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What Causes Severe Scratching And Picking Of Scalp?
Question: Hello again!
I was very happy with your previous answers. Now im seeking help again unfortunetely.
This time I have caused something different.
I have been scratching and picking my scalp very much and intense for 1-2 days. Especially on the sides of head, near the ear area, horizontal with the eyes in that area. I have suffered from something very disturbing. I feel constant pressure around the area on the left side of head. It feels like someone is pinching me. And it feels in waves and pulses and somethimes its random and more pain. Somethimes I feel more and somethimes less. I have had this for a 8 days now. And I think the symptoms feels stronger/more for every day.
I think I get more pain if I exercise or is active.
Today I did hold a cold pack on the area for 20 minutes. After my cheek felt really weird. I felt numbness in cheek. After about 1-3 min it did go away.
It feels like something is happening inside my head, like the head is working on something. Maybe to heal?
I feel REALLY bad over what I have caused and this is a BIG problem in my life and it is very disturbing and unpleasure, I cant live with this.
1. What is this?
2. Im terrified that this is permanent. Could that be possible?
For me it would feel really good if you said that the healthcare can fix this in some way or another. Im afraid doctors cant find out.
3. Do you have any questions?
I will answer as soon as possible.
Thanks in advance!
I was very happy with your previous answers. Now im seeking help again unfortunetely.
This time I have caused something different.
I have been scratching and picking my scalp very much and intense for 1-2 days. Especially on the sides of head, near the ear area, horizontal with the eyes in that area. I have suffered from something very disturbing. I feel constant pressure around the area on the left side of head. It feels like someone is pinching me. And it feels in waves and pulses and somethimes its random and more pain. Somethimes I feel more and somethimes less. I have had this for a 8 days now. And I think the symptoms feels stronger/more for every day.
I think I get more pain if I exercise or is active.
Today I did hold a cold pack on the area for 20 minutes. After my cheek felt really weird. I felt numbness in cheek. After about 1-3 min it did go away.
It feels like something is happening inside my head, like the head is working on something. Maybe to heal?
I feel REALLY bad over what I have caused and this is a BIG problem in my life and it is very disturbing and unpleasure, I cant live with this.
1. What is this?
2. Im terrified that this is permanent. Could that be possible?
For me it would feel really good if you said that the healthcare can fix this in some way or another. Im afraid doctors cant find out.
3. Do you have any questions?
I will answer as soon as possible.
Thanks in advance!
Brief Answer:
Requires examination and blood work
Detailed Answer:
Good evening. Sorry you are feeling these symptoms. For your symptoms of itching and scratching you will need an examination to be sure that there isn't a scalp condition of some sort such as a rash, presence of a dermatitis, skin infection, or excessive dryness which a doctor will be able to deduce rather quickly and effortlessly and therefore, I'd recommend making an appointment with your doctor that you can do whenever convenient. In the mean time if you would take some Benadryl according to package directions or use some skin moisturizer cream that may alleviate some of your symptoms until you can be examined.
The doctor will also likely send you for some blood work to check and see that there aren't what are called inflammatory markers in the bloodstream which would support the presence of a possible infection or allergy in progress. Perhaps, you ate something that didn't agree with your system or you may have used new detergent or soap to wash yourself or your clothes and that has triggered this itching and scratching problem.
If it is determined that there are no inflammatory markers in the bloodstream, no pathology related to the scalp and no real risk factors for allergy precipitants then, the next thing that needs to be assessed are your levels of anxiety and/or symptoms related to possible stress and depression. We see your type of reaction very frequently in persons with excess stress due to many factors that can be classified as psychosocial stressors which can be manifest as physical problems such as scratching, itching, and similar problems.
I did read other opinions from colleagues suggesting pinched nerves in the scalp from your degree of scratching but in my opinion such a problem is not likely due to anatomic and physiological reasons. If you lacerate or excoriate your skin to the degree of actually reaching the levels necessary to contact or disrupt the nerve branches in the head and face then, you would have extremely severe consequences which I have not heard you reveal. One of them would be a significant amount of bleeding and pain that would border on what could be termed mutilation and that is certainly not what you are doing.
Another opinion I read what that of temporal arteritis or giant cell arteritis. This entity is extremely unlikely and nearly impossible in patients your age. The disease is most prevalent and recognized in patients above the ages of 50-55 years. Not only that but inflammatory markers in the blood are almost always (>98%) present upon standard testing. I believe that it is extremely unlikely for you to possess this condition and would not place this as an important or significant cause to your symptoms. In fact, even in the proper age group where temporal arteritis typically occurs the most common symptom upon presentation of activity is NOT itching or scratching of the skin.
