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Feeling Sore In Scalp And Discomfort In Ear. Could It Be Temporal Arteritis?
Question: My right temple and the right top of my scalp are painfully sore to the touch. I have also felt some mild discomfort in my right ear. /could this be temporal arteritis, and should I see a neurologist? This pain has been here for several weeks.
Hi,
Thank you for posting your query.
Based on your symptoms, one of the possibilities could be temporal arteritis. However, muscle tension headache is also another possibility.
Doing a simple blood test could help you. ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) in the blood is elevated in cases of temporal arteritis, however, it is normal in other cases of headache.
So, to start with, you could do an ESR test. If it is elevated, you could consult a neurologist. If ESR is normal, you could take analgesics such as ibuprofen and observe your symptoms.
I hope it helps. Please get back if you have any more queries.
Wishing you good health,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology) XXXXXXX Consultant Neurologist
Thank you for posting your query.
Based on your symptoms, one of the possibilities could be temporal arteritis. However, muscle tension headache is also another possibility.
Doing a simple blood test could help you. ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) in the blood is elevated in cases of temporal arteritis, however, it is normal in other cases of headache.
So, to start with, you could do an ESR test. If it is elevated, you could consult a neurologist. If ESR is normal, you could take analgesics such as ibuprofen and observe your symptoms.
I hope it helps. Please get back if you have any more queries.
Wishing you good health,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology) XXXXXXX Consultant Neurologist
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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