Definition
A numbness on the head or scalp is a sensory disorder in this area. The medical term for this clinical picture is hypaesthesia. The feeling in the corresponding skin areas is reduced.
Sometimes an unpleasant tingling sensation also occurs. It is comparable to the sensitivity disorder after an injection at the dentist. Often the numbness is only temporary, but in some cases it is permanent. This depends on the cause.
Causes of numbness of the head
There are numerous causes of numbness of the head and scalp. First and foremost, a numbness of the head is thought to be a nervous disorder. The sensation in the skin is mediated by sensitive nerves that transmit information to the brain via their nerve fibers.
If these nerves are damaged somewhere along their course, a numbness in the corresponding area of the skin will occur. The cause can be a stroke or an accident, for example. In this case the symptoms often occur on only one side of the body.
But also circulatory disorders can cause numbness. If the blood circulation is poor, the nerves are not supplied with the appropriate nutrients and can then no longer perform their function, the transmission of stimuli, without restriction. This also applies to inflammatory processes.
But psychosomatic causes can also play a role in a numbness of the head. Psychosomatic diseases are physical complaints caused by psychological stress factors. In short, when the soul suffers, the body also suffers.
Causes of numbness are often false or pathological nerve irritations, this hyperexcitability of the nervous system can be well explained by an increased stress level. However one should always consult a physician with deafness feelings at the head, since also other causes can be behind it. Also an accident with fall on the head can lead to a numbness feeling in this area.
It is conceivable that a fall could injure the sensitive nerve endings in the skin. These can then no longer properly transmit the relevant information to the brain. The skin feels “numb” in this area.
In most cases, these complaints are only temporary; the nerves are only temporarily disturbed in their function by the fall, as with a contusion. When they have recovered, the numbness disappears again. If the numbness does not subside, a doctor should be consulted, as in rare cases the damage may be severe.
This question can be answered with a clear yes. Numbness in the head or scalp area can be caused by complaints in the cervical spine area. Especially the back of the head and the skin in the area of the ear are sensitively supplied by nerves from the plexus cervicalis.
These nerve fibers originate from the spinal cord in the area of the cervical spine. If the nerve fibers in this area are damaged, e.g. by a herniated disc or a bony constriction (spinal canal stenosis), this leads to numbness in the head. or symptoms of spinal canal stenosisThyroid diseases such as Hashimoto’s disease, which is a type of hypothyroidism, cause numerous symptoms.
However, these do not occur in all patients. There are, however, some patients who complain of numbness in the head. Most of the time, these occur in connection with other symptoms such as concentration and memory disorders, lack of drive and depression.
The good news is that these symptoms usually disappear completely with adequate treatment of the thyroid disease. In addition to the regular form of migraine, there are also patients who suffer from migraine with aura. Here, numbness of the head is a typical symptom.
Aura is a neurological symptom that precedes the headache. A classic example is a visual disorder (flashes of light or flickering before the eyes). But numbness or a tingling sensation in the head or limbs also occurs.
However, these disorders are all temporary. With the end of the migraine attack they completely disappear. Paranasal sinusitis can also cause sensory disturbances in the area of the head.
Large parts of the skin in the face are supplied by fibers of the fifth cranial nerve, the trigeminal nerve. This originates in the brain and then divides into its three branches.These partially run in very close proximity to the sinuses. These nerves can be damaged in the course of an inflammatory process in the area of the paranasal sinuses.
A numbness of the head is the result. As a rule, the symptoms decrease as the sinusitis subsides. Middle ear inflammation can also lead to a feeling of numbness in the head.
Compared to sinusitis, however, middle ear inflammation damages nerves much less frequently. This is because there are usually no large sensitive nerves in the area of the middle ear. Nevertheless, it is still conceivable that the inflammation may spread to surrounding structures. This can damage sensitive nerves that innervate parts of the skin on the head. This would explain the numbness in these areas.