The back of my head feels hot. Understanding Warm Head Sensations in Multiple Sclerosis: Causes and Management

27.08.202316.06.2023 by alexxlab

What causes sudden warm sensations in the head for people with multiple sclerosis. How are altered sensations and paresthesias related to MS. What strategies can help manage temperature-related symptoms in multiple sclerosis.

Содержание

Altered Sensations as a Common MS Symptom

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition that can produce a wide range of unusual and sometimes uncomfortable sensations throughout the body. While muscle spasms, numbness, and fatigue are well-known symptoms, many people with MS also experience altered sensations, including feelings related to temperature changes.

One MyMSteam member asked, “Has anyone else had a warm sensation in their head or brain?” This type of experience is not uncommon among those living with MS. Altered sensations, also known as paresthesias, can affect various parts of the body and manifest in different ways.

Types of Altered Sensations in MS

Warmth or burning sensations
Itchiness
Feelings of wetness
Trickling sensations
Crawling sensations
Numbness
Electric shock-like feelings

When these sensations become painful, they are referred to as dysesthesias. Common dysesthesias include stabbing, pricking, and intense burning sensations.

Neurological Basis of Warm Head Sensations in MS

Why do some people with MS experience sudden warm sensations in their head? The root cause lies in the neurological nature of the disease. MS disrupts the nerves that carry sensory information between the brain and spinal cord. This disruption is due to damage to the myelin sheath, the protective layer surrounding nerve cells.

As a result of this damage, nerves may produce random signals and send them to the brain. The brain, in turn, may interpret these signals as familiar sensations, such as changes in temperature, even when no actual temperature change has occurred. This phenomenon explains why individuals with MS might experience warmth or coldness in various body parts, including the head, without any external temperature triggers.

Prevalence of Temperature-Related Altered Sensations

How common are temperature-related altered sensations among people with MS? While exact numbers are unclear, a study published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis found that approximately 40% of 224 MS patients experienced altered sensations. These sensations included burning, itching, crawling, and electric shock-like feelings, lasting from seconds to minutes.

Personal Experiences with Warm Head Sensations

Many MyMSteam members have shared their experiences with warm sensations in the head. One member described, “I was suddenly awakened this morning around 4:30 a.m. with this weird, almost burning, sensation on the right side of my head and brain area.” Another member noted how external factors could trigger such sensations: “If it is a hot day, I can get an intense feeling of being hot in my face and head. Usually, I get a little disoriented and dizzy, too.”

The nature of these sensations can vary from person to person. One member likened the feeling to “warm fluid moving through my head.” While these sensations are often not painful, they can be disconcerting. As one member put it, “It was really creepy, but it didn’t hurt per se.”

When Do Warm Head Sensations Occur in MS?

Can warm head sensations occur at any stage of MS? Indeed, these altered sensations can manifest at various points in the disease progression. Some individuals experience them as early symptoms of MS. One MyMSteam member shared, “When I first started having symptoms, I remember that the top of my head felt like it was burning.”

It’s worth noting that proper MS treatment can help alleviate these symptoms. The same member added, “I haven’t felt my head burning since I got on all of this medicine.”

Identifying and Describing Altered Sensations

How can individuals with MS effectively communicate their experiences with altered sensations to healthcare providers? When experiencing these sensations, it’s helpful to consider the following questions:

Do the sensations cause pain?
When did they start?
How long did they last?
What, if anything, made them subside?

Recognizing patterns in these experiences can help identify potential triggers and develop strategies to manage these sensations when they occur. It can also provide valuable information for healthcare providers in tailoring treatment plans.

Other Potential Causes of Warm Head Sensations

While MS is a common cause of warm head sensations among those with the condition, are there other potential reasons for experiencing this symptom? Indeed, sensations of warmth in the face, scalp, or inside the head can occur for various reasons, even in individuals without MS. Some potential causes include:

Migraines or other types of headaches
Hormonal changes, such as those occurring during menopause
Anxiety or stress
Certain medications
Infections or fevers
Cardiovascular issues

If you’re experiencing persistent or concerning warm sensations in your head, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis, especially if you have not been diagnosed with MS.

