Yes, lupus can absolutely make your scalp hurt, causing tenderness, pain, bumps, sores, itching, and inflammation, often linked to cutaneous lupus (skin lupus), especially the discoid type, leading to scarring and hair loss, but other lupus forms can also cause scalp discomfort. It's a common but sometimes overlooked symptom, with people reporting painful sores or extreme tenderness.
Dermatomyositis. DM is an autoimmune inflammatory myopathy with cutaneous and systemic symptoms [29]. The scalp is frequently affected by moderate to severe burning pruritus; hair loss may also be present [30].
Discoid lupus causes round, coin-shaped lesions (sores). The sores most commonly develop on your scalp and face, but they may show up on other parts of your body. Discoid lesions typically do not hurt or itch. They may be scaly, thick or red.
CLE is a form of lupus that happens when your immune system attacks the skin, causing sores, lesions, or rashes. A subtype of CLE called discoid lupus erythematosus, or discoid lupus, often causes rashes or scaly patches on the scalp and face.
Scalp pain can stem from causes like skin conditions, infections, hair styling habits, headaches, and sunburns. Treatment to reduce scalp discomfort will depend on the cause. Prevention tactics like gentle washing, reducing stress, and protecting your skin from the sun can help maintain scalp health.
Nerve-Related Disorders
Scalp pain is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS), a lifelong autoimmune disease of the central nervous system.
Tension, migraine, and occipital neuralgia are some of the possible causes. In some cases, a person may need medical attention. Localized pain at the top of the head could stem from a variety of causes. In most cases, this type of headache will not indicate an underlying health condition and will resolve on its own.
Headaches may be related to tension in the muscles around the eyes, face, neck or shoulders. Migraines are another common type of headache experienced by people with lupus.
Some lupus complications can include:
Lupus can attack many different parts of the body. Some call it the cruel mystery. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can strike any part of the body, but the wide range of symptoms can be easily mistaken for something else.
The most common manifestation of neuro-lupus is cognitive dysfunction, which is characterized by clouded thinking, confusion, and impaired memory. Eighty percent of lupus patients who have had lupus for ten years or more will experience this condition.
Lupus causes swelling and irritation, called inflammation, that may affect joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. Lupus can be hard to diagnose because its symptoms often are like those of other illnesses. A common sign of lupus is a facial rash that looks like butterfly wings across both cheeks.
Use gentle hair products, like baby shampoo, to avoid irritating your scalp. Check with your doctor before trying new products. Avoid heat and chemicals, including curlers, hot combs, and chemical treatments, which can weaken hair and cause further damage.
Most Common Causes of Scalp Inflammation and Hair Loss
The main symptoms are:
Low levels of vitamin D are commonly seen in people with alopecia areata. Thinning hair. Increased shedding. Scalp sensitivity or inflammation.
Lupus can also cause other problems in the abdomen, including peritonitis (inflammation of the abdominal lining) and ascites (a build-up of fluids in the abdomen). Symptoms of peritonitis and ascites include: Abdominal pain and swelling. Nausea and vomiting.
The medicines used most often to manage lupus include:
Rheumatoid arthritis. Like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that mainly affects the joints, usually the wrists, fingers and toes. But it can also affect the eyes, mouth, or lungs. Some people might use the term “rhupus” to describe RA and lupus that overlap.
Some uncommon symptoms of lupus include angina, stroke and mini-stroke, pregnancy loss, kidney problems, and blood problems. Lupus can be difficult to diagnose, but reporting less common symptoms may help doctors make an accurate diagnosis.
Brain imaging is a powerful tool to noninvasively identify and differentiate the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) syndromes. Anatomic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a widely used brain imaging technique to study NPSLE syndromes.
Analgesics. Your doctor may suggest over-the-counter medications designed to reduce pain and inflammation and treat fever associated with lupus. These may include acetaminophen or aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen.
There are many possible reasons why a person's scalp feels sore and tender to touch, including skin conditions such as psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis. Other potential causes of a sore and tender scalp include occipital neuralgia, a type of headache, and conditions such as alopecia areata.
It is usually caused by a medical condition that irritates the scalp itself. Medical conditions such as scalp psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, scalp folliculitis, eczema, contact dermatitis, alopecia, temporal arteritis, brain tumor and basal cell carcinoma can trigger scalp pain.
“If it ruptures, what it feels like is the worst headache of life, worse than anything you've ever had, like a hammer hitting the back of the head,” says Dr. Patel. Along with a headache, symptoms of a brain aneurysm rupture also include: Confusion or loss of consciousness.