Medical Term for Headache
The medical term for headache is "cephalgia," though in clinical practice, headache is itself the accepted medical terminology, with specific subtypes classified according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD). 1
Clinical Classification Framework
In modern medical practice, "headache" serves as the primary medical term, with classification based on etiology rather than Latin terminology:
Primary Headache Disorders
These are headaches unrelated to underlying medical conditions and include four main categories: 2
Migraine - affects 12% of the population and is the most disabling primary headache type, characterized by recurrent attacks lasting 4-72 hours with unilateral location, pulsating quality, moderate to severe intensity, and associated symptoms including nausea/vomiting and photophobia/phonophobia 1, 2
Tension-type headache - affects 38% of the population, typically bilateral with pressing/tightening quality, mild to moderate severity, and lacks the autonomic features or severe associated symptoms of migraine 3, 2
Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias - includes cluster headache, characterized by severe unilateral pain lasting 15-180 minutes with ipsilateral autonomic symptoms (lacrimation, nasal congestion, ptosis) occurring 1-8 times daily 4, 5
Other primary headache disorders 2
Secondary Headache Disorders
These are headaches due to underlying medical conditions, classified by etiology (vascular, neoplastic, infectious, or intracranial pressure/volume causes). 2
Important Clinical Distinction
The term "cephalgia" is rarely used in contemporary clinical documentation. Instead, specific diagnostic terms based on the ICHD-3 classification are preferred, such as "migraine without aura," "chronic tension-type headache," or "cluster headache." 1
Common Pitfall
Avoid using archaic terminology like "cephalgia" in clinical notes or patient communication, as it may cause confusion and does not provide the diagnostic specificity required for appropriate management and coding. 2, 6