Management Strategies for Altered Sensations in MS

How can individuals with MS manage altered sensations, including warm head sensations? There are several approaches to managing these symptoms, depending on their severity and impact on daily life.

Medication Options

For more severe or persistent symptoms, healthcare providers may prescribe medications such as:

Gabapentin (Neurontin)
Antidepressants
Other neuropathic pain medications

Non-Pharmacological Approaches

In addition to medication, healthcare providers may recommend other resources and strategies:

Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Cooling techniques (for heat-sensitive individuals)
Stress management techniques
Mindfulness and meditation

These non-pharmacological approaches can help individuals develop coping strategies and potentially reduce the frequency or intensity of altered sensations.

Lifestyle Modifications

Some lifestyle changes may also help manage altered sensations:

Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule
Regular exercise (as tolerated and recommended by a healthcare provider)
Avoiding known triggers (e.g., extreme temperatures for heat-sensitive individuals)
Staying hydrated
Following a balanced diet

It’s important to work closely with your healthcare team to develop a personalized management plan that addresses your specific symptoms and needs.

The Importance of Tracking and Reporting Symptoms

Why is it crucial for individuals with MS to track and report their symptoms, including warm head sensations? Keeping a detailed record of your symptoms can provide valuable information for your healthcare team. This information can help in:

Identifying patterns or triggers
Assessing the effectiveness of current treatments
Making informed decisions about potential changes to your treatment plan
Monitoring disease progression

Consider using a symptom diary or a mobile app designed for MS symptom tracking. Record the nature of the sensation, its duration, intensity, and any factors that may have triggered or alleviated the symptom. This information can be invaluable during your medical appointments.

When to Seek Immediate Medical Attention

While many altered sensations in MS are not cause for immediate concern, there are instances when you should seek prompt medical attention. These include:

Sudden onset of severe symptoms
Symptoms accompanied by other neurological changes (e.g., vision changes, difficulty speaking)
Persistent or worsening symptoms that don’t respond to your usual management strategies
Any new symptom that causes significant distress or impacts your daily functioning

When in doubt, it’s always better to err on the side of caution and consult with your healthcare provider.

The Role of Support Groups in Managing MS Symptoms

How can support groups help individuals cope with MS symptoms like warm head sensations? Connecting with others who have similar experiences can be incredibly beneficial. Support groups, whether in-person or online platforms like MyMSteam, offer several advantages:

Sharing experiences and coping strategies
Emotional support and understanding
Access to practical tips for managing symptoms
Reduced feelings of isolation
Opportunities to learn about new research or treatment options

Many individuals find that participating in support groups helps them feel more empowered in managing their MS symptoms and overall health.

Online Resources for MS Information and Support

In addition to support groups, there are numerous online resources available for individuals with MS seeking information and support:

National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Multiple Sclerosis Association of America
MS International Federation
PubMed Central for accessing scientific research on MS
MyMSTeam social network

These resources can provide valuable information on the latest research, treatment options, and lifestyle tips for managing MS symptoms.

Sudden Warm Sensation in the Head: Another Effect of MS?

Connect with others living with multiple sclerosis

Resources
MS Symptoms
Physical Symptoms

Medically reviewed by
Evelyn O. Berman, M.D.

Article written by
Scarlett Bergam, M.P.H.

As a neurological condition, multiple sclerosis (MS) can produce random, uncomfortable, and even painful sensations in various parts of the body. Although the more common symptoms include muscle spasms, the MS hug, numbness, and fatigue, MS can also cause unusual physical sensations, such as feelings related to temperature.

One myMSteam member asked, “Has anyone else had a warm sensation in their head or brain?”

If you have MS, it’s important to know that symptoms include a range of central nervous system issues, including unusual feelings called altered sensations or paresthesias. Here, we discuss possible reasons your head might feel abnormally warm and what you should do if you experience this type of symptom.

Altered Sensations Discussed on MyMSTeam

Members of MyMSTeam have experienced altered sensations, including those related to an unusually warm head. One member explained, “I was suddenly awakened this morning around 4:30 a.m. with this weird, almost burning, sensation on the right side of my head and brain area.”

Another described a similar sensation triggered by external factors: “If it is a hot day, I can get an intense feeling of being hot in my face and head. Usually, I get a little disoriented and dizzy, too.”

Altered sensations vary among people living with MS. One MyMSteam member mentioned a slightly different experience: “If we are talking about the same feeling, it felt like warm fluid was moving through my head.” Many sensory symptoms are not painful, but they can be disconcerting. “It was really creepy, but it didn’t hurt per se,” shared one MyMSTeam member.

These feelings can happen at any stage of MS. “When I first started having symptoms, I remember that the top of my head felt like it was burning,” one member said, adding that the symptom was resolved through MS treatment: “I haven’t felt my head burning since I got on all of this medicine.”

Altered Sensations as a Symptom of MS

If you’re living with MS, you may be familiar with altered sensations in different parts of your body. Altered sensations are fairly common and are sometimes the first symptom of MS. Although considered a type of neuropathic (nerve) pain, these sensations don’t always feel painful.

In addition to temperature-related changes, common altered sensations include:

Itchiness
Wetness
Trickling
Crawling
Numbness
Feeling of electric shock

Doctors may refer to those sensations as paresthesias. When the sensations are painful, they are called dysesthesias. Common dysesthesias include:

Stabbing
Pricking
Burning

The next time you experience altered sensations, think about how to best describe them. Do they hurt? When did they start? How long did they last? What made them go away? Recognizing patterns can help you avoid triggering altered sensations and MS paresthesias and give you strategies to better deal with them when they do occur.

Reasons Your Head Might Feel Hot

A sensation of warmth in the face, on the scalp, or inside the head can occur for many reasons. For someone with MS, these feelings are likely caused by nerve damage.

Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease that disrupts the nerves that carry sensory information between your brain and spinal cord. MS produces dysfunction in the immune system, resulting in damage and lesions to myelin — the protective layer around nerve cells.

This damage can cause your nerves to produce random signals and send them to your brain, which may confuse these random signals with sensations that are more familiar but aren’t occurring, such as outside temperature changes. This phenomenon is a reason you may experience altered sensations, like warmth or coldness, although the actual temperature hasn’t changed.

The exact number of people with MS who experience temperature-related altered sensations, like feeling warmth in the head, is unclear. A study published in Multiple Sclerosis found that of 224 people with MS, about 40 percent experienced altered sensations — including burning, itching, and crawling, as well as electric shocks —that lasted seconds to minutes.

Strategies To Manage Altered Sensations

Altered sensations or paresthesias from MS can be managed in several ways. Depending on your symptoms and how severe they are, your MS care provider may prescribe medications such as gabapentin (Neurontin) or antidepressants. They may also suggest resources like occupational therapy, which can help you cope with the effects of altered sensations on your daily life.

Here are other ways to help manage altered sensations with MS.

Stick With Your MS Treatment Regimen

Paresthesias are more likely to arise during an MS flare or relapse. Speak with your health care provider about all your symptoms, including any altered sensations. Recognizing these and other symptoms is crucial to developing the best treatment plan for your unique health needs.

For example, disease-modifying treatments can help stop MS disease progression, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce inflammation and pain. During MS flares (attacks), your neurologist may prescribe drugs like corticosteroids and plasma exchange treatment. These medications and procedures should help relieve many of your MS symptoms, including paresthesias.

Use Cold Packs

If your paresthesias are temperature-oriented, use cold packs to overcome the sensation or at least distract from the feeling until it goes away naturally. Taking a cold shower or bath may also help dull the sensation. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, hot temperatures outside may worsen symptoms of MS. If you recognize heat as a trigger, try to combat its effects before symptoms worsen.

