7b. Discussing Health Conditions - Describing Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

1. Discussing Health Conditions:
Discussing Symptoms,
Causes, and Treatments
Unit 24
ASL III

2. Discussing Health
Conditions
In everyday conversations, you may find
yourselves in situations where you need to
explain complex ideas in ASL. This unit on
health introduces you to language skills that
will help you organize and discuss complex
topics.

3. Discussing Health
Conditions
This unit will prepare you to take complex
information written on a particular illness,
identify the important points to cover,
organize the information into three areas;
symptoms, causes, and treatments, and make a
concise 5-minute presentation.

4. Describing Symptoms,
Causes, and Treatments
To explain the symptoms, causes, and treatments for a
health condition, use the following sequence to structure
the information:
1. Name the condition and briefly describe the
symptoms.
2. Describe the causes.
3. Discuss treatment options.
a. Tell if it is curable.
b. List treatment options on your weak hand.

5. Example: Migraine
1. Name the condition and
briefly describe the
symptoms
● To begin, fingerspell
the word “migraine”
and then give a
description of
common symptoms
associated with a
migraine.

6. Example: Migraine
2. Describe the causes
● To transition to discussing causes, use
the rhetorical question CAUSE-
WHAT?
● List the causes on your weak hand.
● Use raised eyebrows each time you
refer to a finger on your weak hand to
signal that you are naming the next
cause.
● Since causes are often written as noun
phrases, you must translate the phrases
into action verbs. The following are
examples of probable causes for
migraines. Study how the noun
phrases are translated.
for “birth control pills”
for “food allergies”
for “menstruation cycles”
for “tension”
for “not enough sleep

7. Example: Migraine
3. Discuss treatment options: Is it curable?
● To transition to discussing treatment options, use a rhetorical question with
the appropriate phrase to tell whether or not a condition is curable:
“can recover completely”
“symptoms can be eliminated”
“condition cannot be cured, but symptoms can be alleviated”
“condition cannot be cured, but can be prevented”
“condition cannot be cured, but symptoms can be controlled”

8. Treatment options
(transition phrase vocabulary) - Is it Curable?
● HEALTHY/STRONG/GET-WELL - This sign is used
when referring to the person’s recovery from an illness
that affected the whole body like cancer or from being
bedridden and then being able to get up.
● SOLVE/DISAPPEAR - This sign is used when referring
to the eventual disappearance of symptoms such as
sores, rashes, lumps, fevers, or headaches.
● LESSEN/REDUCE - In this case, this sign means to
lessen the pain or symptoms associated with the
condition.
● CONTROL - This sign means to maintain a constant
level where fluctuations are common, e.g., blood sugar,
blood pressure, or weight.
● PREVENT/BLOCK - This sign refers to actions taken
to prevent damage to the body, or to prevent the body
from succumbing to an illness.

9. Example: Migraine
3. Discuss treatment options: List
● Like with causes, use raised eyebrows each
time you refer to a finger on your weak
hand before describing a treatment option.
● Take aspirin everyday to prevent
headache.
● If that doesn’t work, go to a doctor to get
medicine to help reduce the headache.
● Don’t eat foods like chocolate, cheese,
coffee, red meat, liver, and alcohol.
● Massage the areas around your eyes, face,
and temples to help reduce the headache.
● Exercising everyday will help.
● Put alternating hot and cold compresses
on your forehead to help feel better.

10. Translations - Treatment
Options
Apply:
For phrases containing the word “apply,”
such as to “apply pressure,” “apply
ointment,” and “apply powder,” use a BCL
or an ICL and show how it is applied.
● “apply ointment”
● “apply pressure to the point located at
the base of the little toe…”

11. Translations - Treatment
Options
Take:
For phrases containing the word “take,”
use the following translations.
● “take vitamins or pills”
● “take a shower”
● “take some weight off”

12. Translations - Treatment
Options
Use:
For phrases referring to medications and containing
the word “use” such as “use nasal spray” or “use
topical cream,” use an ICL to show how you take the
substance.
● “use nasal spray”
When referring to objects like “use a cane” or “use a
compress,” name or describe the object first and
then use an ICL to show yourself using the object.
● “use cane”
Another way is to use the sign shown below
followed by a sign naming the object (noun sign).
● “to use” (an object)

