“Health” Vocabulary – How to talk about health problems in English

Names of some ailments, symptoms & injuries:

• asthma: a respiratory condition where spasms in the lungs cause difficult in breathing.
• a backache: a prolonged pain in the back.
• a broken leg: when a bone in the leg is broken.
• A broken leg is put in a cast to help immobilize the leg so that it heals quicker. Other parts of the body with bones can also be broken, for example a broken arm, a broken wrist etc.
• a cold: a common viral infection which causes mucous to run from the nose, gives a sore throat and often includes sneezing.
• a cough: the act of expelling air from the lungs with a sudden sharp sound.
• an earache: pain inside the ear.
• a fever: an abnormally high body temperature, usually accompanied by shivering and a headache.
• the flu: flu is the common name given for influenza. It is a contagious viral infection of the respiratory passages that causes fever and sever aching.
• a headache: a continuous pain in the head.
• heartburn: a form of indigestion felt as a burning sensation in the chest. It is caused by acid regurgitation into the esophagus.
• (the) measles: an infectious viral disease causing fever and a red rash on the skin. It typically occurs in childhood.
• a rash: a lot of small red spots on the skin that are usually itchy.
• a sore throat: a condition of pain in the throat, typically caused by inflammation of it.
• a stomachache (US) - stomach ache (Brit): The pain in a person's belly. Notice how the word can be spelled together or as two words, depending on the country.
• sunburn: when the skin becomes red with inflammation as a result of overexposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
• a toothache: the pain in a tooth or teeth.
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