Clinical English · Learning library
Ask patients naturally.
Understand the purpose.
Short, scenario-based guides for medical students and healthcare professionals who want to take a history in clear, patient-friendly English.
Published guides
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How to ask a parent about a child's constipation in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for taking a constipation history from a parent, including stool pattern, withholding behavior, and toilet training.
Read the guide → GUIDE 02How to ask a parent about a child's ear pain in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for taking an ear infection history from a parent, including behavior, fever, sleep, and recent illness.
Read the guide → GUIDE 03How to ask about a breast lump in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for a new breast lump, including its characteristics, skin and nipple changes, and family history, asked with care.
Read the guide → GUIDE 04How to ask about a child's cough and stridor in English
Learn clear, reassuring English questions for a pediatric respiratory history, including barking cough, stridor, swallowing difficulty, and reassuring parents.
Read the guide → GUIDE 05How to ask about a cut finger in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for assessing a finger laceration, including how it happened, sensation, tendon function, bleeding, and tetanus status.
Read the guide → GUIDE 06How to ask about a food allergy reaction in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for a possible food allergy reaction, including what was eaten, airway and skin symptoms, prior allergy history, and epinephrine use.
Read the guide → GUIDE 07How to ask about a groin bulge or hernia symptoms in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for a groin bulge, including reducibility, triggers, pain, and warning signs that need urgent care.
Read the guide → GUIDE 08How to ask about a hand tremor in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for a hand tremor, including when it occurs, family history, and screening for other movement symptoms.
Read the guide → GUIDE 09How to ask about a persistent cough and weight loss in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for a persistent cough with weight loss and night sweats, including duration, exposure history, and warning signs.
Read the guide → GUIDE 10How to ask about a red, discharging eye in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for a red eye with discharge, including the type of discharge, vision changes, contact lens use, and whether the other eye is affected.
Read the guide → GUIDE 11How to ask about a red, warm, swollen leg in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for a spreading red, warm, painful leg, including how it started, how fast it's spreading, and risk factors like diabetes.
Read the guide → GUIDE 12How to ask about a skipped heartbeat in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for a skipped or thumping heartbeat, including triggers, caffeine and alcohol, red-flag symptoms, and the patient's own worry.
Read the guide → GUIDE 13How to ask about an itchy contact rash in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for an itchy rash from skin contact with jewelry or metal, including location, timing, and past reactions.
Read the guide → GUIDE 14How to ask about anxiety and excessive worry in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for ongoing anxiety and worry, including the pattern of worry, physical symptoms, duration, and impact on daily life.
Read the guide → GUIDE 15How to ask about blood in the urine in English
Learn clear, sensitive English questions for a hematuria history, including pain character, blood clots, smoking history, chemical exposures, and urinary burning.
Read the guide → GUIDE 16How to ask about changes in bowel habits in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for alternating diarrhea and constipation, including bowel pattern, triggers, and screening for warning symptoms.
Read the guide → GUIDE 17How to ask about chest pain in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for a chest pain history, including location, timing, character, associated symptoms, risk factors, and concerns.
Read the guide → GUIDE 18How to ask about depression and low mood in English
Learn empathetic, professional English questions for assessing low mood, loss of interest, early waking, energy levels, and sensitive safety screening.
Read the guide → GUIDE 19How to ask about difficulty swallowing in English
Learn patient-friendly English questions for difficulty swallowing, including food and liquids, regurgitation, chest discomfort, weight change, and heartburn.
Read the guide → GUIDE 20How to ask about dizziness and vertigo in English
Learn clear English questions for dizziness and vertigo, including the sensation, movement triggers, episode duration, hearing symptoms, falls, and patient concerns.
Read the guide → GUIDE 21How to ask about fatigue and possible anemia in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for ongoing fatigue and possible anemia, including sources of blood loss, exertional symptoms, and diet.
Read the guide → GUIDE 22How to ask about gradual blurry vision in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for gradually worsening, painless blurry vision, including night glare, color changes, and addressing worries about surgery.
Read the guide → GUIDE 23How to ask about hand numbness and tingling in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for numbness and tingling in the hand, including which fingers are affected, nighttime symptoms, and occupational triggers.
Read the guide → GUIDE 24How to ask about hearing loss in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for gradual hearing loss, including onset, difficulty with speech in noise, noise exposure, and its effect on daily life.
Read the guide → GUIDE 25How to ask about heartburn and acid reflux in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for heartburn and acid reflux, including triggers, regurgitation, alarm symptoms, duration, and what relief has been tried.
Read the guide → GUIDE 26How to ask about heavy menstrual bleeding in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for heavy periods with clots, including how to quantify blood loss, anemia symptoms, and fertility goals.
Read the guide → GUIDE 27How to ask about heel pain in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for heel pain that's worst with the first steps in the morning, including location, footwear, and activity history.
Read the guide → GUIDE 28How to ask about high blood pressure in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for newly discovered high blood pressure, including symptom screening, lifestyle factors, family history, and concerns about medication.
Read the guide → GUIDE 29How to ask about hot flashes and menopause symptoms in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for hot flashes and menopause symptoms, including frequency, night sweats, last menstrual period, and concerns about treatment.
