tratamiento
nounCEFR B1
What does “tratamiento” mean in English?
1.medical treatment, course of therapy or medication
medical treatment, course of therapy or medication (seguir / recibir / recetar un tratamiento)
2.treatment of a subject or person — the way something is handled or dealt with
Example sentences
El médico le explicó que el tratamiento incluía antibióticos durante dos semanas y reposo absoluto, y que si interrumpía el tratamiento antes de tiempo los síntomas podrían volver.
The doctor explained that the treatment included antibiotics for two weeks and complete rest, and that if she interrupted the treatment early the symptoms could return.
En el artículo se criticaba el tratamiento del tema del dolor crónico en los medios de comunicación, que según el autor era demasiado superficial.
The article criticised the treatment of the subject of chronic pain in the media, which according to the author was too superficial.
How to use it
Tratamiento means 'treatment' in two broad senses: (1) medical treatment — a course of medication, therapy, or procedure (recibir tratamiento, seguir el tratamiento, interrumpir el tratamiento); and (2) the treatment or handling of a subject, topic, or person (el tratamiento de un tema, recibir buen tratamiento). In medical contexts at B1 it is most common in the first sense and collocates strongly with seguir (to follow/stick to), recetar (to prescribe), and recibir (to receive). It is distinct from medicina (the substance or field), cura (the cure outcome), and remedio (a remedy).
Common mistake
Tratamiento and medicina are not interchangeable: medicina refers to the substance (the drug itself) or the field of medicine; tratamiento refers to the course of action or protocol. Also do not say 'hacer un tratamiento' in the sense of undergoing it — use 'seguir' (to follow) or 'recibir' (to receive) a treatment.