Cephalo User Guide

Everything you need to know about tracking headaches and using Cephalo effectively

Getting Started

First Time Setup

When you first open Cephalo, you'll be guided through a simple setup process:

  1. Grant permission for notifications to receive reminders
  2. Allow Health app integration for comprehensive tracking
  3. Enable location access for weather trigger detection (optional)
  4. Select your preferred language (English or Dutch)
  5. Choose your gender for personalized tracking options
Tip: You can change all these settings later in the Settings menu. Don't worry about getting everything perfect on first setup!

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

Logging Headaches

Quick Logging

There are two ways to start logging a headache:

1. Quick Log Button: Tap when you feel a headache starting
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)
Medication Overuse Warning: Cephalo will alert you if you've taken medication for more than 10 days in a month, helping prevent medication overuse headaches.

Additional Context

  • Impact on daily activities
  • Menstruation correlation (if applicable)
  • Personal notes and observations

Active Episode Tracking

During a Headache

When you have an active headache, Cephalo helps you track it in real-time:

  1. The home screen shows your active episode with duration counter
  2. Tap the episode card to add or update details as symptoms change
  3. Log medications as you take them
  4. End the episode when your headache resolves
Smart Duration Tracking: Cephalo automatically handles headaches that last overnight, calculating the correct duration even if they span multiple days.

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

History & Calendar Views

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
Pattern Recognition: The calendar view makes it easy to spot patterns like weekend headaches, menstrual-related episodes, or seasonal clusters.

Analytics & Insights

Available Timeframes

  • 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

MIDAS Disability Assessment

What is MIDAS?

The Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) is a validated questionnaire that measures the impact of headaches on your daily life over the past 3 months.

How It Works

  1. Enable MIDAS tracking in Settings
  2. Complete the 5-question assessment every 90 days
  3. Answer questions about missed work, household activities, and social events
  4. Receive a score indicating your disability level
  5. Track changes over time

Score Interpretation

  • 0-5: Minimal or no disability
  • 6-10: Mild disability
  • 11-20: Moderate disability
  • 21+: Severe disability
For Your Doctor: MIDAS scores help healthcare providers understand your headache impact and make treatment decisions. Include your scores in medical reports.

Export & Sharing

Medical Reports

Generate professional PDF reports for your healthcare provider:

  • Comprehensive headache history
  • Medication usage patterns
  • MIDAS scores and trends
  • Statistical summaries
  • Pattern analysis

Data Export Options

  • 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

Cephalo Plus (Premium)

Premium Benefits

Extended History

Access your complete headache history beyond the 7-day free limit

Advanced Analytics

View 1-month, 3-month, and 1-year insights with detailed trend analysis

Weather Tracking

Automatic correlation with barometric pressure, humidity, and temperature

MIDAS Assessment

Track disability scores and monitor treatment effectiveness

Enhanced Export

Multiple export formats and comprehensive medical reports

Priority Support

Get help faster with priority customer service

Free vs Premium

Feature Free Premium
Headache Logging ✓ ✓
Medication Tracking ✓ ✓
7-Day Insights ✓ ✓
Extended Analytics - ✓
Weather Tracking - ✓
MIDAS Assessment - ✓
Full History Access 7 days Unlimited

Tips & Best Practices

For Accurate Tracking

  • 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

Identifying 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.)

For Medical Appointments

  • 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
Medical Disclaimer: Cephalo is a tracking tool, not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult healthcare professionals for diagnosis and treatment decisions.

Common Questions

Q: 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.

Q: How do I delete an entry?

Open the entry from your history and scroll to the bottom to find the delete option.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: Can I use Cephalo on multiple devices?

Yes! Enable iCloud sync in settings to keep your data synchronized across all your Apple devices.

Need More Help?

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
Pro Tip: The more consistently you track, the more valuable your insights become. Make logging a habit, and Cephalo will help you understand your headache patterns better than ever before.