What are the Causes of Burning Sensation in The Head and Scalp

What Causes Burning Sensation in the Head?

Here are some of the possible causes of the burning sensation as well as the symptoms that may accompany it.

• Sinusitis

  • The congestion of the sinus passages can cause a referred burning pain of the scalp

  • When sinusitis is the cause, patients will also experience

    • Congestion

    • Facial pain

  • Other symptoms of sinus infection may also be present

• Temporal Arteritis

  • This is the inflammation of the blood vessels in the cranium

  • It can be caused by a number of things including prolonged antibiotic use, especially following an infection

  • Symptoms common to this condition include:

    • Burning scalp

    • Throbbing headaches

    • Generalized scalp tenderness, hypersensitive to touch or combing

• Post–Stroke Pain

  • The exact cause of the condition is not known

  • It is believed that it may be because of the damage caused by the stroke

• Trichodynia

  • Also known as ‘Burning Scalp Syndrome’ or ‘Scalp Dysesthesia’

  • It can be brought on by a number of things including stress, anxiety, depression

• Follicular Tension/Tension Alopecia

  • This is a type of alopecia that occurs as a consequence of pulling the hair too tight on a regular basis

  • The tension or pressure placed on the roots of the hair can cause a burning sensation

  • This is easily remedied by removing the tension on the hair

Other possible causes of the condition include:

• Migraine – although rare, some migraine sufferers do complain of burning scalp pain

• Shampoo Allergies – some shampoos, especially those used in fighting dandruff can cause burning sensations.

  The burning sensation can also affect the face.

Treatment for Burning Sensation in the Head

Treating the condition is going to depend on what is actually causing the symptoms. Some of the possible treatment courses include:

• Irritant Avoidance

  • This can help in burning sensation caused by allergic/contact dermatitis

  • It can also be helpful in allergic sinusitis

  • This can also be helpful is the burning sensation is caused by traction alopecia

• Pain Medication

  • This may be given to patients who are experiencing temporal arteritis.

  • It can also be prescribed to those who have Trichodynia and patients who have Rhinitis or Sinusitis

• Decongestants

  • If the burning is associated with a sinus infection or congestion, decongestants can help to relieve the pain.

• Surgery

  • This is often a last resort procedure

  • It involves deep brain stimulation can be done for patients who have post-stroke pain.