13. Translations - Treatment
Options
Get:
Follow the phrase below with the fingerspelled name
for a medicine like aspirin or painkiller, or give a
brief description of how the medicine is taken and
its purpose.
● “get medicine” (or get a prescription)
● “get an injection or vaccination”
The sign below is also used for the phrase “to rid the
body of toxins.”
● “get rid of dust, mold, and mildew”

14. Translations - Treatment
Options
Avoid:
This is a general sign cautioning people to avoid
something or to not do or eat something. You need
to describe the action and then use this sign.
● “don’t do it, don’t take it, avoid”
This sign means to physically stay away from certain
things, such as pets.
● “stay away from, avoid”
This sign means to eliminate certain things from
your diet, such as red meat or alcohol.
● “eliminate, reject, avoid”

15. Translations - Treatment
Options
Massage:
For phrases containing the word “massage,” use a
BCL and show yourself massaging the specified
location.
● “massage the area around the eyes”
Soak:
For phrases containing the English words “soak
(parts of body) in water” use the following phrases.
● “soak your feet in a bowl of water”
● “soak your body in a warm bath”

16. Treatment Phrases
Change Behavior:
● change eating habits CHANGE EAT HABIT
● cut down on either REDUCE or CUT-DOWN
● reduce weight, either REDUCE or ELIMINATE
stress, pressure
● lose weight DECREASE WEIGHT
● practice safe sex !IMPORTANT! fs-SAFE-SEX
● do not eat… (name of food) EAT “wave-no”
● eat a diet high in… EAT/ FOOD MUST LOT/ MUCH…
● fasting EAT NONE SEVERAL fs-DAYS
(or whatever length of time)

17. Treatment Phrases
Physician’s Duties:
● blood transfusion may be required SUPPOSE FAIL,
fs-BLOOD LCL:1
“insert IV” ECL:4 “flowing
from tube to arm”
● surgery may be performed MAYBE MUST SURGERY
● getting an injection ICL:L “inject in arm or
buttock”
● medication can be prescribed GO-TO DOCTOR, GET
PILLS...
● hypnotic suggestion GO-TO DOCTOR
HYPNOTIZE-you

18. Purpose of Treatments
● HELP - “to help, assist”
● REDUCE - “to provide relief from, to reduce, to relieve
symptoms”
● PREVENT/BLOCK - “to prevent development, to
prevent infection”
● FIGHT - “to fight the virus”
● KILL++ - “to fight the virus, eliminate the virus”
● HELP BODY ACCEPT - “to increase tolerance to certain
allergens”
● HELP BODY MORE FLEXIBLE - “to increase flexibility”
● HELP BODY MOVE BETTER - “to increase mobility”

19. Purpose of Treatments
● to prevent the development HELP PREVENT PAIN
of nerve pain fs-NERVE
● to prevent infection HELP PREVENT
INFECTION
● to provide relief from nerve pain HELP REDUCE PAIN
to control severe symptoms HELP REDUCE …
(symptoms)
● to increase iron intake HELP INCREASE fs-
IRON IN BODY
● to protect the joints HELP PROTECT fs-
JOINTS

20. Purpose of Treatments
● help the patient relax HELP PERSON REST
● to fight the virus HELP KILL++ fs-VIRUS
● to reduce the sharp pain HELP REDUCE PAIN
● to reduce the burning sensation HELP REDUCE fs-BURN
PAIN
● to relieve symptoms HELP REDUCE …
(symptoms)
to relieve stress by promoting HELP REDUCE PRESSURE
relaxation HOW? ENCOURAGE
fs-RELAX

21. Ways of handling medication terminology
1. If the type of medicine has a standard sign, use it.
1. If the medication terminology is common and there’s no sign for it, fingerspell it out (i.e.
“aspirin,” “peroxide,” and “Ben Gay”).
Follow with a description of
a. how it is taken, and
b. its purpose (i.e. “to reduce headache,” “to prevent infection,” or “to provide
relief”)
1. If the medication terminology is not common, you don’t need to fingerspell the word -
just describe
a. how it is taken (pills, shots, nose spray) and
b. its purpose
Take the word “CORTICOSTEROIDS” - explain that it is taken as a pill and that its purpose is to
provide relief from pain.

