Meanings
- uncountableFear of headaches or getting headaches.
The consequence of cephalalgiaphobia is that we delay treatment because we are afraid of the headache (denial) and the side effects of the medication that has been prescribed.
2008, Robert Cowan, M.D, The keeler migraine method: A Groundbreaking, Individualized Program from the Renowned Headache Treatment Clinic, New York: Avery, page 1771 more example
Cephalalgiaphobia (fear of the next headache) may also decrease the threshold for initiating the consumption of analgesics, leading to medications overuse (Peres et al., 2007).
2015, Marcello Lotti, Margit L. Bleecker, editors, Handbook of Clinical Neurology, volume 131: Occupational Neurology (ebook), Elsevier, pages 451-452
Origin
From cephal- (“head”) + -algia (“pain”) + -phobia (“fear”).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
cephalalgiaphobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cephalalgiaphobia
“cephalalgiaphobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cephalalgiaphobia. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cephalalgiaphobia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cephalalgiaphobia.
Source: cephalalgiaphobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.