What causes scalp pain?
Sep 22, 2024
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Introduction
Scalp pain may be caused by external traction, lack of sleep, folliculitis, trigeminal neuralgia, trauma, or other reasons. In daily life, to prevent scalp pain, one should avoid excessive pulling on the hair, ensure adequate sleep, maintain scalp cleanliness, and avoid unnecessary injuries in order to preserve scalp health.
In general, scalp pain may be caused by factors such as external pulling, lack of sleep, trauma, folliculitis, or trigeminal neuralgia. Treatment under a doctor's guidance may include general management and medication. Specific analyses are as follows:
1. External Pulling
Tightly braiding hair, excessive force when combing, or impact from external objects can damage scalp tissue and cause pain. It is important to avoid over-pulling hair and to choose loose hairstyles and hair accessories.
2. Lack of Sleep
Chronic sleep deprivation or poor sleep quality may lead to physical fatigue, reduced immunity, and impaired blood circulation in the head, which can trigger scalp pain. Ensuring adequate sleep in daily life is essential.
3. Trauma
Trauma may include impacts, cuts, or lacerations. When the scalp suffers injury, tissue damage occurs, leading to the aforementioned symptoms, possibly accompanied by bleeding or swelling. Patients should follow medical advice to use medications such as diclofenac sodium sustained-release tablets, ibuprofen sustained-release capsules, or amoxicillin capsules for treatment.
4. Folliculitis
Folliculitis is primarily caused by infection with Staphylococcus aureus. When scalp hair follicles become infected with this bacterium, inflammation develops, resulting in scalp pain, possibly accompanied by hair loss or scarring. Treatment should follow medical guidance using topical medications such as mupirocin ointment, erythromycin ointment, or fusidic acid sodium ointment.
5. Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia is mainly caused by vascular compression. This condition may lead to abnormal nerve conduction, causing severe pain in the scalp and face, possibly accompanied by dizziness or nausea. Medications such as carbamazepine tablets, gabapentin capsules, or pregabalin capsules should be used under a doctor’s supervision.
To prevent scalp pain in daily life, it is important to avoid excessive hair pulling, ensure sufficient sleep, maintain scalp cleanliness, and prevent injuries to promote overall scalp health.