If after examination by medical personnel there are no organic causes found to your symptoms then, I believe it is to your distinct advantage to seek out a specialist or counselor who is well versed in the condition of Health Related Anxiety. This is very common and well documented to occur in both young as well as older demographics and therefore, if this were present in your case I believe your symptoms would be well explained by this diagnosis and with that in hand I believe there is definite hope for a definitive plan of care depending upon your level of cooperation and compliance with recommendations and suggestions by medical personnel to treat your symptoms.
I hope this addresses your concerns and that you'll keep me in mind for future questions regarding these or other neurological/medical issues. Feel free to upload more specific information regarding lab tests and diagnostic studies if done and I'll be happy to look at them when completed.
Otherwise, I'd appreciate your rating this interaction with a HIGH STAR SCORE and look forward to a few words of feedback. In addition, I'd appreciate your CLOSING THIS QUERY if you're satisfied with my responses.
Write to me any time at: bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi for additional comments, concerns, or to provide status updates if you'd like which I would love to receive from you to see just what has been discovered.
This consult request has taken a total of 57 minutes of time to read, research, and respond.
Requires examination and blood work
Detailed Answer:
Good evening. Sorry you are feeling these symptoms. For your symptoms of itching and scratching you will need an examination to be sure that there isn't a scalp condition of some sort such as a rash, presence of a dermatitis, skin infection, or excessive dryness which a doctor will be able to deduce rather quickly and effortlessly and therefore, I'd recommend making an appointment with your doctor that you can do whenever convenient. In the mean time if you would take some Benadryl according to package directions or use some skin moisturizer cream that may alleviate some of your symptoms until you can be examined.
The doctor will also likely send you for some blood work to check and see that there aren't what are called inflammatory markers in the bloodstream which would support the presence of a possible infection or allergy in progress. Perhaps, you ate something that didn't agree with your system or you may have used new detergent or soap to wash yourself or your clothes and that has triggered this itching and scratching problem.
If it is determined that there are no inflammatory markers in the bloodstream, no pathology related to the scalp and no real risk factors for allergy precipitants then, the next thing that needs to be assessed are your levels of anxiety and/or symptoms related to possible stress and depression. We see your type of reaction very frequently in persons with excess stress due to many factors that can be classified as psychosocial stressors which can be manifest as physical problems such as scratching, itching, and similar problems.
I did read other opinions from colleagues suggesting pinched nerves in the scalp from your degree of scratching but in my opinion such a problem is not likely due to anatomic and physiological reasons. If you lacerate or excoriate your skin to the degree of actually reaching the levels necessary to contact or disrupt the nerve branches in the head and face then, you would have extremely severe consequences which I have not heard you reveal. One of them would be a significant amount of bleeding and pain that would border on what could be termed mutilation and that is certainly not what you are doing.
Another opinion I read what that of temporal arteritis or giant cell arteritis. This entity is extremely unlikely and nearly impossible in patients your age. The disease is most prevalent and recognized in patients above the ages of 50-55 years. Not only that but inflammatory markers in the blood are almost always (>98%) present upon standard testing. I believe that it is extremely unlikely for you to possess this condition and would not place this as an important or significant cause to your symptoms. In fact, even in the proper age group where temporal arteritis typically occurs the most common symptom upon presentation of activity is NOT itching or scratching of the skin.
If after examination by medical personnel there are no organic causes found to your symptoms then, I believe it is to your distinct advantage to seek out a specialist or counselor who is well versed in the condition of Health Related Anxiety. This is very common and well documented to occur in both young as well as older demographics and therefore, if this were present in your case I believe your symptoms would be well explained by this diagnosis and with that in hand I believe there is definite hope for a definitive plan of care depending upon your level of cooperation and compliance with recommendations and suggestions by medical personnel to treat your symptoms.
I hope this addresses your concerns and that you'll keep me in mind for future questions regarding these or other neurological/medical issues. Feel free to upload more specific information regarding lab tests and diagnostic studies if done and I'll be happy to look at them when completed.
Otherwise, I'd appreciate your rating this interaction with a HIGH STAR SCORE and look forward to a few words of feedback. In addition, I'd appreciate your CLOSING THIS QUERY if you're satisfied with my responses.
Write to me any time at: bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi for additional comments, concerns, or to provide status updates if you'd like which I would love to receive from you to see just what has been discovered.
This consult request has taken a total of 57 minutes of time to read, research, and respond.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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