burning and pressure in head

Hi -
I need advise.  I have been having this weird burning/pressure feeling on the top of my head along with an occassional sharp pain here and there. It almost feels like my head is sunburned.  I have googled and yahooed burning sensation in head and cannot really find anything.   Could this be a warning sign?  I am scared to death that it could be an aneursym or tumor as the sensations are unlike anything I have ever had.  I do not have bad headaches per say, but all these weird sensations.  I do not think it is anxiety.   Any advice will be appreciated.  I am a 39 year old otherwise healthy female.  THANKS

[Neuro Forum]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.

Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information

There are several causes of headaches. Headaches can be divided into primary and secondary. Primary headache disorders are headaches without a direct cause. Secondary headache disorders are due to an underlying problem, such as a tumor, medication side effects, central nervous system infections, clots in the veins in the brain etc. Primary headache disorders are more common than secondary ones, meaning that most headaches are benign and are not due to tumors, aneurysms, etc.

It sounds like you have pain at the top of your head, the area medically referred to as the vertex. Stretching of the scalp or irritation due to head bands, high pony tails etc are sometimes the culprit, so try to avoid these hairdoes and other scalp irritants. Burning pains on the scalp can also be due to allergic reactions to shampoos and styling products as well. From a neurologist standpoint, Vertex pain could be due to tension type headaches and less commonly migraines. Structural problems such as arthritis of the neck can impinge on certain nerves leading to shooting-type pains that radiate (shoot up) to the vertex. If you have associated neck pain, your head pain could be caused by tightness of the neck muscles (cervicogenic headache) or neck arthritis.

Without further information about your headache, it is difficult to provide you with adequate information. However, it is important for you to understand that though most headaches are benign, if you have not experienced headaches in the past and you are now having new head pains, seeing a physician is a good idea, just to make sure there is nothing serious causing this pain. Depending on the exact description of your symptoms and your examination, he/she can determine whether or not further testing and brain imaging (with CT or MRI) is necessary, and may be able to suggest treatment for your relief. The need for referral to a neurologist could then be determined by your PCP (family physician etc).

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.