The First-Aid Kit
When dealing with minor scrapes and injuries, your first stop is the first-aid kit (el botiquín).
| The first-aid kit is in the bathroom. | El botiquín está en el baño. |
Inside, you will find essential supplies to clean and cover wounds. Two of the most common are plasters (la tirita) and gauze (la gasa).
| There are plasters and gauze in the first-aid kit. | Hay tiritas y gasas en el botiquín. |
| He has a wound, so he needs a plaster. | Tiene una herida, así que necesita una tirita. |
Common Remedies
For everyday ailments, a pharmacy can provide exactly what you need. If you have a cough, you might take some syrup (el jarabe).
| You should take this syrup for your cough. | Deberías tomar este jarabe para la tos. |
If you get a mosquito or bug bite (la picadura), applying a topical ointment (la pomada) will help soothe the skin.
| My bite hurts, so I am using the ointment. | Me duele la picadura, así que uso la pomada. |
And if someone feels warm and might have a fever, you will want to check their temperature with a thermometer (el termómetro).
| Since you have a fever, I am going to look for the thermometer. | Como tienes fiebre, voy a buscar el termómetro. |
Symptoms and Relief
When you are unwell, it helps to be able to describe your symptoms (el síntoma). One common issue is a dizzy spell or dizziness (el mareo).
| Dizziness is a symptom of this illness. | El mareo es un síntoma de esta enfermedad. |
You might also notice that an injured ankle or a bug bite is swollen (hinchado).
| She has a swollen ankle, that is why she is not walking. | Ella tiene el tobillo hinchado, por eso no camina. |
The main goal of these remedies and first-aid supplies is to relieve (aliviar) your discomfort so you can recover quickly!
| The syrup relieves the cough very fast. | El jarabe alivia la tos muy rápido. |
Una urgencia or urgencias?
Una urgencia is an emergency or something urgent: en caso de urgencia, necesito un médico con urgencia. Urgencias, always plural, is the hospital's emergency department: ir a urgencias.
