Suggest Treatment For Painful Tender Scalp Spots On Head

Posted on Fri, 2 Jan 2015

Question: 4 weeks of painbful tender scalp spots in head. Feels like my jaw cant relax.
Thought they were headaches but its actually not a headache
Relief when leaning head back or scalp massage. And the ringing In ears is driving me crazy. Scared. Thought it was anyuersm. Some days are worse than others. And its irritating. Went to ear e seeks ago for ct was normal but not all ct shows anyuresm
Also pressure in my nose and face. Went back to er last night and they said no more ct scans. And said sounds like sinueses. Why do I have this constant dull pressure in my scalp

Answered by Dr. Dr. Naveen Kumar Nanjasetty (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Sinusitis, Eustachian tube block... Stress headache and Herpes???

Detailed Answer:
Hi

Thanks for posting the query

The sense of pressure in the scalp, face and the nose are all the symptoms of sinusitis. Even the ringing in the ears could be secondary to sinusitis. When there is congestion of the nose, the Eustachian tube (the tube connecting nose and the ear) gets blocked, this causes negative pressure inside the middle ear, emanating the ringing noise (tinnitus).

Painful spots in the scalp could be Herpes, which needs to be examined by a good dermatologist. The excruciating pain can radiate to the surrounding structures thus causing discomfort.

Also, the stress related headache or tension headache can present with similar features. I doubt any aneurysms in your case. Aneurysm can be detected with angiography and very difficult to see on a plain CT scan.

Do not worry! With appropriate measures this can be take care of. Sinusitis can be treated with the below mentioned measures:
1. Drink plenty of warm water. This will increase the blood flow to affected area and reduces the congestion.
2. Do steam inhalation 3-4 times a day. Steam helps in opening up of the sinuses and relieves the sinus and Eustachian tube block.
3. Use saline nasal spray as frequently as possible. Saline clears off any blocked secretions inside the nose and the sinuses.
4. Try taking mucolytic such as ambroxol or bromhexine which is available under various brand names.
5. Avoid coffee/smoking/chilled food and beverages.

Hope I have answered your query; I will be available for the follow-up queries.

Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon

Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj