When in Rome

You don’t have to be fluent in Spanish to perform a successful eye exam in Spanish.  Just as the mini-travel guides have short lists of key words and everyday phrases  to “get by” in a country  where English is not the primary language, so too exists a concrete list of words that should be mastered for the Spanish eye exam.  I put the following list together when I realized I was saying some of the same words over and over, and hearing the same words/responses from patients repeatedly.

By now you, my readers, know that my blog assumes you have an understanding of basic conversation in Spanish, both written and spoken. However,  the purpose of this particular entry is to focus on some basic medical ophthalmologic vocabulary that a person with even the most elementary knowledge of Spanish can use and understand with confidence in the clinical setting.  As discussed in my entry, Eye Has Not Seen,  just because you can get by in everyday speak in a language, doesn’t mean you have the vocabulary to tackle the medical or scientific arena.  The following list of phrases can serve as a “cheat sheet” of sorts by any health care professional doing an eye exam in the office.

I start with two questions below that are very simple, but elicit the reason for the visit.  In just a few short words, you can ascertain why the patient is there and what you have to look for on exam.  For example, the vision may be bien, fine, but the eyes may be bothering the patient ie.--me pican, they itch me.  The vision and the eyes may both be bien, in which case the patient is likely visiting you for a routine ophthalmology check-up.  Or, the eyes may be bien,  but the vision is borrosa, blurry. So the patient would then need a refraction. 

¿Cómo está la visión?                                   How is the vision?

-bien                                                                   -fine

-borrosa                                                             -blurry

-empañada                                                         -hazy

-no es clara                                                        -it’s not clear

-doble                                                                 -double

                               

¿Cómo están los ojos?                                  How are the eyes?

-me arden                                                           -they burn

-me queman                                                       -they burn (as in, on fire)

-están lagrimeando                                             -they are tearing

-me pican                                                            -they itch

-me duelen                                                          -they hurt

Here are some phrases for the slit lamp exam, essentially telling the patient what to do and where to look:

Venga aquí, por favor.                                   Come here, please.

Ponga la barbilla aquí.                                  Put your chin here.

Pega la frente contra de la barra.                 Put your forehead against the bar.

Mire      -para frente.                                     Look      - in front.

             -para la izquierda.                                          -left.

             -para la derecha.                                           -right.

             -para arriba.                                                   -up.

             -para abajo.                                                    -down.

Mire aquí.                                                     Look here.

Siga  el dedo.                                               Follow my finger.

Bien, gracias.                                               Fine, thank you.

Puede sentarse atrás.                                 You can sit back.              

Todo está bien.                                             Everything is fine (everything looks normal)

Ud.  tiene cataratas                                      You have cataracts

                -ojos sanos/saludables                                   healthy eyes

                -ojos secos                                                     dry eyes

                -glaucoma                                                       glaucoma

                -degeneración macular                                   macular degeneration

                -desprendimiento de la retina                          retinal detachment

                -desgarro de la retina                                      retinal tear

                -retinopatía diabética                                       diabetic retinopathy

                -hemorragia vítrea                                          vitreous hemorrhage

                -ambliopía                                                       amblyopia

                -conjuntivitis                                                    conjunctivitis

                -infección                                                        infection

                -motas/manchas                                             floaters

                -orzuelo                                                           stye

                -pterigión                                                         pterygium

If your level of Spanish is limited in that you cannot explain the above conditions in detail, as, the patient likely will have questions and want an explanation, there are websites and reading material available in Spanish to accomplish just that.  Some sources require a nominal fee, others are available entirely for free. One such site is Spanish - Health Information Translations from healthinfotranslations.org which incidentally also contains Spanish translations of a variety of medical issues and procedures, not just those pertaining to ophthalmology.  This extremely invaluable website is maintained by the collective efforts of Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Mount Carmel Health System, OhioHealth and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, all of the central Ohio area.  

Again, familiarizing yourself with the key words needed for an eye exam in Spanish is absolutely essential for success.  Regardless of your language level, this cheat-sheet of words will help you hone in on the patient’s reason for the visit, get the most out of the exam and ultimately diagnose the problem.  Much the same way you would use a travel book of phrases to navigate your way through a restaurant in Venice or a hotel in Prague, knowledge of commonly used medical vocabulary in Spanish will help you move through your exam with confidence.  It’s been said, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.  But my feeling is, when in Rome, say as they say, and you’ll be appreciated for making the effort.

                                                                       

Courtesy: D Hromin