. Articles With Names of Symptoms and Diseases
ARTICLES WITH NAMES OF SYMPTOMS AND DISEASES
Most symptom names require an article (a, an, the) or another determiner to identify or quantify the noun.
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I have a toothache.
My child has asthma
As a general rule, do not use "a", "an", or "the" before names of illnesses or diseases.
Because most symptom names are countable, they usually require an article (a/the) or another determiner to identify or quantify the noun.
I had a severe toothache last week.
Omit the article, however, to speak about a symptom or health condition in a general sense.
Stomachaches can be caused by a range of different factors, including constipation, indigestion, and appendicitis.
As a general rule, do not use "a", "an", or "the" before names of illnesses or diseases. My child has appendicitis.
But there are exceptions. For example, you can include the article "the" with a number of traditional diseases, such as the flu, the measles, or the chickenpox, specially in informal situations.
My whole family has the flu.
1.1 Countable Names (Colds, Sore throats, Headaches, etc.)
Most names of symptoms and self-diagnosed conditions are countable, so we say a cold, a sore throat, a headache, etc.
I had two headaches last month. My child had five colds last year.
Singular countable nouns are generally preceded by an article (a, an, the) or another determiner (this, that, my, your, his, etc.).
My sister has a sore throat.
Resting in a quiet, dark place can help ease your headache.
When naming a specific group or collection of colds, sore throats, headaches, etc., add a determiner (the, most, many, all, those, their, etc.) to identify or quantify the noun.
Many headaches are caused by lack of sleep.
Avoid the determiner when using a symptom name in a general sense. Sore throats are very common and generally nothing to worry about.