour of the eyes

There are different types of hepatitis. You should get medical advice if you have been exposed tobeen exposed to [be exposed to]been exposed to the virus e.g. by kissing, holding hands, or sharing a toothbrush. Mothers can give it to a newborn baby.

A hepatitis B vaccinationvaccinationvaccination is available. Consult your GP for more information.

C

Lyme disease is a bacterial infectionbacterial infectionbacterial infection which is spread to humans by infected ticksticks [tick]ticks. An oval rashrashrash is the first symptom of the disease. Other symptoms include a high temperature, a headache, muscle and joint pain, as well as fatiguefatiguefatigue.

Not all ticks carry Lyme disease. 300,000 of new cases of Lyme disease are diagnoseddiagnosed [diagnose]diagnosed every year among children. Children aged between 5 and 14 are more prone to be infected. The tests available at the doctor miss from 30 to 50% of Lyme disease.

Children with Lyme disease tend to have lower grades, suffer from strong pain and depression and experience mood swingsmood swingsmood swings.

79% of children lose their friends because of the disease. 

The longer the tick stays on your skin, the more likely it is to infect you. 

D

Toby: Has anyone ever had such symptoms like shortnessshortnessshortness of breath and sweating? I’ve had it for a few days and I don’t know what it might be. Any help?

Ruth: Are you coughing as well? If you are, it could be tuberculosis. My auntie had it once. It was awful. Have you been coughing for more than three weeks? Can you see blood?

Dan: Have you got a rash? Any aches and pains? It could be chicken poxchicken poxchicken pox! I haven’t had it, but I’ve heard it can be bad.

Mark: Stop this nonsense, people! It could be a cold, or the flu. Don’t write such stuff! Go and hang out with friends instead of posting such comments! Are you doctors? Toby, you should consult your doctor asapasap, as soon as possibleasap and seek professional medical advice.

1 Źródło: Dorota Giżyńska , licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.