Headache in Spanish

What it means

A headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Headache is the most common form of pain. The most common type is a tension headache, which is likely caused by tight muscles in the shoulders, neck, scalp, and jaw and is often related to stress, depression or anxiety. Other common types include migraines, cluster headaches, and sinus headaches. Serious causes of headaches are rare, and not all headaches require a doctor's attention, but sometimes headaches warn of a more serious disorder. A headache that comes on suddenly and is explosive or violent needs medical attention right away: call 911 or the local emergency number or go to the nearest emergency room. Diagnosis is usually based on the history of symptoms.

Spanish term: Dolor de cabeza
Gender and article: masculine: el dolor de cabeza
Pronunciation: doh-LOR deh kah-BEH-sah

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
cefalea	General	MedlinePlus en español gives it under "Otros nombres" on its headache page and uses it in the names of headache types.

Dolor de cabeza is the title of the MedlinePlus en español headache page, which gives cefalea as another name. Dolor is masculine: el dolor de cabeza, plural los dolores de cabeza. MedlinePlus en español uses cefalea in the names of the headache types: cefalea tensional (tension headache), cefaleas en racimos (cluster headaches) and cefaleas por sinusitis (sinus headaches). Its encyclopedia article also writes dolores de cabeza tensionales, cefalea en brotes and cefalea sinusal.

Words that appear beside it in MedlinePlus en español are analgésicos (pain relievers), desencadenantes (triggers) and diario de los dolores de cabeza (headache diary). Rebound headaches, which the English encyclopedia says are also called medicine overuse headaches, are dolores de cabeza de rebote. For a headache that comes on suddenly and is explosive or violent, the Spanish encyclopedia's emergency wording is Llame al 911 o al número local de emergencia o vaya a la sala de emergencias más cercana.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	I have had a headache every afternoon for the past two weeks.	Desde hace dos semanas tengo dolor de cabeza todas las tardes.
Clinician	Where does it hurt: on one side, on both sides, or at the back of your head?	¿Dónde le duele: en un lado, en ambos lados o en la parte de atrás de la cabeza?
Patient	It feels like a tight band around my head, and my neck and shoulders feel tight.	Siento como una banda apretada alrededor de la cabeza, y tengo el cuello y los hombros tensos.
Clinician	Did the headache come on suddenly, or did it build up little by little?	¿El dolor de cabeza empezó de repente o fue aumentando poco a poco?
Clinician	Have you had a fever, a stiff neck, or any changes in your vision?	¿Ha tenido fiebre, rigidez en el cuello o algún cambio en la visión?
Patient	No, but light and noise bother me when it hurts.	No, pero la luz y el ruido me molestan cuando me duele.
Clinician	Please keep a headache diary: write down when the pain starts and how long it lasts.	Por favor, lleve un diario de los dolores de cabeza: anote cuándo empieza el dolor y cuánto dura.
Patient	What signs mean I should go to the emergency room?	¿Qué señales indican que debo ir a la sala de emergencias?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Headache
Spanish (Español)	Dolor de cabeza
Chinese (中文)	頭痛
Korean (한국어)	두통
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Đau đầu
Filipino (Tagalog)	Sakit ng ulo
Portuguese (Português)	Dor de cabeça
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	อาการปวดศีรษะ
Japanese (日本語)	頭痛

Where you'll see it

chartintake formmedical recordtriage note

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: R51 → Headache

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Brain and nerves

All terms in this area: Brain and nerves — Cerebro y nervios

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.