Primary cough headache

This code describes a headache disorder characterized by pain precipitated by coughing, straining, or other Valsalva maneuvers, without an underlying structural lesion. The headache is typically sudden in onset, bilateral, and can be severe, lasting from a few seconds to several minutes. It is considered a primary headache disorder when no secondary cause is identified.

Use this code when documentation clearly states a diagnosis of "primary cough headache" or a similar phrase indicating a headache exclusively triggered by coughing or straining, and imaging (e.g., MRI) has ruled out secondary causes such as Chiari malformation or intracranial mass. This code is appropriate for initial diagnosis and subsequent encounters for this specific headache type.

• Ensure documentation explicitly states "primary" to differentiate from secondary cough headaches.
• Confirm that diagnostic workup, particularly neuroimaging, has excluded other causes before assigning this primary headache code.
• Do not confuse with other primary headache disorders like migraine or tension-type headache, even if coughing exacerbates them; the cough must be the precipitating factor.