Try Mindfulness and Physical Activity

Consider trying exercises that incorporate mindfulness, a meditation technique that has been linked to greater awareness and control over physical sensations. Mindfulness can help manage paresthesias and other MS symptoms.

Physical activity has also been shown to reduce MS paresthesias. One study of 54 people with MS showed that a light physical exercise program helped reduce MS-induced paresthesias, along with easing other symptoms and improving their overall quality of life.

Take Care of Your Mental Health

Anxiety and depression have been linked to worsening MS symptoms and can contribute to altered sensations, so don’t hesitate to seek out counseling or therapy if needed. MyMSTeam members can also provide support, reassurance, and expertise along your MS journey.

Reach Out for Help With MS Symptoms

It’s important to keep your neurology provider in the loop about symptoms that are painful, uncomfortable, or disruptive to your daily life. If you have experienced altered sensations, such as feeling warmth in the head, you’re not alone. Continue to seek support from your MS community — recognizing new sensations as symptoms of MS is the first step to dealing with them.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyMSTeam is the social network for people with multiple sclerosis and their loved ones. On MyMSTeam, more than 193,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with MS.

Have you experienced sudden temperature changes with MS? How have you dealt with neurological symptoms in the past? What advice can you share with other people living with MS? Share your tips and experiences in a comment below or on MyMSTeam.

References

Altered Sensations — Multiple Sclerosis Trust
MS Signs & Symptoms — National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Sensory Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis: A Hidden Reservoir of Morbidity — Multiple Sclerosis
Heat & Temperature Sensitivity — National MS Society
Mindfulness — MS Trust
Exercising Impacts on Fatigue, Depression, and Paresthesia in Female Patients With Multiple Sclerosis — Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Psychiatric Issues in Multiple Sclerosis — The Psychiatric Clinics of North America

Evelyn O. Berman, M.D. is a neurology and pediatric specialist and treats disorders of the brain in children. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Learn more about her here.

Scarlett Bergam, M.P.H. is a medical student at George Washington University and a former Fulbright research scholar in Durban, South Africa. Learn more about her here.

MS and Heat: What Heat Sensitivity Feels Like and How To Manage It

Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) notice their symptoms worsen when their body temperature…

MS and Heat: What Heat Sensitivity Feels Like and How To Manage It

Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) notice their symptoms worsen when their body temperature…

read article >

Why Does One Side of Your Face Feel Hot and Sensitive?

People who live with multiple sclerosis (MS) can experience a variety of symptoms, not all of whi…

Why Does One Side of Your Face Feel Hot and Sensitive?

People who live with multiple sclerosis (MS) can experience a variety of symptoms, not all of whi. ..

read article >

MS and Fever: Managing Symptoms and Body Temperature

If you’re sensitive to temperatures — especially heat — and your multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms…

MS and Fever: Managing Symptoms and Body Temperature

If you’re sensitive to temperatures — especially heat — and your multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms…

read article >

Cooling Vests for MS: Benefits, Uses, and More

Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are sensitive to heat. In fact, even a quarter- or half-…

Cooling Vests for MS: Benefits, Uses, and More

Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are sensitive to heat. In fact, even a quarter- or half-…

read article >

Saunas for MS Muscle Aches: Dry, Wet, or Infrared Heat?

Muscular sclerosis (MS) and muscle aches often go hand in hand. With muscles that feel like they …

Saunas for MS Muscle Aches: Dry, Wet, or Infrared Heat?

Muscular sclerosis (MS) and muscle aches often go hand in hand. With muscles that feel like they …

read article >

Ask the MS Warrior: How I Deal With Random Overheating Incidents

Those of us in the multiple sclerosis (MS) community understand the power of sharing the journey …

Ask the MS Warrior: How I Deal With Random Overheating Incidents

Those of us in the multiple sclerosis (MS) community understand the power of sharing the journey …

read article >

Causes and Treatments for Burning Sensation in Head

December 13, 2022December 13, 2022

A burning sensation in your head can be one of the most annoying things. Sunburn or chemical can be the causes. There are some other reasons too, some of which are more serious and require proper diagnosis. Treatment should be given according to the underlying condition.

