Public Health Concerns

noun a medical condition characterized by difficulty breathing, wheezing, and coughing

• Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition characterized by difficulty breathing.
• My friend has asthma and always carries an inhaler with them.
• I can't hang out with them tonight, they're having an asthma attack.
• The city's pollution problem is like asthma, suffocating its residents.

noun a disease caused by inhaling coal dust, resulting in inflammation and fibrosis of the lungs

• Black lung disease is a serious respiratory condition caused by inhaling coal dust over a long period of time.
• My grandfather worked in the coal mines for years and now he has black lung.
• I heard that job gives you black lung, so I wouldn't want to work there.
• The toxic relationship left him with a black lung of emotional distress.

noun a painless ulcer, particularly one developing on the genitals as a result of venereal disease

• The doctor diagnosed the patient with a chancre, a type of sore caused by syphilis.
• I heard that Jim has a chancre on his lip from his cold sore.
• I can't believe she got a chancre from that guy she hooked up with!
• The corruption in the company was like a chancre slowly eating away at its reputation.

noun a medical term referring to inflammation of the brain, typically caused by infection or an autoimmune reaction

• Encephalitis is a serious condition characterized by inflammation of the brain.
• My friend's cousin was diagnosed with encephalitis last month.
• I heard encephalitis can really mess with your head.
• The political scandal caused a wave of encephalitis among the citizens.

noun an inflammation of the liver, caused by a virus or a toxin and characterized by jaundice, liver enlargement, and abdominal pain

• The patient was diagnosed with hepatitis and was immediately put on a treatment plan.
• My friend told me he was feeling sick, turns out he has hepatitis.
• I heard that guy got hepatitis from sharing needles.
• The spread of misinformation is like a virus, infecting minds like hepatitis.

noun a viral infection causing small painful blisters on the skin or mucous membranes, typically around the mouth or genitals

• Herpes is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by the herpes simplex virus.
• I heard she got herpes from her ex-boyfriend.
• I can't believe he gave her the herp!
• The spread of gossip in the office was like herpes - it just wouldn't go away.

noun a contagious skin disease caused by the itch mite Sarcoptes scabiei, characterized by itching and the formation of small bumps and blisters

• Scabies is a contagious skin condition caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin.
• My roommate got scabies from sharing towels at the gym.
• I heard scabies is going around the dorms, so be careful who you share bedding with.
• The corruption in the government spread like scabies, infecting every level of authority.

noun an infectious disease characterized by a bright red rash, high fever, sore throat, and a strawberry tongue

• Scarlet fever is a highly contagious bacterial infection that mainly affects children.
• My little cousin had scarlet fever last month, but he's all better now.
• I heard Sally got hit with scarlet fever, poor thing.
• The scarlet fever of gossip spread quickly through the small town.

noun an extreme or irrational fear of bathing, washing, or cleaning

• Ablutophobia is a serious condition that causes individuals to have an extreme fear of bathing or washing.
• My friend suffers from ablutophobia, so she rarely takes showers.
• I heard that guy has ablutophobia, he never wants to get clean.
• Her ablutophobia towards change was evident in her reluctance to try new things.

noun a noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. 'Garbage fire' is a noun because it refers to a fire that is fueled by garbage.

• The firefighters worked tirelessly to extinguish the raging garbage fire in the industrial area.
• I can't believe someone started a garbage fire in the park last night.
• That party was a total garbage fire, nothing went right.
• The team's performance in the championship game was a complete garbage fire.

noun a compound noun referring to the act of walking while being distracted, typically by using electronic devices

• Distracted walking is a serious issue that can lead to accidents and injuries.
• Hey, watch out for distracted walking! You might bump into someone.
• Dude, stop distracted walking or you'll end up face-planting on the sidewalk.
• His distracted walking through life caused him to miss out on many opportunities.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

• Caffeine use disorder is a recognized mental health condition characterized by a dependency on caffeine.
• I think my caffeine use disorder is getting out of hand; I can't function without my morning coffee.
• Dude, you need to cut back on the caffeine - you're developing a serious caffeine use disorder.
• Her daily Starbucks habit had turned into a caffeine use disorder, controlling her every move like a puppeteer.

noun a medical condition characterized by an abnormally small head in relation to the rest of the body, typically due to abnormal brain development

adjective microcephalic (relating to or affected by microcephaly)

• Microcephaly is a medical condition characterized by an abnormally small head size in infants.
• Did you know that microcephaly can result in developmental delays?
• Having a small head due to microcephaly must be tough.
• The project's budget was so small, it was like suffering from financial microcephaly.

noun the act of inhaling and exhaling vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device

• The act of vaping involves inhaling and exhaling vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device.
• I tried vaping for the first time yesterday, and it was actually pretty enjoyable.
• Vaping is all the rage among young adults these days.
• Some people use vaping as a way to cope with stress or anxiety.

noun a term used to describe a phenomenon where individuals experience symptoms of illness during weekends or vacation time, but not during work days

• Leisure sickness is a term used to describe the phenomenon of getting sick during weekends or vacations.
• I always seem to come down with leisure sickness whenever I finally have time off work.
• I swear, every time I plan a fun trip, I end up with leisure sickness and have to cancel.
• For some people, leisure sickness is a sign of their body's need to slow down and relax.

noun a synthetic compound used in many over-the-counter medications for its analgesic and antipyretic properties

• Acetaminophen is a common over-the-counter medication used to relieve pain and reduce fever.
• I always keep acetaminophen in my medicine cabinet for headaches and body aches.
• I popped some acetaminophen to get rid of this nasty headache.
• Sometimes, acetaminophen can be like a magic pill that makes all the pain go away.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun

• Acute flaccid myelitis is a rare but serious neurological condition that affects the spinal cord.
• I heard about this kid who got acute flaccid myelitis, it's really scary stuff.
• My friend's cousin got hit with acute flaccid myelitis, it's no joke.
• Dealing with that project was like trying to navigate through a maze of acute flaccid myelitis.