Read the guide → GUIDE 30How to ask about increased thirst and urination in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for excessive thirst and urination, including fluid intake, weight loss, nighttime urination, and appetite.
Read the guide → GUIDE 31How to ask about irregular periods in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for irregular menstrual cycles, including cycle pattern, related symptoms, and fertility goals, asked without assumptions.
Read the guide → GUIDE 32How to ask about joint pain and morning stiffness in English
Learn natural English questions for hand and wrist joint pain, including joint pattern, morning stiffness, movement, fatigue, fever, duration, and patient concerns.
Read the guide → GUIDE 33How to ask about knee pain behind the kneecap in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for knee pain behind the kneecap, including triggers, activity level, and screening for locking or instability.
Read the guide → GUIDE 34How to ask about lateral elbow pain in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for chronic outer elbow pain worsened by gripping, including occupational triggers and screening for neck causes.
Read the guide → GUIDE 35How to ask about leg pain when walking in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for leg pain that comes on with walking, including walking distance, rest pain, skin changes, and vascular risk factors.
Read the guide → GUIDE 36How to ask about memory loss and forgetfulness in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for gradual memory loss, including how to ask a family member about patterns, getting lost, and daily function.
Read the guide → GUIDE 37How to ask about mild fatigue and thyroid lab results in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for mild fatigue with a slightly elevated thyroid lab result, including symptoms, family history, and pregnancy status.
Read the guide → GUIDE 38How to ask about palpitations and thyroid symptoms in English
Learn natural English questions to assess racing heartbeat, unexplained weight loss, heat intolerance, eye changes, and family thyroid history.
Read the guide → GUIDE 39How to ask about panic attacks in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for sudden panic attacks, including physical symptoms, fear during an attack, anticipatory worry, and avoidance behavior.
Read the guide → GUIDE 40How to ask about psoriasis symptoms in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for chronic scaly skin patches, including location, duration, joint symptoms, nail changes, and impact on daily life.
Read the guide → GUIDE 41How to ask about rectal bleeding after a bowel movement in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for painless rectal bleeding, including where the blood appears, straining, and screening for more serious causes.
Read the guide → GUIDE 42How to ask about reduced urine output after a scan in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for reduced urine output and rising creatinine after a contrast CT scan, including timing, baseline kidney health, and medications.
Read the guide → GUIDE 43How to ask about seasonal allergies in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for seasonal allergy symptoms, including timing, nasal and eye symptoms, outdoor triggers, and what treatments have already been tried.
Read the guide → GUIDE 44How to ask about shortness of breath and ankle swelling in English
Learn patient-friendly English questions about breathlessness and leg swelling, including lying flat, nighttime symptoms, exercise tolerance, weight, medicines, and diet.
Read the guide → GUIDE 45How to ask about shoulder pain when reaching overhead in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for shoulder pain with overhead movement, including triggers, weakness screening, and night pain.
Read the guide → GUIDE 46How to ask about snoring and sleep apnea symptoms in English
Learn clear English questions about snoring and possible sleep apnea, including witnessed breathing pauses, daytime sleepiness, driving safety, health conditions, and alcohol.
Read the guide → GUIDE 47How to ask about sudden big toe pain in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for sudden, severe big toe pain, including onset, triggers, medication history, and screening for infection.
Read the guide → GUIDE 48How to ask about sudden flank pain in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for sudden flank pain suggesting a kidney stone, including pain pattern, blood in the urine, and signs of infection.
Read the guide → GUIDE 49How to ask about urinary hesitancy and nighttime urination in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for urinary hesitancy, a weak stream, and nighttime urination, including storage symptoms and current medications.
Read the guide → GUIDE 50How to ask about wheezing and asthma in English
Learn patient-friendly clinical English questions for a respiratory history involving wheezing, chest tightness, nighttime coughing, triggers, and inhaler use.
Read the guide → GUIDE 51How to ask about widespread muscle pain and fatigue in English
Learn natural, patient-friendly English questions for widespread muscle pain, poor sleep, and fatigue, including pain distribution, sleep quality, and related conditions.
Read the guide → GUIDE 52How to take a back pain history in English
Learn targeted English questions for back pain, asking about morning stiffness, response to exercise, heel pain, eye symptoms, and family history.
Read the guide → GUIDE 53How to take a headache history in English
Learn clear, structured English questions for a headache consultation, including pain location, throbbing character, nausea, light sensitivity, and dark-room relief.
Read the guide → GUIDE 54How to take a rash and eczema history in English
Learn practical English questions for a skin and rash consultation, covering lesion locations, itch severity, weeping patches, sleep impact, triggers, and infection signs.
Read the guide → GUIDE 55How to take an abdominal pain history in English
Learn natural English questions for a crampy abdominal pain history, including bowel patterns, associated symptoms, triggers, family history, and patient concerns.
Read the guide →Communication first
Each guide uses a realistic clinical scenario to teach useful English. The questions are selected examples, not complete clinical checklists, and the pages do not provide diagnosis or treatment advice.