Causes of Burning Sensation in Head

1. Sinusitis

Sinusitis is very common and can affect people of all ages. Some of the symptoms include fever, pain, discomfort in face, head and teeth, and chronic congestion. Some people also complain a burning sensation in their heads, and this has been linked to the widespread inflammation in their sinuses.

2. Occipital Neuralgia

Burning sensation that is localized in the back of the head could be due to occipital neuralgia. The occipital nerve is responsible for providing sensation to the back of the head and if it is affected by inflammation, degeneration or any other sort of injury, the following symptoms may be noticed:

Throbbing pain that begins at the head base and spreads to the scalp
Pain behind eyes
Inability to tolerate bright light
Pain on neck movement

3. Trigeminal Neuralgia

Another possible cause for burning sensation is trigeminal neuralgia. The trigeminal nerve is the fifth cranial nerve of the body and provides sensation to the face and head. Patients suffering from this condition complain of sharp pain and burning sensation that can occur without warning and persist for a couple of hours. It’s quite difficult to predict when the symptoms will arise.

Treatments for Burning Sensation in Head

1.

Sinusitis Treatment

Medical Treatment

Antibiotics: One of the causes of sinusitis is a bacterial infection, so antibiotics may be the answer if your doctor thinks that is the case. The duration of these antibiotics can vary from a couple of weeks to longer.

Painkillers: Regular over-the-counter painkillers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be used.

Decongestants: These may be available as pills or nasal sprays. Care should be taken when using them as they can sometimes increase the amount of congestion after a few days.

Allergy medicines: Anti-allergic medications like antihistamines can help in relieving sinusitis.

Steroids: When the swelling in the sinuses is very serious, steroids through inhalation or by pills may be prescribed.

Surgery: For recurrent and persistent sinusitis, surgery may be performed to correct anatomic abnormality.

Home Remedies

Humidify: Using a humidifier in the rooms where the patient spends lots of time is recommended.

Breathe in steam vapors: Steam is an excellent option to help relieve congestion caused by sinusitis. A hot shower or a dedicated steamer is a good option for this purpose.

Use warm heat: Applying a wet, warm towel can provide immediate relief for the symptoms of sinusitis.

Try a nasal saline solution: Using nasal saline solutions can relieve pain and help in clearing out the mucus.

Flush out your sinuses: There are devices available in the market that help in flushing out the sinus. Use a saline solution that is prepared with distilled water for this purpose and ensure that the devices are sterilized prior to each use.

Drink lots of fluids: With sinusitis, the body produces an excessive amount of mucus. Having a lot of water will help thin out the consistency of this mucus.

2. Occipital Neuralgia Treatment

First, you can try some home remedies:

Simple things like resting in a quiet room or applying some direct heat to the back of the head are very effective.
A neck massage may also help relieve the symptoms.
Over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen can also help provide adequate pain relief.

If these above-mentioned remedies are ineffective, then you may need to visit a doctor:

Some anti-seizure medications like carbamazepine and anti-depressants may be prescribed.
For pain that is continuous and uncontrollable, doctors may need to administer steroid and nerve block shots. This is an excellent solution for burning sensation in head. The shots may be a short-term treatment, or may be administered for several weeks.
Microvascular decompression to help relieve the pressure on the nerve may also be used for the treatment of occipital neuralgia.
Occipital nerve stimulation: This can be used to block the pain messages to the brain.

3. Trigeminal Neuralgia Treatment

Medication

Medications are often used as the first method to reduce the frequency and severity of pain. Anti-seizure medications, muscle relaxants, and antidepressants are often prescribed.

Surgery

Glycerol injections: This injection helps block the transmission of signals from the trigeminal nerve. It is a minor procedure that is carried out on an outpatient basis.

Stereotactic radiosurgery: A continuous stream of high-frequency radiation is used to target the root of the trigeminal nerve in an effort to stop the pain signals from being transmitted.

