Health, Illness and Going to the Doctor

This is the vocabulary you hope not to need and are very glad to have. It divides into three: saying what is wrong, the illnesses themselves, and the appointment itself.

Saying what is wrong

Three patterns, all common:

• I've got a … / I have a … — I've got a headache. · I have a cold.
• My … hurts — My back hurts. · My throat hurts.
• I feel … — I feel sick. · I feel dizzy.

A false friend to watch: in British English I feel sick means you feel like vomiting, not that you are generally ill. For that, say I feel ill or I'm not well.

The -ache words

headache, toothache, stomachache, backache, earache — all one word.

I've got a headache. (countable, takes a)

I've got toothache. (often uncountable in British English)

Common illnesses

a cold · the flu · a cough · a sore throat · a temperature / a fever · food poisoning · an allergy · a rash

I think I've got the flu — I've got a temperature and my whole body aches.

Note the articles: a cold, a cough, but the flu — an irregularity worth memorising rather than reasoning about.

Describing the symptom precisely

Doctors ask follow-up questions, and these are the words that answer them:

Question	Useful answers
What kind of pain is it?	sharp, dull, burning, aching
How bad is it?	mild, quite bad, unbearable
Is it constant?	it comes and goes · all the time
Does anything make it worse?	It's worse when I walk.

And the verbs for what a body does: swell up, bleed, itch, ache, feel numb.

At the doctor

• I'd like to make an appointment.
• What seems to be the problem? (the doctor's standard opening)
• How long have you had this? — Since Monday. / For three days.
• Are you allergic to anything?
• Are you on any medication?
• I'll write you a prescription.
• Take one tablet twice a day, after meals.

Note the present perfect: How long have you had it? Symptoms started in the past and continue now.

You may also hear: I'm going to refer you to a specialist. · We'll need to run some tests. · It should clear up in a few days.

At the pharmacy

• Have you got anything for a sore throat?
• Do I need a prescription for this?
• painkillers · tablets · cough syrup · plasters (US: Band-Aids) · antibiotics

Over the counter means you can buy it without a prescription — a phrase worth knowing before you need it.

Emergencies

• Call an ambulance!
• It's an emergency.
• He's unconscious. / She can't breathe.
• A&E (British) = the emergency department. US: the ER.

Emergency numbers differ: 999 in the UK, 911 in the US, 112 across the EU.

Three sentences are enough. What it is, where it is, how long. — I've got a sore throat, it's on the right side, and it started three days ago. A doctor can work from that. Reaching for medical vocabulary you half-remember is what makes this harder than it needs to be.

A short appointment

Doctor: What seems to be the problem?

Patient: I've had a bad cough for about a week, and now I've got a temperature.

Doctor: Any pain when you breathe?

Patient: A bit — it's worse at night. It comes and goes.

Doctor: Are you allergic to anything? I'll write you a prescription.

The three patterns, the present perfect for duration, one precise symptom answer, and the standard closing.

Test yourself

The quiz below covers the three patterns and the appointment phrases.