Around the world, everybody is talking about the coronavirus. So in the next few posts, we’re going to look at similar words related to health and illness.

Do you know the difference between the nouns treatment, cure and remedy? Let’s look at each word.

treatment

A treatment is something that aims to improve the condition of an ill or injured person. Examples of treatments include the use of drugs, medicines (over a longer period), physical exercise, therapy, surgery, etc. A treatment can work or it can be unsuccessful.

• Insulin is an effective treatment for people with diabetes.
• Yoga is a good treatment for certain kinds of back pain.
• The treatment didn’t work, so he made another appointment with his doctor.
• They offer free dental treatment.

cure

A cure is something, e.g. a medical treatment, which makes a sick person healthy again. In other words, after the treatment, the illness has completely disappeared. An example of a cure is antibiotics (for bacterial infections). The word cure can also be used in non-medical, abstract contexts.

• There is currently no cure for cancer.
• Is there a cure for malaria?
• I’ve found a cure for our business problem!

remedy

A remedy is something that makes you feel better. It often includes home or natural remedies, for example hot water and lemon (for a cold), salt water (for a sore throat), herbal tea (for stress), sleep, etc. The word can also be used in non-medical, abstract contexts.

• My doctor recommended some natural remedies.
• Do you know any effective remedies for a cough?
• A good remedy for depression is exercise.
• The best remedy is to call him and apologize!