Scalp Itching Cutaneous dysesthesia is commonly associated with neurological (nerve) diseases, including MS. It is a type of neuropathic pain. In addition to itching, cutaneous dysesthesia can cause stinging and burning sensations.
Researchers at the University of Miami found that 27 of 77 people with MS reported experiencing chronic itching (also known as pruritus). Itching occurred in the upper and lower limbs and hands, scalp, and face.
Unusual Sensations Related to MS
Lesions in the brainstem and cerebellum (areas of the brain) can affect the head, face, and mouth, causing symptoms like dysphagia or blurry vision.
Cranial nerve damage or inflammation could contribute to a feeling of pressure in your head. The optic nerve relays visual messages to the CNS so inflammation or damage to or near it can cause blurred vision, double vision, loss of vision, and pain.
Living with MS or any chronic illness can be stressful, and stress can result in hair thinning. “MS can impact a person's well-being and is associated with increased hair shedding,” Dr. Grebenciucova says.
Yet just another strange MS symptom
My sense is that it is indeed neuropathic pain similar to that in my legs and arms. While those take the form of electrical shocks and burning, my scalp feels temporarily bruised or aching.
Hair loss is not a symptom of MS, but could be related as a side effect of a medication, or due to the stress of an MS diagnosis. The majority of hair loss or thinning is temporary, and does not require treatment.
It could feel like a dull head pain, with pressure or tenderness in and around the forehead. Unlike migraines, tension headaches generally don't cause nausea or vomiting. Milder tension headaches are more common in people who have had multiple sclerosis for many years.
It can show whether there's any damage or scarring of the myelin sheath (the layer surrounding your nerves) in your brain and spinal cord. Finding this can help confirm a diagnosis in most people with MS. A standard MRI scanner is like a large tube or tunnel.
Often the pulsing sensation is caused by malformations between the arterial system and the venous system and the ensuing turbulent blood flow that occurs when blood moves from a high-pressure system, the artery, to a low-pressure system, the vein.
A tingling feeling in the scalp (paresthesia) can occur for many reasons, including anxiety, ASMR, chemical irritation, medication, migraines, nerve compression, skin sensitivity, and underlying health conditions. If you have chronic (ongoing) scalp tingling, see your healthcare provider.
These include fibromyalgia and vitamin B12 deficiency, muscular dystrophy (MD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), migraine, hypo-thyroidism, hypertension, Beçhets, Arnold-Chiari deformity, and mitochondrial disorders, although your neurologist can usually rule them out quite easily.
Scalp psoriasis is an autoimmune condition. It causes raised, discolored plaques on your scalp or on the skin around your scalp that may be dry, itchy and irritating. Prescription and over-the-counter medications can alleviate your symptoms.
Autoimmune diseases that have been linked with scalp itch are dermatomyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma and Sjögren syndrome. Itch may or may not be associated with skin lesions. If present on dermoscopy, erythema and enlarged interfollicular vessels may aid the diagnosis.
Formication is also a type of paresthesia which is defined as tingling dermal sensations. Causes of crawling sensations on the scalp include delusional infestations, hallucination, substance abuse, a parasitic infestation, side effects from medication, or issues with the neurologic system.
Here's where MS (typically) starts
Although a number of MS symptoms can appear early on, two stand out as occurring more often than others: Optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve, is usually the most common, Shoemaker says. You may experience eye pain, blurred vision and headache.
In fact, it's estimated that more than half of people living with MS will develop cognitive issues. People may experience such things as forgetfulness, trouble concentrating, and confusion. Brain fog is also referred to as “brain haze” or “cog fog” — short for cognitive fog.
Abnormal sensations can be a common initial symptom of MS. This often takes the form of numbness or tingling in different parts of your body, such as the arms, legs or trunk, which typically spreads out over a few days.
You might find you lose weight because of the way MS affects you. For example, problems with posture, swallowing, fatigue and tremor can all make shopping for, preparing or eating food more difficult. And your appetite can also be affected by stress, anxiety and depression, as well as certain drug treatments.