Understanding how to discuss health concerns, particularly those related to stress like psychogenic chest pain, is crucial when communicating in Korean. This guide provides essential vocabulary and phrases to describe symptoms often associated with stress-induced chest discomfort, discuss potential causes like anxiety or nerves, and seek appropriate medical advice in Korea. Learning these expressions will help you articulate your condition clearly and navigate healthcare situations more effectively.
Table Of Content
Core Term
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Expression: 신경성 흉통
Pronunciation: shin-gyeong-seong hyung-tong
Meaning: Psychogenic chest pain (Chest pain caused by nerves/stress)
Describing Symptoms
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Expression: 가슴이 답답해요.
Pronunciation: ga-seum-i dap-dap-hae-yo.
Meaning: My chest feels tight/stuffy. -
Expression: 가슴이 아파요.
Pronunciation: ga-seum-i a-pa-yo.
Meaning: My chest hurts. -
Expression: 가슴이 찌릿찌릿 아파요.
Pronunciation: ga-seum-i jji-rit-jji-rit a-pa-yo.
Meaning: I have a sharp, tingling pain in my chest. -
Expression: 숨쉬기가 힘들어요.
Pronunciation: sum-swi-gi-ga him-deul-eo-yo.
Meaning: It’s hard to breathe. -
Expression: 심장이 빨리 뛰어요.
Pronunciation: shim-jang-i ppal-li ttwi-eo-yo.
Meaning: My heart is beating fast. -
Expression: 가슴 통증이 있어요.
Pronunciation: ga-seum tong-jeung-i iss-eo-yo.
Meaning: I have chest pain. -
Expression: 명치 부근이 아파요.
Pronunciation: myeong-chi bu-geun-i a-pa-yo.
Meaning: The area around my solar plexus hurts. -
Expression: 불안할 때 가슴이 아파요.
Pronunciation: bul-an-hal ttae ga-seum-i a-pa-yo.
Meaning: My chest hurts when I feel anxious. -
Expression: 스트레스를 받으면 가슴이 조여와요.
Pronunciation: seu-teu-re-seu-reul ba-deu-myeon ga-seum-i jo-yeo-wa-yo.
Meaning: My chest feels constricted when I’m stressed. -
Expression: 식은땀이 나요.
Pronunciation: shik-eun-ttam-i na-yo.
Meaning: I’m breaking out in a cold sweat. -
Expression: 어지러워요.
Pronunciation: eo-ji-reo-wo-yo.
Meaning: I feel dizzy.
Talking About Causes
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Expression: 스트레스 때문인 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: seu-teu-re-seu ttae-mun-in geot gat-a-yo.
Meaning: I think it’s because of stress. -
Expression: 너무 긴장해서 그런 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: neo-mu gin-jang-hae-seo geu-reon geot gat-a-yo.
Meaning: I think it’s because I’m too nervous/tense. -
Expression: 불안감 때문에 가슴이 아픈 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: bul-an-gam ttae-mun-e ga-seum-i a-peun geot gat-a-yo.
Meaning: I think my chest hurts because of anxiety. -
Expression: 신경을 많이 써서 그런가 봐요.
Pronunciation: shin-gyeong-eul man-i sseo-seo geu-reon-ga bwa-yo.
Meaning: It seems to be because I’ve been worrying a lot / overly sensitive. -
Expression: 요즘 스트레스가 심해요.
Pronunciation: yo-jeum seu-teu-re-seu-ga shim-hae-yo.
Meaning: I’ve been under a lot of stress lately. -
Expression: 혹시 신경성 흉통일까요?
Pronunciation: hok-shi shin-gyeong-seong hyung-tong-il-kka-yo?
Meaning: Could it possibly be psychogenic chest pain? -
Expression: 심장 문제는 아닌 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: shim-jang mun-je-neun a-nin geot gat-a-yo.
Meaning: I don’t think it’s a heart problem. -
Expression: 과로해서 그런 걸 수도 있어요.
