Tag: health and medicine

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Dr. Alissa Zingman has suffered painful symptoms that even her fellow doctors dismissed as something that’s only in her head. She was told many times that there was only a very small chance for her to improve. 

To help others with the same condition, she put up a pioneering clinic that offers not only possible interventions but more importantly, hope to other patients.

Read the article about about a doctor’s bout with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/feb/23/the-doctor-who-was-told-her-illness-was-all-in-her-head-and-is-transforming-the-treatment-of-her-rare-genetic-condition#:~:text=Interview-,The%20doctor%20who%20was%20told%20her%20illness%20was%20’all%20in,of%20her%20rare%20genetic%20condition&text=To%20finally%20get%20a,%2C%E2%80%9D%20says%20Dr%20Alissa%20Zingman.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think about her condition and the way she was dismissed constantly?
2. How would you feel and what would you do if you were in her shoes?
3. Do you agree or disagree with this: “When you see a new patient, and there’s something you don’t understand, the most likely answer is that it’s real.”? 
4. Have you ever felt ill and when you consulted your GP, they said it was nothing serious? How did you feel and react at that moment?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

An unfortunate caffeine overdose occurred to a personal trainer after he miscalculated the amount of caffeine powder he was supposed to take.

Read the article about about caffeine toxicity.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-60570470

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your reaction to this news?
2. To what extent is the company responsible for this miscalculation in dosage?
3. What are your thoughts about gym-goers using caffeine to improve sports performance?
4. How can we be careful in consuming or taking such products?
5. What other performance-enhancing products do you know of?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A female patient who’s been living with HIV was cured using a new approach in which stem cells are taken from umbilical cord blood. The goal is for other patients with HIV to undergo the said stem cell transplant in hopes of curing cancer and other serious conditions.

Read the article about the first stem cell transplant using umbilical cord blood for curing HIV.

https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/02/16/woman-reportedly-cured-of-hiv-after-first-stem-cell-transplant-using-umblical-cord-blood

Discussion Questions:

1. Describe the treatment and the most important element to its success.
2. What are your thoughts on this new treatment approach to possibly curing HIV and other serious diseases?
3. What do you think are its pros and cons?
4. What else do you know about stem cells and stem cell transplants?
5. Would you be willing to undergo such a new approach if you were inflicted with a very serious condition?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Ageing is a biological life process that is inevitable. It is also the biggest factor that increases the risk of developing diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. However, Japanese researchers are developing a new approach to slowing down or reversing the ageing process.

Let’s read the article below about this new anti-ageing vaccine.

https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/12/14/can-we-live-forever-new-anti-ageing-vaccine-could-bring-immortality-one-step-closer

Discussion Questions:

1. What are your thoughts on this new anti-ageing vaccine?
2. Do you want to live forever? If yes, what are you going to do while you live eternally? If not, how long do you want to live and why?
3. What is a disadvantage of immortality? How would it change our lives?
4. Who is the oldest person you know? How is their view of the world different from yours?
5. “We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.” Do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A food allergy is an abnormal immunologic reaction to specific foods. Although allergic reactions are often mild, they can be very serious. It affects around 5% of adults and 8% of children. Unfortunately, the prevalence of food allergies among children is on the rise.

Let’s read the article below to know why food allergy is on the rise among children.

https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/health-medicine/more-children-with-food-allergies.htm

Discussion Questions:

1. Are you allergic to something? If yes, with what and what symptoms do you usually have when you have an attack?
2. What do you do to ease your symptoms when you’re having an allergic reaction?
3. What would your life be like if you suddenly became allergic to your favorite food?
4. How difficult is life for people with allergies?
5. What do you think would be the worst thing to be allergic to and why?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When Covid-19 started affecting millions of people, sometimes even leading to long-term health effects or worse, fatality, one of the many efforts in finding as much information about it was started by a group of virologists from New York. They launched a study to attempt and anticipate the emergence of more dangerous Covid-19 variants.

Memory B cells was discovered more than half a century ago. But scientists are only starting to have a grasp of how crucial these cells are in helping protect people from some serious diseases.

Read the article about about the cells that can give you hybrid-immunity.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220210-the-cells-that-can-give-you-super-immunity

Discussion Questions:

1. What are your thoughts on these cells?
2. How else can they be beneficial for humans?
3. How strong do you think your immune system is? How can you say so? 
4. What are things do you do to boost your immunity?
5. How would you feel about having super immunity?
6. Would you like a procedure or drug to be discovered to help humans achieve this super immunity? Why or why not? 

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When people start feeling under the weather, they consult with their GPs. However, some people may have more health complaints when they are not actually ill. In 2013, the term “illness anxiety disorder” was used to describe people who have illogical and debilitating concerns over their health.

Read the article about about hypochondriasis.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220215-why-even-just-testing-for-diseases-can-make-us-feel-ill

Discussion Questions:

1. What are your thoughts on this condition?
2. Hypochondriacs are often belittled and dubbed as time waster. What do you think of this?
3. What are some factors that can lead to hypochondriasis?
4. What are some of your fears related to your health condition?
5. What are some ways to tackle health anxiety?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Have you had a good laugh today? Laughing helps you and others around you feel happy. Not only that, happiness causes healthy physical changes in the body. Indeed, your sense of fun is among the most valuable ways you have for improving your everyday mood and mental condition, which benefits your general well-being. When you live a cheerful life, it benefits your entire body more notably, your emotions and thoughts.

But have you ever thought that perhaps being overjoyed has its drawbacks too? Excessive happiness not only defeats its advantages for us, but it may also cause heart problems.

Let’s take a look at the article below to find out how happiness can cause heart problems.

https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/health-medicine/happiness-can-cause-heart-problems.htm

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you worry about having heart problems? Why or why not?
2. Is heart disease a leading health problem in your country? Why do you think that is?
3. What things are really bad for your heart?
4. What can you do to look after your heart?
5. Is it possible for scientists to be able to produce a mechanical heart that can work forever one day? Why or why not?