Getting / Being ill
Verb - Noun Collocations
Catch or come down with: a cold, the flue, a chill, pheumonia.Ex. I got soaking wet and caught a cold.
Contract (formal) or pick up (informal): a disease, malaria, typhoid.
Ex. Uncle Jess contracted malaria when he was working in Africa.
Develop: cancer, diabetes, AIDS, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease.
Ex. My Grandfather developed Alzheimer disease and could no longer recognize people.
Suffer from: asthma, hay fever, backache.
Ex. She has suffered from asthma all her life.
Have an attack of: bronchitis, asthma, hay fever, diarrhoea.
Ex. She had an attack of hay fever and was sneezing non-stop.
Be diagnosed with: cancer, AIDS, leukaemia, autism.
Ex. He was diagnosed with lung cancer and died a year later.
Suffer / sustain (formal): major / minor / serious / head injuries.
Ex. The driver sustained serious injuries in the crash.
Fall into: a coma. The opposite: come out of a coma.
Ex. The boxer fell into a coma after receiving a blow to the head and didn't come out of it for five days.
Fight for one's life.
Ex. The accident has left several people fighting for their lives.
Noun - Adjective Collocations
A rare / serious / life-threatening / incurable illness.
Ex. It's a serious illness, but probably not life-threatening.
An infectious disease
Ex. There are a number of infectious diseases which mainly affect children.
Trivial / minor ailments
Ex. He takes days off even for the most trivial ailments.
A heavy / streaming / slight cold
Ex. I've had a streaming cold for days now.
Excrutiating / unbearable pain.
Ex. She suffers excruciating pain most of the time.
A dull / nagging / throbbing ache.
Ex. For a few days it was acutely painful, but now it's just a dull ache.
A splitting headache.
Ex. I had a streaming cold and a splitting headache, so I wasn't in a good mood.
A massive heart attack.
Ex. He suffered a massive heart attack.
Untimely / premature death.
Ex. They were all saddened by the young woman's untimely death.
Adjective - Adverb Collocations
Critically / seriously / terminally ill.
Ex. She's still critically ill in hospital.
Acutely / intensely painful.
Ex. For a few days it was intensely painful, but now it's just a dull ache.
Treatment
Have / undergo an operation.
Ex. She was worried that she might have to have an operation.
Put smb. on / prescribe smb. / give smb. / a course of treatment / medication / penicillin / antibiotics / injections etc.
Ex. Her doctor prescribed a course of medication.
Respond well to / benefit from treatment.
Ex. Fortunately, she responded well to treatment, and made a full recovery.
Make a full recovery.
Ex. Fortunately, she responded well to treatment, and made a full recovery.
Exceed the recommended dose.
Ex. Do not exceed the recommended dose.
Take / die of an overdose.
Ex. If you take an overdose, consult a doctor immediately.
Side effects.
Ex. If you suffer any of these side effects or any other adverse reactions, consult your doctor.
Adverse reactions,
Ex. If you suffer any of these side effects or any other adverse reactions, consult your doctor.
Maintaining Good Health
Enjoy / have good health.
Ex. She's never really enjoyed good health.
Reduce your stress levels.
Ex. Do you want to reduce your stress levels?
Build up your strength / resistance
Ex. Build up your strength by doing plenty of exercise.
Do / take / get (gentle / vigorous / regular / plenty of) exercise.
Ex. Do you take regular vigorous exercise?
Keep fit.
Ex. I swim twice a week to try and keep fit.
Watch what you eat.
Ex. There 's no need to go on a diet: just watch what you eat.
Eat / have a (balanced / healthy / poor) diet.
Ex. It is important to eat a balanced, healthy diet.
Follow / have / go on / be on / stick to a (strict / special / low-fat etc.) diet.
Ex. Lyn always seems to be on a diet.
Sources:
1. M. McCarthy, F. O'Dell. English Collocations in Use.
2. M. McCarthy, F. O'Dell. English Collocations in Use. Advanced