Pronunciation: gwa-ro-hae-seo geu-reon geol su-do iss-eo-yo.
Meaning: It might be because I’ve overworked myself. -
Expression: 정신적인 문제와 관련이 있는 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: jeong-shin-jeok-in mun-je-wa gwan-ryeon-i itt-neun geot gat-a-yo.
Meaning: I think it’s related to mental/psychological issues. -
Expression: 걱정이 많아서 그런 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: geok-jeong-i man-a-seo geu-reon geot gat-a-yo.
Meaning: I think it’s because I have many worries.
Seeking Medical Help
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Expression: 병원에 가봐야 할 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: byeong-won-e ga-bwa-ya hal geot gat-a-yo.
Meaning: I think I should go to the hospital/clinic. -
Expression: 의사 선생님과 상담하고 싶어요.
Pronunciation: ui-sa seon-saeng-nim-gwa sang-dam-ha-go ship-eo-yo.
Meaning: I want to consult with a doctor. -
Expression: 어떤 과로 가야 하나요?
Pronunciation: eo-tteon gwa-ro ga-ya ha-na-yo?
Meaning: Which department should I go to? -
Expression: 내과에 가야 하나요? 정신건강의학과에 가야 하나요?
Pronunciation: nae-gwa-e ga-ya ha-na-yo? jeong-shin-geon-gang-ui-hak-gwa-e ga-ya ha-na-yo?
Meaning: Should I go to internal medicine? Or psychiatry (mental health medicine)? -
Expression: 검사를 받아보고 싶어요.
Pronunciation: geom-sa-reul bad-a-bo-go ship-eo-yo.
Meaning: I want to get checked out / have some tests done. -
Expression: 심전도 검사를 해볼 수 있을까요?
Pronunciation: shim-jeon-do geom-sa-reul hae-bol su iss-eul-kka-yo?
Meaning: Can I have an ECG (electrocardiogram)? -
Expression: 스트레스성 증상인지 확인하고 싶어요.
Pronunciation: seu-teu-re-seu-seong jeung-sang-in-ji hwak-in-ha-go ship-eo-yo.
Meaning: I want to confirm if these are stress-related symptoms. -
Expression: 약 처방을 받을 수 있을까요?
Pronunciation: yak cheo-bang-eul bad-eul su iss-eul-kka-yo?
Meaning: Can I get a prescription for medication? -
Expression: 진료 예약을 하고 싶습니다.
Pronunciation: jil-lyo ye-yak-eul ha-go ship-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: I would like to make a doctor’s appointment. -
Expression: 이 증상이 얼마나 오래되었나요?
Pronunciation: i jeung-sang-i eol-ma-na o-rae-doe-eonn-na-yo?
Meaning: How long have you had these symptoms? (Doctor might ask this) -
Expression: 다른 불편한 점은 없으신가요?
Pronunciation: da-reun bul-pyeon-han jeom-eun eops-eu-shin-ga-yo?
Meaning: Are there any other discomforts? (Doctor might ask this)
Cultural Insights on Stress and Health
In Korea, stress (스트레스 – seu-teu-re-seu) is widely acknowledged as a significant factor affecting health. Discussing stress-related physical symptoms is common, and people often seek medical advice for them.
While the term 신경성 (shin-gyeong-seong), meaning ‘related to nerves’, is used, directly attributing physical symptoms solely to psychological causes might sometimes require sensitivity. Doctors usually rule out physical causes first.
There’s a concept called 화병 (hwa-byeong), sometimes translated as ‘anger disease’ or ‘fire disease’, which is a culture-bound syndrome recognized in Korea, often linked to suppressed anger or stress manifesting in physical symptoms like chest tightness.
Seeking help from 정신건강의학과 (jeong-shin-geon-gang-ui-hak-gwa – Department of Mental Health Medicine / Psychiatry) is becoming less stigmatized than in the past, but some people might still prefer consulting an internal medicine doctor (내과 – nae-gwa) first for physical symptoms like chest pain.
