The International Headeache Society Classification System
Updated June 09, 2015.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
What Is the International Headeache Society?:
The International Headache Society (IHS) is a worldwide organization dedicated to helping people whose lives are affected by headaches. The IHS publishes an academic medical journal entitled Cephalgia. The IHS also supports charitable work and research in the field of headache disorders.
What Is the IHS Classification System?:
The IHS Classification System is a tool that can help categorize headache disorders.
Its second edition (ICHD-2) attempts to organize all headaches and headache disorders so that health care practitioners and researchers can accurately identify a diagnosis in headache sufferers.
The ICHD-2 accomplishes this goal by setting out specific criteria that can be used to differentiate from the various headache disorders.
What Are the Main Divisions of Disorders According to the ICHD-2?:
The ICHD-2 is divided into three main parts.
Part I deals with the primary headaches: migraines, tension-type headaches, cluster headaches, and other primary headaches.
Part II describes the many secondary headaches.
Part III is a list of cranial neuralgias, facial pain and other headaches.
Why Do We Need the ICHD-2?:
The headache classification provides a consistent means to describe various headache disorders. With clear definitions of the disorders it becomes easier to determine the appropriate and most effective treatments for each disorder. The ICHD-2 essentially lays out the rules for diagnosing headache disorders and creates a common language for health care providers and researchers worldwide.
You can view a web-based version of The 2nd Edition of the International Headache Classification (ICHD-2) at the International Headache Society's website.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
What Is the International Headeache Society?:
The International Headache Society (IHS) is a worldwide organization dedicated to helping people whose lives are affected by headaches. The IHS publishes an academic medical journal entitled Cephalgia. The IHS also supports charitable work and research in the field of headache disorders.
What Is the IHS Classification System?:
The IHS Classification System is a tool that can help categorize headache disorders.
Its second edition (ICHD-2) attempts to organize all headaches and headache disorders so that health care practitioners and researchers can accurately identify a diagnosis in headache sufferers.
The ICHD-2 accomplishes this goal by setting out specific criteria that can be used to differentiate from the various headache disorders.
What Are the Main Divisions of Disorders According to the ICHD-2?:
The ICHD-2 is divided into three main parts.
Part I deals with the primary headaches: migraines, tension-type headaches, cluster headaches, and other primary headaches.
Part II describes the many secondary headaches.
Part III is a list of cranial neuralgias, facial pain and other headaches.
Why Do We Need the ICHD-2?:
The headache classification provides a consistent means to describe various headache disorders. With clear definitions of the disorders it becomes easier to determine the appropriate and most effective treatments for each disorder. The ICHD-2 essentially lays out the rules for diagnosing headache disorders and creates a common language for health care providers and researchers worldwide.
You can view a web-based version of The 2nd Edition of the International Headache Classification (ICHD-2) at the International Headache Society's website.
