[General] He feels headache, nausea and vomiting.

[jiaruchan]

Can we use the phrase 'feel headache' as idiomatic English?

 

[emsr2d2]

Can we use the phrase 'feel headache' as idiomatic English?

No. You "have a headache". Some people say "I feel headachey" to give a sort of vague impression that they have a slight headache, but "headachey" is a made-up word!

As far as your title goes, you also don't "feel nausea and vomiting". You "feel nauseous" and you "vomit".

The person in your example "has a headache, feels nauseous and is vomiting". It's slight tautology to say "feels nauseous and is vomiting" though, because "to feel nauseous" means to feel as if you're going to vomit.

 

[TheParser]

Can we use the phrase 'feel headache' as idiomatic English?

********** NOT A TEACHER **********

Hello, Jiaruchan.

(1) I do not think that "I feel headache" is "good" English, but

you could say:

May I please be excused? I feel a headache coming on. / I am

starting to get a headache.

(2) Here in the United States, there are still a few strict teachers

who say that you should say:

I feel nauseated (I am experiencing nausea).

These strict teachers say that if you say, "I am nauseous," that

means that you make other people nauseated!!!

Many (most?) people no longer follow this rule, but you might

consider doing so. I try my best to do so -- especially in writing.

(3) I have to leave. I feel like vomiting.

Thank you

 

[jiaruchan]

Thank you, emsr2d2 and TheParser.

The origin is a renowned Chinese English teacher's blog. He put up something earlier today to share some medical English with students so that these lines might be useful if they would happen to see a doctor in an English speaking country.

Here is a partial list of allegedly useful sentenses:

　He feels headache, nausea and vomiting。

　　He is under the weather。

　　He began to feel unusually tired。

　　He feels light-headed。

　　She has been shut-in for a few days。

　　Her head is pounding.

　　His symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, excessive fatigue, fever and chills.
　　He feels exhausted or fatigued most of the time.
　　He has been lacking in energy for some time.
　　He feels drowsy, dizzy and nauseated.
　　He feels as though everything around him is spinning.
　　He has noticed some loss of hearing. 　　
She has some pains and itching around her eyes.

　　

　　He has been coughing up rusty or greenish-yellow phlegm.
　　His eyes feel itchy and he has been sneezing.
　　He has a fever, aching muscles and hacking cough. (hacking = constant)
　　He coughed with sputum and feeling of malaise. (malaise = debility)
　　He gets a cold with a deep hacking cough. 　　
He has a headache, aching bones and joints. 　
　He has a persistent cough.

　　He has bouts of uncontrollable coughing.

　　He has hoarse and has lost his voice sometimes.
　　He has a sore throat and a stuffy nose.

　　His breathing is harsh and wheezy.
　　He has a stabbing pain that comes on suddenly in one or both temples. 　　He has a runny nose, sneezing or a scratchy throat.
　
　
　　His both hands and feet ache all over.　　
He has pain on the sole of his feet.

　　There is a wart-like lump on the sole of right foot.
　　

 

[TheParser]

Thank you, emsr2d2 and TheParser.

The origin is a renowned Chinese English teacher's blog. He put up something earlier today to share some medical English with students so that these lines might be useful if they would happen to see a doctor in an English speaking country.

Here is a partial list of allegedly useful sentenses:

　He feels headache, nausea and vomiting。

　　He is under the weather。

　　He began to feel unusually tired。

　　He feels light-headed。

　　She has been shut-in for a few days。

　　Her head is pounding.

　　His symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, excessive fatigue, fever and chills.
　　He feels exhausted or fatigued most of the time.
　　He has been lacking in energy for some time.
　　He feels drowsy, dizzy and nauseated.
　　He feels as though everything around him is spinning.
　　He has noticed some loss of hearing. 　　
She has some pains and itching around her eyes.

　　

　　He has been coughing up rusty or greenish-yellow phlegm.
　　His eyes feel itchy and he has been sneezing.
　　He has a fever, aching muscles and hacking cough. (hacking = constant)
　　He coughed with sputum and feeling of malaise. (malaise = debility)
　　He gets a cold with a deep hacking cough. 　　
He has a headache, aching bones and joints. 　
　He has a persistent cough.

　　He has bouts of uncontrollable coughing.

　　He has hoarse and has lost his voice sometimes.
　　He has a sore throat and a stuffy nose.

　　His breathing is harsh and wheezy.
　　He has a stabbing pain that comes on suddenly in one or both temples. 　　He has a runny nose, sneezing or a scratchy throat.
　
　
　　His both hands and feet ache all over.　　
He has pain on the sole of his feet.

　　There is a wart-like lump on the sole of right foot.
　　

********** NOT A TEACHER **********

Hello, Jiaruchan.

(1) That teacher's blog shows that s/he is an excellent

teacher who understands English very well. Of course, it is

only natural for a non-native to make a few little mistakes

(just as we native speakers make mistakes, too).

(2) May I point out a few suggested changes?

coughed up sputum

He feels a certain malaise

He has a cold

He is hoarse

Both of his hands

Soles of the feet

the right sole

(3) As you can see, the mistakes are minor. I am sure that the

teacher you mentioned is doing great work.

Thank you