Self-care practices like getting enough rest, exercise, and sometimes traditional methods like acupuncture (침 – chim) or herbal medicine (한약 – han-yak) are also common approaches to managing stress-related symptoms alongside conventional medicine.
Real Conversation Example
Situation: Minjun (A) is talking to his doctor (B) about recurring chest pain he suspects is related to stress.
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Expression: A: 의사 선생님, 요즘 가끔 가슴이 답답하고 찌릿하게 아파요.
Pronunciation: ui-sa seon-saeng-nim, yo-jeum ga-kkeum ga-seum-i dap-dap-ha-go jji-rit-ha-ge a-pa-yo.
Meaning: Doctor, lately my chest sometimes feels tight and has a sharp pain. -
Expression: B: 언제부터 그러셨어요? 다른 증상은 없으시고요?
Pronunciation: eon-je-bu-teo geu-reo-shyeoss-eo-yo? da-reun jeung-sang-eun eops-eu-shi-go-yo?
Meaning: Since when has this been happening? Do you have any other symptoms? -
Expression: A: 한 달 정도 됐어요. 특히 스트레스를 많이 받거나 긴장할 때 더 심해지는 것 같아요. 숨쉬기도 좀 힘들 때가 있고요.
Pronunciation: han dal jeong-do dwaess-eo-yo. teuk-hi seu-teu-re-seu-reul man-i bat-geo-na gin-jang-hal ttae deo shim-hae-ji-neun geot gat-a-yo. sum-swi-gi-do jom him-deul ttae-ga itt-go-yo.
Meaning: It’s been about a month. It seems to get worse especially when I’m very stressed or nervous. Sometimes it’s a bit hard to breathe too. -
Expression: B: 그러시군요. 심장 관련 검사는 받아보셨나요?
Pronunciation: geu-reo-shi-gun-yo. shim-jang gwan-ryeon geom-sa-neun bad-a-bo-shyeonn-na-yo?
Meaning: I see. Have you had any heart-related tests? -
Expression: A: 아니요, 아직요. 그런데 심장 문제보다는 신경성 흉통이 아닐까 싶어서요. 제가 요즘 걱정거리가 많거든요.
Pronunciation: a-ni-yo, a-jik-yo. geu-reon-de shim-jang mun-je-bo-da-neun shin-gyeong-seong hyung-tong-i a-nil-kka ship-eo-seo-yo. je-ga yo-jeum geok-jeong-geo-ri-ga man-geo-deun-yo.
Meaning: No, not yet. But I suspect it might be psychogenic chest pain rather than a heart problem. I have a lot of worries these days. -
Expression: B: 알겠습니다. 일단 기본적인 검사를 해서 다른 원인이 있는지 확인해 보고, 스트레스 관리 방법에 대해서도 이야기해 봅시다.
Pronunciation: al-get-seum-ni-da. il-dan gi-bon-jeok-in geom-sa-reul hae-seo da-reun won-in-i itt-neun-ji hwak-in-hae bo-go, seu-teu-re-seu gwan-ri bang-beop-e dae-hae-seo-do i-ya-gi-hae bop-shi-da.
Meaning: Understood. First, let’s do some basic tests to check if there are other causes, and let’s also talk about stress management methods.
Practice and Self-Care Tips
Being able to talk about health, especially stress-related issues like 신경성 흉통 (shin-gyeong-seong hyung-tong), is important! Try practicing these phrases by describing hypothetical situations or even journaling about your stress levels in Korean~ It helps internalize the vocabulary!
Remember to listen carefully when native speakers discuss health or stress; you’ll pick up natural nuances. Don’t hesitate to use these phrases when consulting with healthcare professionals in Korea – clear communication is key. Most importantly, take care of your well-being! Managing stress is crucial for overall health. 파이팅! (pa-i-ting! – Fighting! / You can do it!)
