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I need to know why 'a' is omitted before headache in the below sentence.

Although he has undergone a very costly treatment, he has not been cured of a headache.

Correct - cured of headache.

Barmar
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Yasin Khan
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    Buy we say. I have a headache. I'm right? – Yasin Khan Jan 24 '21 at 10:02
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    I was cured of a headache last month, but I have not been cured of my headache this time. Last month is not specified, this time is. – Peter Jan 24 '21 at 10:07
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    Actually, here, headache is uncountable: it's used as the name of a condition, in the same way as the word epilepsy might occur in that position. – Andrew Leach Jan 24 '21 at 10:33
  • He wants to be cured of a tendency to headache, not just a particular episode of it. – Kate Bunting Jan 24 '21 at 11:05
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    Who says it should be omitted? – Hot Licks Jan 24 '21 at 13:18
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    "cured of headache" sounds wrong to me. "cured of headaches" suggests a permanent cure. "cured of the headache" would be specific to the headache that the treatment was targeted at. – Barmar Jan 25 '21 at 19:30
  • I need to know why 'a' is omitted before headache in the below sentence. We need to know the context in which this was said, and the source. As it stands, with and without the "a", it is not idiomatic. – Greybeard Jan 25 '21 at 20:42
  • The sentence is a exercise question in the articles section of the book which I'm studying. – Yasin Khan Jan 26 '21 at 08:08

1 Answers1

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I can't find a dictionary mentioning it but there is little doubt that "headache" is both countable and uncountable, which explains the use with no article in a non-plural context.

(Lexico) (not mentioned) You will find one instance of uncountable use.

(OALD) (not mentioned, which according to this dictionary is an indication that the word is only countable; it could be an omission.)

LPH
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