Specific illnesses

ague (noun)

an old word for illness in which you have a fever, feel cold, and shiver (=shake slightly)

an illness caused by the small amount of oxygen in the air when you are very high up, for example on a mountain

a serious illness affecting your brain that makes it difficult for you to remember things and becomes worse as time passes. Alzheimer’s disease is often simply called Alzheimer’s.

anorexia (noun)

a serious illness that makes you want to stop eating and that mainly affects young women. Its full medical name is anorexia nervosa.

anthrax (noun)

a very serious illness affecting cows and sheep and sometimes people. Anthrax is sometimes used in biological warfare.

appendicitis (noun)

an illness in which your appendix becomes infected and has to be removed in a medical operation

beriberi (noun)

an illness in some hot countries that affects the nerves, caused by lack of vitamins (=chemicals needed for health) in food

bigorexia (noun)

a mental illness in which a person believes their muscles are not well enough developed and continually wants to increase their size

blood poisoning (noun)

a serious illness caused by an infection in your blood

body dysmorphia (noun)

a mental illness in which a person believes that there are serious problems with their body that need to be fixed

botulism (noun)

a serious illness caused by eating preserved food that contains harmful bacteria. It often causes death.

bronchitis (noun)

an illness affecting your bronchial tubes in which you cough and find breathing difficult

bulimia (noun)

a serious sickness in which a person makes himself or herself vomit after eating in order to control his or her weight

chill (noun)

a minor illness like a cold

cold (noun)

a minor illness that blocks your nose and makes you cough

common cold (noun)

a minor illness that makes you sneeze and cough. A common cold is usually just called a cold.

conjunctivitis (noun)

an illness in which the inside of your eyelid becomes red and swollen

cough (noun)

an illness in which you cough often and sometimes your throat and lungs hurt

croup (noun)

a children’s illness that makes you cough and makes it difficult for you to breathe

cystitis (noun)

a minor illness that mainly affects women and makes it painful to urinate (=get rid of your body’s liquid waste)

dengue fever (noun)

a very serious illness that you get if a mosquito infected with a particular virus bites you. Dengue fever causes fever, headaches, and pain in the joints.

diarrhea (noun)

an illness in which the solid waste from your body is like a liquid and you have to go to the toilet very often

diarrhoea ()

the British spelling of diarrhea

edema (noun)

an illness in which parts of your body become swollen because they contain too much liquid

emphysema (noun)

a very serious illness affecting your lungs that makes it difficult to breathe

enteritis (noun)

a painful medical condition that affects your intestines and causes diarrhea

food poisoning (noun)

an illness affecting your stomach, caused by eating food that contains harmful bacteria

gastritis (noun)

an illness in which the inner layer of your stomach swells and becomes painful

gastroenteritis (noun)

a short painful illness affecting your stomach and intestines that is caused by bacteria in food or a virus and that makes you go to the toilet frequently

haemophilia ()

the British spelling of hemophilia

head cold (noun)

a cold that affects your nose and sinuses and makes it difficult for you to breathe

hemophilia (noun)

a serious illness that prevents your blood from clotting (=becoming thick) when it should. When you cut yourself, the blood does not stop flowing.

Huntington's disease (noun)

a serious and incurable illness in which a person’s brain cells deteriorate, causing jerky movements and a loss of the ability to think and remember

jaundice (noun)

an illness affecting the liver that makes the skin and the white part of the eyes become yellow

laryngitis (noun)

an illness affecting your throat and larynx, which become red and swollen, making it difficult for you to talk

malaria (noun)

a serious illness caused by being bitten by a mosquito, usually in a hot country

mastitis (noun)

an illness affecting a woman’s breast that makes it sore and swollen

meningitis (noun)

a serious illness that affects the outer part of the brain

motor neuron disease (noun)

a serious illness in which the part of a person’s nervous system that controls movement is gradually destroyed, causing them to lose control over their muscles

MS (noun)

multiple sclerosis

multiple sclerosis (noun)

a serious illness affecting the nerve cells of the brain and spine that gradually makes it difficult for someone to move, speak, or see. Multiple sclerosis is often simply called MS.

muscular dystrophy (noun)

a serious illness in which your muscles gradually become weaker

oedema ()

another spelling of edema

orthorexia (noun)

an extreme obsession with eating healthy foods

Parkinson’s disease (noun)

a serious illness that affects your nerves and makes you shake and move slowly. It mainly affects older people. Parkinson’s disease is often simply called Parkinson’s.

peritonitis (noun)

a serious illness in which the part covering your stomach becomes infected and swollen

pharyngitis (noun)

an illness in which your throat becomes sore and swollen. A less technical word is sore throat.

phlebitis (noun)

an illness in which your veins (=small tubes that carry blood in your body) become swollen

pleurisy (noun)

a serious illness that affects your lungs, making it difficult for you to breathe

pneumonia (noun)

a serious illness affecting your lungs that makes it difficult for you to breathe

quinsy (noun)

an illness in which the throat is painful and infected, often with an abscess near the tonsils

radiation sickness (noun)

a serious illness caused by receiving too much radiation

rheumatic fever (noun)

an illness that causes a fever and pain in your joints (=where bones are joined)

rheumatism (noun)

an illness affecting your joints (=where bones are joined) or muscles so that they swell and become stiff and painful

rheumatism (noun)

rheumatoid arthritis

rheumatoid arthritis (noun)

a serious illness that permanently damages your joints (=where bones are joined) by making them swell and become stiff and painful

the runs (noun)

informal diarrhea

SAD (noun)

seasonal affective disorder

salmonella (noun)

an illness caused by these bacteria

SARS (noun)

a serious illness that affects your chest and that was first reported in Asia in 2003

scurvy (noun)

an illness caused by not eating enough foods that contain vitamin C (=a natural substance found in fruit and vegetables)

seasonal affective disorder (noun)

an illness that affects some people during the time of year when there is very little light from the sun and that makes them feel tired and unhappy

septicemia (noun)

an illness in which your blood becomes infected by bacteria. The more usual word is blood poisoning.

silicosis (noun)

an illness affecting the lungs that is caused by breathing dust from particular types of stone

sniffle (noun)

a slight cold

tetanus (noun)

an illness in which your jaw and neck become stiff, caused by bacteria that enter a cut in your skin

tonsillitis (noun)

an illness in which your tonsils become infected, swollen, and painful

toxaemia ()

the British spelling of toxemia

toxemia (noun)

blood poisoning caused by bacteria in the blood and the harmful substances that they produce

toxic shock syndrome (noun)

a serious illness that can be connected to the use of tampons

the trots (noun)

informal diarrhea

yellow fever (noun)

a serious tropical illness caused by a mosquito in which you have a fever, you bleed a lot, and your skin may look yellow

Zika virus (noun)

a virus spread by some mosquitoes that is generally not serious but can cause severe birth defects. Zika virus is also simply called Zika.

Synonyms and antonyms of Specific illnesses in American Thesaurus