Autoimmune: Some autoimmune diseases can cause inflammation of the blood vessels in your head leading to scalp pain. One such condition is called Giant Cell Arteritis, also known as Temporal Arteritis. Dermatologic: Skin conditions such as eczema or dandruff can cause inflammation of the scalp.
Scalp psoriasis is an autoimmune condition. It causes raised, discolored plaques on your scalp or on the skin around your scalp that may be dry, itchy and irritating. Prescription and over-the-counter medications can alleviate your symptoms.
Giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis) is a disorder that causes inflammation of arteries of the scalp, neck, and arms. It narrows the arteries, which keeps blood from flowing well. Giant cell arteritis often occurs with another autoimmune disorder called polymyalgia rheumatica.
Scalp pain and tenderness can be caused by dermatitis, scalp and hair follicle infections, or psoriasis . Other causes of scalp pain or soreness include sunburns, headaches, and hair extensions, as well as certain pain or inflammatory conditions.
Migraines, headaches, and autoimmune disorders can cause scalp pain, irritation, and inflammation. Sunburns, rashes, wounds, and insect bites are also common causes of scalp tenderness. Most cases of scalp tenderness clear up on their own or with medication, but some are signs of an underlying condition.
Does fibromyalgia affect your scalp? Possibly. Many people with fibromyalgia report experiencing burning scalp pain. However, scalp pain isn't formally included in fibromyalgia symptoms list.
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may experience abnormal sensations, including pain, burning, itching, or numbness. For some, these sensations affect the scalp and cause discomfort.
The scalp may become tender and extremely sensitive to the point where a light touch can cause severe pain (allodynia). Causes of occipital neuralgia include injury, pinched nerve, overly tight neck muscles, nerve compression, disc disease, or infection and inflammation.
Many people with lupus have skin problems, like rashes or sores on the scalp, that can cause hair loss.
Chronic Cutaneous Lupus
Lesions most often appear on the face, ears, scalp, neck, and hands. They are usually not itchy or painful, but they may cause dark spots or scars that remain on the skin after they heal. Scarring on the scalp may destroy hair follicles and result in permanent hair loss.
A common cause of scalp inflammation is seborrheic dermatitis, which can cause red, scaly patches to develop on your scalp. Other conditions that can cause scalp inflammation include folliculitis, scalp ringworm (tinea capitis) and others.
Discoid lupus causes raised, scaly patches. As these patches clear, scars can form. When scars develop on the scalp, hair cannot grow where there are scars. Prompt treatment of discoid lupus on the scalp can prevent scarring.
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.
Many patients with Sjogren's syndrome report burning sensation in the scalp.
Scalp dysesthesia (burning scalp syndrome) is characterized by abnormal sensations of the scalp such as burning, tingling, and pruritus in the absence of objective skin findings. Several underlying brain disorders present with dysesthesia, most commonly as neuropathic itch.
Why Is My Scalp Tender In One Spot? Many people complain of scalp tenderness which can be linked with various medical conditions. Tension headaches, autoimmune disorders like psoriasis, headaches caused due to migraine can lead to painful, inflamed scalp. Often, rashes, wounds, sunburns too can cause scalp tenderness.
Cranial nerve damage or inflammation could contribute to a feeling of pressure in your head. The optic nerve relays visual messages to the CNS so inflammation or damage to or near it can cause blurred vision, double vision, loss of vision, and pain.
Folliculitis. Folliculitis is usually the result of bacteria, yeast, or dust mites. When a person has folliculitis, their hair follicles become inflamed.
Even so, since burning, itchy, and tight scalp are common symptoms of stress, including anxiety-caused stress, it's harmless and needn't be a cause for concern. They will subside when unhealthy stress has been eliminated and the body has had sufficient time to recover.
Stress increases the production of certain hormones and releases pro-inflammatory chemicals that can compromise the scalp's barrier function. That means it's easier for moisture to escape, potentially leaving the hair and scalp drier, and for irritants to get in and cause stinging, tingling and itching.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory condition that occurs when the immune system attacks the body's own healthy tissues and causes joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. In addition to these more common symptoms, some people with RA also experience scalp problems, including scalp itching, burning, or hair loss.
Fibromyalgia Headache Symptoms
Sharp, pulsing pain. Pain localized to one side of the head or penetrating the eye. Pain that spreads to the neck and shoulders. Pain that intensifies around head and neck tender points.
The central feature of fibromyalgia is chronic pain in multiple sites. These sites are the head, each arm, the chest, the abdomen, each leg, the upper back and spine, and the lower back and spine (including the buttocks). The pain may be mild to severe. It may feel like a deep ache, or a stabbing, burning pain.