Radiofrequency thermal lesioning: This involves the placement of a hollow needle directly to the site of the trigeminal nerve. Once the exact site has been located, the nerve will be destroyed by heating.

Gamma-knife radiosurgery: This procedure uses gamma radiation to destroy the nerve. It is precise and effective, and is considered safer than other procedures.

Microvascular decompression: The idea behind this procedure is to allow the affected nerves to heal by removing pressure on them. This procedure is much more invasive than others.

Other options: Some other options to treat trigeminal neuralgia and its symptoms like pain or burning sensation in head include severing the nerve or relocating blood vessels surrounding the nerve.

Hot flashes to the head – causes, diagnosis and treatment

Hot flashes to the head occur as a result of physical and mental overstrain, against the background of diseases – menopausal syndrome, vegetovascular dystonia, hypertensive crisis and atherosclerosis. Less often, symptoms appear as a side effect of antihypertensive drugs, as well as in endocrine and neurological diseases. Diagnostic examination includes an assessment of the vegetative status, instrumental methods (EEG, ECG, echocardiography), an extended hormonal and lipid profile. Treatment consists of normalizing lifestyle, taking medications (sedatives, tranquilizers, hormones), physiotherapy.

Causes of hot flashes to the head

Physiological factors

The feeling of heat and blood flow to the head occurs during intense physical exertion, especially in untrained people with overweight. There is a feeling that the face is on fire. The skin visibly reddens and becomes very warm to the touch. Hot flashes are accompanied by a feeling of fullness and heaviness in the head, sometimes there is noise in the ears. Unpleasant sensations disappear after 10-20 minutes after rest.

Flashes of heat to the head are noted in case of psycho-emotional overstrain, strong excitement, shame. A person feels how the face is filled with paint, the skin becomes hot. Sometimes an unpleasant pulsation in the head develops, discomfort in the abdomen. This condition occurs periodically in any person, but the frequent repetition of attacks, combined with a fear of blushing, may indicate erythrophobia.

Menopausal syndrome in women

Hormonal changes in menopause are the main etiological factor of hot flashes to the face and head in women. Attacks begin suddenly, provoked by staying in a stuffy room, excitement, eating spicy or hot food. A woman feels an unpleasant heat and burning sensation in the head and neck. The skin turns pink very quickly or becomes covered with red spots. There is severe sweating of the face and neck, when the sweat literally flows down the skin.

The feeling of heat is accompanied by headache, dizziness, a feeling of lack of air, increased anxiety. After 5-15 minutes, the sensation that blood has rushed to the head disappears, but the redness can persist for a long time. Similar paroxysms are observed from 5 to 20 or more times per day. The most intense and distressing flushes of heat to the head occur at night, whereby the patient suffers from insomnia.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia

Violation of nervous regulation is characterized by polymorphism of symptoms. VSD is often manifested by flushes of blood and heat to the head, increased sweating of this zone. In addition to these signs, patients experience dull pain in the temples and neck, a feeling of a “pressing hoop” around the head, and dizziness. Hot flashes in the form of vegetative paroxysms occur at different intervals, provoked by emotional overstrain, but more often develop without visible factors.

Hot flashes to the head

Cardiovascular diseases

Sudden hot flashes, accompanied by severe headache and flies before the eyes, are characteristic of a hypertensive crisis. In connection with the expansion of superficial vessels, the skin of the face, the upper half of the body turns red, becomes noticeably hot. There is increased perspiration. Similar signs are typical for the neurovegetative form of hypertensive crisis.

Periodic redness, a feeling of congestion of the vessels and flushing to the head occur in hypertensive patients even at normal working pressure. Occasionally bouts of reddening of the face with heat without fever occur with atherosclerosis. Such disorders are combined with headaches, dizziness, tinnitus. Hot flashes are possible at any time of the day and are not associated with external provoking factors.

