Illnesses vocabulary in Spanish, including common symptoms, medical conditions, and more to help you describe and understand health situations.
This page covers essential Spanish vocabulary for talking about illnesses, including symptoms, common conditions, and how to describe how you feel. Understanding these words and phrases will help you communicate more effectively in medical situations.
Symptoms
Here are some common symptoms you might need to describe when talking about how you feel:
| Spanish Sing. | Spanish Pl. | English Sing. | English Pl. | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dolor | dolores | pain | pains | Tengo un dolor de cabeza. | I have a headache. |
| fiebre | - | fever | - | Tengo fiebre y escalofríos. | I have a fever and chills. |
| tos | - | cough | - | Tengo tos desde anoche. | I have a cough since last night. |
| náusea | - | nausea | - | Siento náuseas después de comer. | I feel nauseous after eating. |
| mareo | mareos | dizziness | - | Tengo mareo al levantarme. | I feel dizzy when I stand up. |
| fatiga | - | fatigue | - | Me siento con mucha fatiga. | I feel very tired. |
| estornudo | estornudos | sneeze | sneezes | Tengo estornudos constantes. | I have constant sneezing. |
| congestión | - | congestion | - | Tengo congestión nasal. | I have nasal congestion. |
| garganta | - | throat | - | Me duele la garganta. | My throat hurts. |
| vómito | vómitos | vomiting | - | Tuve vómitos toda la noche. | I was vomiting all night. |
Siento ___ después de comer.
I feel nauseous after eating.
náuseas
'Náuseas' means 'nausea,' which is the sensation of feeling like vomiting. The other options refer to dizziness, fatigue, or sneezing.
Common Illnesses
These are some common illnesses you might need to talk about or understand when visiting a doctor:
| Spanish Sing. | Spanish Pl. | English Sing. | English Pl. | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| resfriado | resfriados | cold | colds | Tengo un resfriado fuerte. | I have a bad cold. |
| gripe | - | flu | - | La gripe me tiene en cama. | The flu has me in bed. |
| infección | infecciones | infection | infections | Tengo una infección en la garganta. | I have a throat infection. |
| alergia | alergias | allergy | allergies | Soy alérgico al polvo. | I’m allergic to dust. |
| bronquitis | - | bronchitis | - | Fui al médico por bronquitis. | I went to the doctor for bronchitis. |
| neumonía | - | pneumonia | - | La neumonía es muy grave. | Pneumonia is very serious. |
| migraña | migrañas | migraine | migraines | Sufro de migrañas frecuentes. | I suffer from frequent migraines. |
| sinusitis | - | sinusitis | - | La sinusitis me causa dolor facial. | Sinusitis causes me facial pain. |
| diabetes | - | diabetes | - | Mi abuelo tiene diabetes. | My grandfather has diabetes. |
| hipertensión | - | hypertension | - | La hipertensión debe controlarse. | Hypertension should be controlled. |
Tengo una ___ en la garganta.
I have a throat infection.
infección
'Infección' means 'infection.' It can occur in various parts of the body, including the throat. The others are allergy, migraine, and sinusitis.
Medical Conditions
These are broader medical terms that may come up in more serious contexts or when explaining a diagnosis:
| Spanish Sing. | Spanish Pl. | English Sing. | English Pl. | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| enfermedad | enfermedades | illness/disease | illnesses/diseases | Tiene una enfermedad crónica. | He has a chronic illness. |
| diagnóstico | diagnósticos | diagnosis | diagnoses | El diagnóstico fue temprano. | The diagnosis was early. |
| tratamiento | tratamientos | treatment | treatments | El tratamiento es con antibióticos. | The treatment is with antibiotics. |
| cirugía | cirugías | surgery | surgeries | Necesito una cirugía menor. | I need minor surgery. |
| recuperación | - | recovery | - | La recuperación tomó dos semanas. | Recovery took two weeks. |
| contagio | - | contagion | - | El contagio se produjo en la oficina. | The contagion occurred in the office. |
| vacuna | vacunas | vaccine | vaccines | Me puse la vacuna contra la gripe. | I got the flu vaccine. |
| síntoma | síntomas | symptom | symptoms | Los síntomas aparecieron temprano. | The symptoms appeared early. |
| alergia | alergias | allergy | allergies | Tengo alergia a los gatos. | I’m allergic to cats. |
| dolor | dolores | pain | pains | El dolor es muy intenso. | The pain is very intense. |
Body Parts
These are the body parts most commonly mentioned when describing illnesses or symptoms:
| Spanish Sing. | Spanish Pl. | English Sing. | English Pl. | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cabeza | - | head | - | Me duele la cabeza. | My head hurts. |
| garganta | - | throat | - | Tengo la garganta irritada. | My throat is irritated. |
| estómago | - | stomach | - | Me duele el estómago. | My stomach hurts. |
| pecho | - | chest | - | Siento opresión en el pecho. | I feel tightness in my chest. |
| espalda | - | back | - | Me duele la espalda baja. | My lower back hurts. |
| nariz | - | nose | - | Tengo la nariz tapada. | My nose is blocked. |
| ojos | - | eyes | - | Me pican los ojos. | My eyes are itchy. |
| oídos | - | ears | - | Tengo dolor de oídos. | I have an earache. |
| garganta | - | throat | - | Me arde la garganta. | My throat burns. |
| brazo | - | arm | - | Me duele el brazo izquierdo. | My left arm hurts. |
Doctor Phrases
These are some common phrases you’ll hear or need to use when talking to a doctor in Spanish:
| Spanish Phrase | English Phrase | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿Dónde le duele? | Where does it hurt? | ¿Dónde le duele más? | Where does it hurt the most? |
| ¿Desde cuándo tiene los síntomas? | How long have you had the symptoms? | ¿Desde cuándo tiene los síntomas? | How long have you had the symptoms? |
| ¿Tiene fiebre? | Do you have a fever? | ¿Tiene fiebre esta mañana? | Do you have a fever this morning? |
| ¿Ha tomado algún medicamento? | Have you taken any medication? | ¿Ha tomado algún medicamento? | Have you taken any medication? |
| Voy a recetarle un antibiótico. | I’m going to prescribe you an antibiotic. | Voy a recetarle un antibiótico. | I’m going to prescribe you an antibiotic. |
| Descanse y beba mucho líquido. | Rest and drink plenty of fluids. | Descanse y beba mucho líquido. | Rest and drink plenty of fluids. |
| ¿Tiene alergias? | Do you have any allergies? | ¿Tiene alergias a medicamentos? | Are you allergic to any medications? |
| Necesita hacer reposo. | You need to rest. | Necesita hacer reposo por tres días. | You need to rest for three days. |
| ¿Le duele más en la mañana o en la noche? | Does it hurt more in the morning or at night? | ¿Le duele más en la mañana o en la noche? | Does it hurt more in the morning or at night? |
| Si los síntomas persisten, vuelva a consulta. | If the symptoms persist, come back for a follow-up. | Si los síntomas persisten, vuelva a consulta. | If the symptoms persist, come back for a follow-up. |
What advice is given by 'Descanse y beba mucho líquido.'?
Rest and drink plenty of fluids.
The phrase advises rest and hydration, common recommendations for many illnesses.
Flashcards (1 of 50)
- English Sing.: pain
- English Pl.: pains
- English Example: I have a headache.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