22. Ways of handling medication terminology -
Examples
vitamin B common/ VITAMIN (shake-V) fs-B
have sign TAKE-PILL++ HELP BUILD
fs-IMMUNE SYSTEM
aspirin common/ fs-ASPIRIN, TAKE-PILL HELP
no sign REDUCE HEADACHE
corticosteroids uncommon MEDICINE TAKE-PILL++
HELP PREVENT PAIN
INCREASE++
anti-viral drugs uncommon MEDICINE TAKE-PILL++,
HELP KILL++ fs-VIRUS
topical cream uncommon MEDICINE TAKE-PILL++
HELP PREVENT PAIN
INCREASE++

23. Putting it All Together: Migraine Example
● Condition:
Migraine
● Symptoms:
throbbing pain on one side of the head or all over the head
feeling nauseous
eyes becoming more sensitive to bright lights
eyesight becoming blurry
● Causes:
No one really knows what causes migraines. Headaches can be made worse from:
food allergies
birth control pills
not enough sleep
tension
menstrual cycles.
● Treatment:
Aspirin sometimes helps for an existing migraine and can also be taken daily to reduce migraine frequency.
If aspirin is not effective, prescriptions are available for painkillers or drugs that are designed to constrict the blood vessels
surrounding the brain.
Patients should cut down on eating certain foods that cause blood vessels to dilate such as chocolate, aged cheese, liver,
eggplant, and alcohol.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, red meat, food preservatives, MSG, and processed meats.
Use hot and cold water compresses alternately on the head.
Massage areas around the head, spine, eyes, and sinuses.
Exercise regularly.

24. Putting it All Together: Migraine Example
Name condition, briefly describe symptoms (topicalization structure)
Describe causes (rhetorical question)
Tell treatment options (rhetorical question)
fs-MIGRAINE, KNOW !BAD! HEADACHE, ONE “side of head” BPCL:5 “throbbing,”
NAUSEA, EYES VAGUE(q/t), THAT-ONE(nod).
CAUSE “what”(rhet-q) NOT-KNOW(neg). BUT NOTICE HEADACHE WORSE
HOW(rhet-q), (list on nondominant hand) IX “thumb” EAT++ BE-ALLERGIC++ CAN
CAUSE HEADACHE, IX “index-finger” fs-BC TAKE-PILL++ CAN CAUSE
HEADACHE, IX “mid-finger” NOT SLEEP ENOUGH CAUSE HEADACHE, IX “ring-
finger” TIME-APPROACH(cs) MENSTRUATION, TEND-TO HEADACHE #OR IX
“pinkie-finger” FEEL PRESSURE(ee) WORSE !HEADACHE!
fs-MIGRAINE CAN SOLVE #OR PREVENT (nod), HOW(rhet-q) (use weak hand to
list treatment options) IX “thumb” fs-ASPIRIN, TAKE-PILL++ EVERYDAY HELP
PREVENT HEADACHE, IX “index-finger” NOT+WORK(conditional), GO-TO SEE
DOCTOR GET MEDICINE TAKE-PILL, HELP HEADACHE REDUCE, IX “mid-finger”
FOOD IDEA+SAME-AS CHOCOLATE, CHEESE, COFFEE, RED+MEAT fs-lIVER,
ALCOHOL, EAT “wave-no”(neg) IX “ring-finger” MAYBE FACE, EYES, ICL
“massage areas” HELP HEADACHE REDUCE, IX “pinkie-finger” EVERYDAY
EXERCISE HELP(nod), wh(SIXTH), HOT, COLD (2h)alt.ICL “put hot or cold water
compresses alternately on forehead,” HELP FEEL BETTER.

25. Putting it All Together: Migraine Example

26. Review
Throughout this presentation, you have learned the following:
▪ Describing Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
1. Name the condition and briefly describe the symptoms.
2. Describe the causes.
3. Discuss treatment options.
a. Tell if it is curable.
b. List treatment options on your weak hand.
▪ Transitions, Rhetorical Questions, and Listing
▪ Treatment vocabulary and phrases
▪ Medication Terminology