Complications of pharmacotherapy

Flushing of the head and neck is a side effect of taking nitrates to lower blood pressure. The symptom appears a few minutes after the rapid intravenous administration of drugs. The result of vasodilation is intense reddening of the skin of the face, patients feel a fever, a throbbing headache. When trying to take a vertical position, there is dizziness and darkening in the eyes, caused by a sharp drop in blood pressure.

Rare causes

Sleep disorders : sleep apnea syndrome, nightmares.
Withdrawal syndrome : with alcohol delirium, drug addiction.
Allergic reactions : urticaria, angioedema.
CNS lesion : traumatic brain injury, neoplasms of the hypothalamic-pituitary system, postconcussion syndrome.
Endocrine disorders : male menopause, diabetes mellitus, adrenal hyperfunction and pheochromocytoma.

Diagnosis

Depending on the symptoms that accompany hot flashes to the head, the patient is prescribed a consultation with an endocrinologist, neurologist, cardiologist. During the initial examination, the doctor is interested in how long the seizures have been disturbing, how often they appear and what provokes them. The specialist conducts a physical examination, measures blood pressure and heart rate, and listens to heart sounds. The plan of laboratory and instrumental diagnostic studies includes:

Neurological examination . The specialist checks the main deep and superficial reflexes, their symmetry. With the help of special tests and questionnaires, it establishes the correct functioning of the autonomic nervous system. If an organic lesion of the central nervous system is suspected, an EEG, CT or MRI of the brain is performed.
ECG. A fast and non-invasive method used to detect cardiac pathology. According to the results of the cardiogram, the doctor diagnoses myocardial hypertrophy, arrhythmia, conduction disturbances – the causes that cause hot flashes. Echocardiography is recommended to clarify the diagnosis; in rare cases, invasive coronary angiography is indicated.
Blood tests . Assess the level of cortisol, adrenaline, thyroxine and other hormones that contribute to flushing, heat to the head. Women perform an extended hormonal profile with the determination of estrogens, progesterone, FSH and LH. In men, the amount of testosterone is measured. Be sure to analyze the results of the lipid profile.

In case of possible endocrine disorders, the results of ultrasound of the adrenal glands, thyroid gland are taken into account. To assess the emotional state, exclude various phobias and neuroses that cause hot flashes, a psychiatrist’s consultation is required. Women of reproductive age who regularly experience paroxysms need to visit a gynecologist – sometimes hot flashes develop with dysfunction of the reproductive organs.

Dosed physical activity improves autonomic regulation

Treatment

Help before diagnosis

A symptom caused by physiological causes can be prevented: avoid excessive physical activity in terms of duration and intensity, minimize stressful situations. Hot flushes to the head should not be ignored as they may be the first symptom of serious cardiovascular or neurological disorders. If the attacks bother you often or are accompanied by a deterioration in well-being, you should consult a doctor.

Conservative therapy

Most of the treatment of hot flashes occurs on an outpatient basis. Among the non-drug methods in the foreground are exercise therapy and dosed physical activity, which improve the state of autonomic regulation. In order not to provoke seizures, a diet with a restriction of acute and extractive substances is selected. Psychotherapy sessions are recommended to correct the emotional state.

The drug regimen is based on the cause of hot flashes. To normalize the functioning of the autonomic nervous system, sedatives, “daytime” tranquilizers, and antidepressants are used. Women who are faced with menopausal syndrome undergo hormone replacement therapy, which quickly eliminates unpleasant manifestations. Men with menopause are also prescribed hormones – testosterone in tablet, injection or transdermal form.

Physiotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of hot flashes to the head. Balneotherapy (circular shower, carbon dioxide and radon baths), exposure to electric currents (interference therapy, electrical stimulation, diadynamic therapy) gives a good restorative and tonic effect. As an addition to the main treatment regimen, methods of homeopathy and physiotherapy are shown.

Patients who complain of redness and heat of the head due to the use of antihypertensive drugs (nitrates) require a discussion of therapy with the attending physician and clinical pharmacologist. In some cases, it is necessary to adjust the dose and frequency of administration, and with severe iatrogenic hot flashes, drugs from other pharmacological groups are used.