El Consultorio
El Consultorio
This is a glossary of expressions and words in Spanish pertaining to health and medicine. They were collected from recent interviews in deep south Texas and northeastern Mexico. Many are home remedies and cultural beliefs.
Ajo
Spread a slice of garlic on an insect bite to soothe the sting.
Apretones
A person intertwines their fingers behind the head and someone standing behind them reaches around and holds them by the elbows and picks the person off the ground three times. This is supposed to stop a cold.
Barros
blackheads
Bilis
"la bilis" is the acid formed in the stomach resulting from anger. "Tener bilis"is to get extremely angry.
Calambre
a cramp in the leg.
Catarro
"tener catarro" refers to having a runny nose.
Caída de la mollera
refers to a soft spot on a child's head, sometimes associated with an injury.
Chipote
an infected sore that gets big and infected. Syn. Tlacote.
Cólicos
colic
Crudo
drunk or hung over
Cuete
very drunk
Curar con telaraña
to stop bleeding by placing a spider web over the cut.
Curar de ojo
Sometimes a person gets a severe headache and vomits caused by getting the "evil eye". This is cured by rubbing an egg over the entire body and praying over the person to cure the evil eye.
Curar de aire en la oreja
Used to cure an ear ache. The small end of a paper cone is placed over a sufferer's ear and the cone is set on fire so the smoke can enter the ear canal.
Curar de susto
to cure fright by brushing a person with herbal leaves and praying over the person to remove the trauma of fright.
Decaimientos
"sentir decaimientos" means to feel weak.
Desmayo
faintness
Empacho
"estar empachado" means to have digestive problems.
Esencia de clavo
bought at a drugstore and applied on teeth for toothaches.
Espinillas
pimples
Estafiate
a tea made from an herb for the stomach to cure diarrhea.
Estreñido
constipated
Gripe
the flu
Inflamado/a
used often for anything swollen. Syn. Hinchado/a
Jaqueca
a headache.
Juanete
a bunion
Lagañas
the film that forms around the eye when there's an infection.
Mal de ojo
the evil eye. Somebody admires a person intensely and fails to touch the person's head or eyes.
Mareado/a
a fainting feeling or dizzy
Mezquino
a wart on the fingers.
Nerviosismo
nervousness
Paperas
mumps
Parche
a piece of cloth with medication placed on a sore spot.
Punzada
pulsating pain
Resfriado
"estar resfriado" is to have cold symptoms.
Reventar la hiel
To erupt the gall bladder.
Ruda
an herb heated and applied behind the ear to help an earache or dipped into alcohol and rubbed on a pain.
Sal de higuera
epson salt
Sangre de chango
iodine or mercurium
Sentir asco en el estómago
to feel nausea in the stomach.
Sentir debilidad
to feel extreme hunger or weekness.
Sentir la pierna dormida
to feel numbness in the leg.
Sisote
a wart . Syn. Mezquino, verruga.
Sofocado/a
bloated
Té de azar de naranjo
a tea made from orange blossoms for helping a person go to sleep.
Té de manzanilla
a chamomile tea for stomach ailments.
Teleraña
spread a cobweb on a wound to stop the bleeding.
Tener hipo
to have the hiccups.
Tlacote
an infected sore that gets big and infected.
Torzón
a stomach cramp
Volcánico
a black ointment for cuts and scrapes.
Ventosa
A home remedy where a salve is placed on a sore area of the body, a match lights the salve, a glass is placed over the area to create a vacuum, and the skin is raised up inside the glass. This is supposed to relieve pain in the sore area.
Ajo
Spread a slice of garlic on an insect bite to soothe the sting.
Apretones
A person intertwines their fingers behind the head and someone standing behind them reaches around and holds them by the elbows and picks the person off the ground three times. This is supposed to stop a cold.
Barros
blackheads
Bilis
"la bilis" is the acid formed in the stomach resulting from anger. "Tener bilis"is to get extremely angry.
Calambre
a cramp in the leg.
Catarro
"tener catarro" refers to having a runny nose.
Caída de la mollera
refers to a soft spot on a child's head, sometimes associated with an injury.
Chipote
an infected sore that gets big and infected. Syn. Tlacote.
Cólicos
colic
Crudo
drunk or hung over
Cuete
very drunk
Curar con telaraña
to stop bleeding by placing a spider web over the cut.
Curar de ojo
Sometimes a person gets a severe headache and vomits caused by getting the "evil eye". This is cured by rubbing an egg over the entire body and praying over the person to cure the evil eye.
Curar de aire en la oreja
Used to cure an ear ache. The small end of a paper cone is placed over a sufferer's ear and the cone is set on fire so the smoke can enter the ear canal.
Curar de susto
to cure fright by brushing a person with herbal leaves and praying over the person to remove the trauma of fright.
Decaimientos
"sentir decaimientos" means to feel weak.
Desmayo
faintness
Empacho
"estar empachado" means to have digestive problems.
Esencia de clavo
bought at a drugstore and applied on teeth for toothaches.
Espinillas
pimples
Estafiate
a tea made from an herb for the stomach to cure diarrhea.
Estreñido
constipated
Gripe
the flu
Inflamado/a
used often for anything swollen. Syn. Hinchado/a
Jaqueca
a headache.
Juanete
a bunion
Lagañas
the film that forms around the eye when there's an infection.
Mal de ojo
the evil eye. Somebody admires a person intensely and fails to touch the person's head or eyes.
Mareado/a
a fainting feeling or dizzy
Mezquino
a wart on the fingers.
Nerviosismo
nervousness
Paperas
mumps
Parche
a piece of cloth with medication placed on a sore spot.
Punzada
pulsating pain
Resfriado
"estar resfriado" is to have cold symptoms.
Reventar la hiel
To erupt the gall bladder.
Ruda
an herb heated and applied behind the ear to help an earache or dipped into alcohol and rubbed on a pain.
Sal de higuera
epson salt
Sangre de chango
iodine or mercurium
Sentir asco en el estómago
to feel nausea in the stomach.
Sentir debilidad
to feel extreme hunger or weekness.
Sentir la pierna dormida
to feel numbness in the leg.
Sisote
a wart . Syn. Mezquino, verruga.
Sofocado/a
bloated
Té de azar de naranjo
a tea made from orange blossoms for helping a person go to sleep.
Té de manzanilla
a chamomile tea for stomach ailments.
Teleraña
spread a cobweb on a wound to stop the bleeding.
Tener hipo
to have the hiccups.
Tlacote
an infected sore that gets big and infected.
Torzón
a stomach cramp
Volcánico
a black ointment for cuts and scrapes.
Ventosa
A home remedy where a salve is placed on a sore area of the body, a match lights the salve, a glass is placed over the area to create a vacuum, and the skin is raised up inside the glass. This is supposed to relieve pain in the sore area.
