Associated symptoms
A numbness of the head is in most cases only temporary and therefore harmless. However, it can also be a sign of a threatening disease. This depends mainly on the accompanying symptoms.
Alarm signs are feelings of numbness that occur together with speech or visual disturbances or those that spread out on a complete side of the body next to the head. Sudden paralysis and severe headaches are also warm signals. If the feelings of numbness occur together with toothache or earache, they are usually underlying diseases from this area.
Since the causes of numbness are very diverse, the most diverse accompanying symptoms are also conceivable. This might also be of interest to you: Numbness in the ear – What is behind it? Numbness in the head is often experienced as unpleasant by patients.
Some describe it as painful, for others it is “only” a tingling sensation. In addition, headaches can occur as an accompanying symptom. This is the case, for example, with migraines with aura. Painful muscle tension in the area of the cervical spine also leads to numbness in the head and in addition to pain radiating there.
Diagnosis for numbness in the head
In order to be able to diagnose numbness of the head or scalp quickly and reliably, a medical consultation and a physical examination are most important. Already the conversation often provides first indications of the cause of the sensitivity disorder. A physical examination may reveal further neurological symptoms that have not yet been noticed. This then decides which further diagnostic measures should be taken (e.g. laboratory examination, measurement of nerve conduction velocity, sectional imaging by means of CT or MRT).
Therapy of deafness of the head or scalp
The treatment of numbness of the head or scalp depends on the underlying cause. Ultimately, the treatment of numbness is very complex, so it is important to know the exact cause, otherwise treatment is rarely effective.
- In case of a stroke, the affected person is immediately taken to a neurological clinic as an emergency and treated accordingly.
- Migraine as a cause of numbness does not need to be treated explicitly, as it is only an accompanying symptom and it will disappear by itself after the attack.
The migraine-typical headaches should be treated with painkillers.
- If there is a psychosomatic cause for the numbness, it is recommended to treat it. Stress reduction, relaxation procedures or psychotherapy are useful.
- If the numbness is caused by inflammation in the paranasal sinuses or ear, the infection must be treated as soon as possible. This is done with antibiotics and, if necessary, with surgery.
- Diseases of the cervical spine are treated by an orthopedic specialist with painkillers, acupuncture or injection therapy.
