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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes A Painful Red Swollen Spot On Scalp And Headache?

I have a red swollen spot on my scalp that I have had for about 4 days now. I thought it was a zit, but doesn t seem to develop a head. It is accompanied by a headache. But at times there is no headache, but that spot will throb (very painful). It does not at all look like a blister. My mom thinks it is shingles since I have had chicken pox in the past, but it does not look like any of the pictures of shingles. The swollen spot is about a quarter or half-dollar size. Any insight on this would be helpful
Thu, 29 Sep 2016
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Dentist,  's  Response
Hello,

I can understand your concern. As the swelling is red and painful, it seems like a bacterial infection present in the area. You might be running fever due to presence of infection which can also give you headache.

To subside the infection, you should start antibiotics. I suggest that you should take Cefixime 200 mg (Topcef) twice a day for 5 days. For the pain, you can take Ibuprofen 400 mg three times in a day. By the time the course of antibiotic ends, the infection should resolve.

However, if you do not find any relief after 5 days or if the swelling increases in size or intensity, you should visit a physician for clinical examination.

I hope this information helps you. Thank you for choosing HealthcareMagic. I wish you feel better soon.

Best,
Dr. Viraj Shah
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What Causes A Painful Red Swollen Spot On Scalp And Headache?

Hello, I can understand your concern. As the swelling is red and painful, it seems like a bacterial infection present in the area. You might be running fever due to presence of infection which can also give you headache. To subside the infection, you should start antibiotics. I suggest that you should take Cefixime 200 mg (Topcef) twice a day for 5 days. For the pain, you can take Ibuprofen 400 mg three times in a day. By the time the course of antibiotic ends, the infection should resolve. However, if you do not find any relief after 5 days or if the swelling increases in size or intensity, you should visit a physician for clinical examination. I hope this information helps you. Thank you for choosing HealthcareMagic. I wish you feel better soon. Best, Dr. Viraj Shah