Cephalo User Guide
Everything you need to know about tracking headaches and using Cephalo effectively
How do I start tracking my headaches?
To start tracking, download Cephalo from the App Store, open it, and follow the short setup: allow notifications, connect Apple Health, and optionally enable location for weather logging. No account is needed and your data stays on your iPhone. You can log your first headache within about a minute of installing.
What happens during first-time setup?
When you first open Cephalo, you'll be guided through a simple setup process:
- Grant permission for notifications to receive reminders
- Allow Health app integration for comprehensive tracking
- Enable location access for weather trigger detection (optional)
- Select your preferred language (13 languages available)
- Choose your gender for personalized tracking options
Home Screen Overview
The home screen is your dashboard showing:
- Current Status: Whether you have an active headache or are headache-free
- Quick Statistics: Daily and weekly headache summaries
- Recent Episodes: Your last 3 logged headaches for quick reference
- Action Buttons: Quick access to log new headaches or manage active ones
How do I log a headache, and what can I record?
To log a headache, tap the Quick Log button on the home screen and record the essentials: start time, pain intensity on a 0 to 10 scale, pain location, and any symptoms. You can add medications, menstruation correlation, and notes in the same entry, and edit every detail later from your history.
Quick Logging
There are two ways to start logging a headache:
2. Active Episode: If you already have a headache, tap the active episode card
What to Track
Cephalo lets you track comprehensive details about each headache:
Essential Information
- Date & Time: When the headache started
- Intensity: Pain level on a scale of 0-10
- Location: Where you feel the pain (left/right side, forehead, temples, etc.)
- Duration: How long the headache lasted
Symptoms & Characteristics
- Aura symptoms and descriptions
- Pain type (throbbing, pressing)
- Light and sound sensitivity
- Nausea or vomiting
- Whether physical activity worsens the pain
Medication Tracking
For each medication taken:
- Medication name and strength
- Dosage amount
- Time taken
- Effectiveness rating (how well it worked)
Additional Context
- Impact on daily activities
- Menstruation correlation (if applicable)
- Personal notes and observations
How do I track a headache while it is happening?
While a headache is ongoing, Cephalo keeps the episode active on your home screen with a live duration counter. You can update intensity and symptoms as they change, log each medication at the moment you take it, and end the episode when the pain resolves, so the recorded duration stays accurate.
During a Headache
When you have an active headache, Cephalo helps you track it in real-time:
- The home screen shows your active episode with duration counter
- Tap the episode card to add or update details as symptoms change
- Log medications as you take them
- End the episode when your headache resolves
Medication Effectiveness
Track how well your medications work by:
- Rating effectiveness after taking medication
- Noting the time to relief
- Recording if you needed additional doses
How do I review past headaches and spot patterns?
Cephalo shows your past headaches in two ways: a chronological history list with color-coded intensity, and a monthly calendar that maps headache days visually. The calendar makes clusters, headache-free stretches, and recurring patterns such as weekend or cycle-related episodes easy to spot, and every entry stays editable afterwards.
History List
View all your logged headaches in chronological order:
- Color-coded intensity indicators for quick scanning
- Duration and medication summaries
- Tap any entry to view or edit full details
- Search and filter capabilities
Calendar View
See your headache patterns at a glance:
- Monthly grid showing all headache days
- Visual intensity mapping with colors
- Navigate between months to spot patterns
- Identify clusters and headache-free periods
What insights does the app show, and where do the numbers come from?
Cephalo's insights summarize the headaches you logged: episode frequency, average intensity, duration distribution, and how well each medication worked. These summaries are calculated on your device from your own diary entries. The free plan covers the last 7 days; longer timeframes are part of Cephalo Plus.
Which timeframes can I view?
- 7 Days: Recent patterns (Free)
- 1 Month: Monthly trends (Premium)
- 3 Months: Quarterly analysis (Premium)
- 1 Year: Annual overview (Premium)
Key Insight Cards
Frequency Analysis
Understand how often you get headaches:
- Episode count and trends
- Daily averages
- Risk level assessment
- Comparison to previous periods
Intensity Patterns
Track your pain levels over time:
- Average intensity trends
- Volatility analysis
- Severity distribution
Duration Insights
Analyze how long your headaches last:
- Short episodes (< 4 hours)
- Medium episodes (4-24 hours)
- Long episodes (> 24 hours)
Medication Effectiveness
See which treatments work best:
- Usage rates for each medication
- Average pain reduction percentages
- Most and least effective medications
- Time to relief statistics
Premium Insights
Sleep Correlation
Compare headache intensity after good vs. poor sleep
Weather Triggers
Identify correlations with barometric pressure, humidity, and temperature changes
Menstrual Patterns
Track hormone-related headaches throughout your cycle
What is a MIDAS score and how is it calculated?
The Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) is a validated 5-question questionnaire that measures the impact of headaches on your daily life over the past 3 months. It asks how many days headaches made you miss or limit work, household activities, and social events, and the resulting score places you in one of four disability grades.
How is the score calculated in Cephalo?
- Enable MIDAS tracking in Settings
- Complete the 5-question assessment every 90 days
- Answer questions about missed work, household activities, and social events
- Receive a score indicating your disability level
- Track changes over time
What does my score mean?
- 0-5: Minimal or no disability
- 6-10: Mild disability
- 11-20: Moderate disability
- 21+: Severe disability
How do I share my headache diary with my doctor?
To share your diary with a doctor, open the export section and generate a PDF report: it includes your headache history, medication use, MIDAS scores, and pattern summaries in a format made for appointments. PDF reports and raw CSV export are Cephalo Plus features; a separate one-time unlock also opens PDF reports for 14 days. The full, restorable JSON backup remains free. For what clinicians look for in the report and how long to record before an appointment, see how to show your headache diary to your doctor.
What is in the medical report?
Generate professional PDF reports for your healthcare provider:
- Comprehensive headache history
- Medication usage patterns
- MIDAS scores and trends
- Statistical summaries
- Pattern analysis
Which export formats are available?
- PDF: Formatted reports for medical appointments
- CSV: Raw data for spreadsheet analysis
- JSON: Complete backup of all your data
Apple Health Integration
Cephalo automatically syncs with Apple Health:
- Exports headache episodes to Health app
- Imports sleep data for correlation analysis
- Reads heart rate and HRV for context
- Tracks menstrual cycle data (iOS 16+)
iCloud Sync
Keep your data synchronized across all your Apple devices:
- Automatic backup to iCloud
- Seamless sync between iPhone and iPad
- Encrypted and private
How do I get reliable patterns?
Reliable patterns come from consistent logging: record headaches as soon as they start, rate intensity the same way each time, log every medication including over-the-counter ones, and close episodes when they end. After a few weeks of steady entries, the insights and calendar views have enough data to show genuine patterns rather than noise.
How do I keep my log accurate?
- Log headaches as soon as they start for best accuracy
- Be consistent with your intensity ratings
- Track all medications, even over-the-counter ones
- Note potential triggers in the notes field
- Complete episodes when they end, don't leave them active
How can I identify my triggers?
Use Cephalo's features to identify your triggers:
- Review insights regularly for patterns
- Check weather correlations during episodes
- Note sleep quality the night before
- Track menstrual cycle if applicable
- Use notes to record potential triggers (food, stress, etc.)
How do I prepare for a medical appointment?
- Export a PDF report before your appointment
- Complete a MIDAS assessment if due
- Review your medication effectiveness data
- Note any questions about patterns you've observed
Common Questions
Quick answers to the questions we hear most: editing and deleting entries, insight timeframes, weather tracking, privacy, and multi-device sync. Every answer below applies to the current App Store version of Cephalo. If your question is not covered here, the support section explains how to reach us directly.
Can I edit past entries?
Yes! Tap any entry in your history to edit all details. This is helpful if you forgot to log something or need to add information later.
How do I delete an entry?
Open the entry from your history and scroll to the bottom to find the delete option.
Why can't I see insights older than 7 days?
Extended insights are a premium feature. Upgrade to Cephalo Plus to access 1-month, 3-month, and 1-year analytics.
How does weather tracking work?
With location permission and a premium subscription, Cephalo automatically records weather conditions when you log headaches, helping identify environmental triggers.
Is my data private?
Absolutely! All data is stored locally on your device or in your personal iCloud account. Cephalo has no access to your information.
Can I use Cephalo on multiple devices?
Yes! Enable iCloud sync in settings to keep your data synchronized across all your Apple devices.
Where can I get more help?
For help with anything not covered in this guide, email support@cephalo.app; Cephalo Plus subscribers receive a priority support response. Before writing in, check that you are running the latest App Store version, since updates regularly add features and fixes. Cephalo has no account system, so support will never ask for a password.
If you have questions not covered in this guide:
- Email us at support@cephalo.app
- Check for app updates regularly for new features
- Premium users get priority support response