When I was little, I could tell I was getting sick because my hair hurt - when I brushed my hair, my head would hurt. It isn't a sharp pain. It's more like an extra senstivity, like an old bruise or how your face feels when you're about to break out.
I was sick a few weeks ago for a few weeks, but the congested symptoms have gone away. It's been a month now since I began to be sick then, and I don't have a fever. But still - I get exhausted easily, and my hair hurts. It is all very strange.
Is there something going around? Does anyone else have this?
Posted by sweetbaboo (Member # 8845) on :
I have always been laughed at when I said that my hair hurt! I'm so excited to know that it's not unique to my weirdness.
Mine doesn't hurt when I'm getting sick though, just every once in awhile. I hope you aren't getting sick again.
*passes the Nyquil
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
My hair hurts if I've worn it up for too long or slept on it funny so it's "bent".
Posted by Lissande (Member # 350) on :
Yes. Hair hurts sometimes, and it is totally possible for bright lights to make someone sneeze.
People should believe me when I tell them things. *glare*
Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
Oh, hurting hair! Yes! That also happens to me. I wonder why that is? I also used to have kmbboots' problem when I was a kid, but thankfully, that went away as an adult, so now I can do whatever I wanna to my hair without pain.
The bright lights/sneezing stuff always works with me, and my husband doesn't believe me, either, Lissande, that it's for real. What a wiener.
Posted by Lissande (Member # 350) on :
My mom and I both do it, and my dad always thought we were making it up. Why on earth would you make something like that up???
I guess you don't believe it unless it happens to you. *shrug*
kat - I hope it's just a sign that your ponytail was too tight, and not being sick. Feel better!
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
My hair doesn't hurt. On the other hand, whenever I have a high fever my *skin* hurts. Very weird sensation. I went to the doctor once telling her I'm most likely feverish because I have that sensation, and she didn't really believe me and kept asking if I had food alergies, etc. In the end it turned out I was right. Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
I do that, too. I have gotten up in the middle of the night before to shave my legs because the slight stubble was irritating my skin when it brushed against the sheets.
I hope I'm not getting sick, too. My goal is to go to bed at 10:00 pm tonight. I'll report here tomorrow if I make it. It's possible - I just have to pick up Matt at the metro at 9:30, and then I can go straight home and to bed.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I get the same sensation when I'm getting sick, kat. I feel something similar when another round of hair thinning is about to commence, and a similar-but-slightly-different-from-the-other-two sensation when hair is about to start growing in more thickly.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
I get it sometimes, and no amount of scalp massage makes it go away. Washing with a good soapy lather at the roots is the only thing that works for me.
I wonder if (at least in my case) the association with being sick is through my decreased likelihood of washing my hair when I feel cruddy.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Hey, Sara, this is off topic, but did you get the last PM (or maybe it was email) that I sent you? The one that talked about the kid I was concerned about?
To be on-topic, when my roots feel like that a thorough washing is fairly unplesant.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
I thought about that. I didn't want to wash my hair this morning, but I remember it was Tuesday instead of Wednesday so I had time.
It's lasted too long to be a bug. It's not severe enough to be mono. I feel fine but listless, and I worry that it's because I'm not getting enough exercise. The solution is to get more exercise, but I have to do it in the mornings and many days I have to choose between eight hours of sleep or getting up to exercise.
If I'm getting sick, I don't want to skimp on sleep. Also, I think a lack of sleep contributes to weight gain so losing sleep to exercise wouldn't help me any there, either.
Posted by BaoQingTian (Member # 8775) on :
quote:Originally posted by Libbie: The bright lights/sneezing stuff always works with me, and my husband doesn't believe me, either, Lissande, that it's for real. What a wiener.
There's an old thread on the other side of the forum that predates your signing up at Hatrack (although I lurked for a couple years before signing up, so you may have seen it). I think it's called photic sneezing or something like that. If I recall correctly, about 25% of people sneeze in response to light. I'm one of them. I tried convincing my wife that it's a medical condition, but she still laughs at me every time I do it.
More on topic, the only time my hair hurts is when I've been wearing a hat all day.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: Hey, Sara, this is off topic, but did you get the last PM (or maybe it was email) that I sent you? The one that talked about the kid I was concerned about?
To be on-topic, when my roots feel like that a thorough washing is fairly unplesant.
Yeah! I sent back a response.
*going off to check my sent box
---------
Edited to add: Well, I'll be. It isn't there.
*scratches head, goes off to pull back up the info
Noemon, I wrote you back a very long note, and it just ... disappeared. Maybe I shut the computer without sending it, and there was a deletion as it shut itself down? Bizarre. So sorry! Short version coming up.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Strange! Was it a PM or an email? If it was the latter, maybe it got caught in my spam filter or something.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
I think you sent PM and I (tried at least) sent back PM too.
Rats.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Man, that sucks; a long message from you is a great thing to receive. I wish that there'd just been a transmission problem, so that you could have just resent it.
The short version will be good too, and helpful.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: To be on-topic, when my roots feel like that a thorough washing is fairly unplesant.
Indeed. It hurts. But for me, anything else just prolongs the agony. And since my hair is now past waist-length, it really hurts when the roots are sore.
---
PM sent at sakeriver. This was just the 3 best-looking contact numbers for that area. I'll rewrite the rest when I'm away from work and have more time -- have to get back to my other paperwork now.
I can also repost numbers here if you can use them during work hours.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Hm. Wonder if a good shampooing would stave off the next round of balding? Somehow I doubt it. Next time I get that sensation when I'm getting sick, though, I'll give it a try.
No rush on the rest of the post. I'll be happy to read it when you have time to write it again, but I definitely understand being to busy and stressed to write everything out a second time.
I won't be able to contact my friend until tonight anyway, so no need to repost those numbers. I feel shagrined that I spaced off digging further for them myself, honestly. I just remembered the whole situation this morning.
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
quote:Originally posted by katharina: I do that, too. I have gotten up in the middle of the night before to shave my legs because the slight stubble was irritating my skin when it brushed against the sheets.
So I'm not alone. But unlike you, I never woke up in the middle of the night to shave my legs. Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Jake - I have never before heard of someone knowing when they are losing hair, through a sensation. How interesting...
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
It is, isn't it? Anybody else able to feel it? Or the reverse? When I was younger and just starting to grow hair on my chest it was pretty unpleasant.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
I've also never heard of anything like that.
I'm only peripherally aware that I even have hair, most times. The only times I can feel it is when I wear a hat for too long (as Kate mentioned, it gets bent the wrong way), or when it's really in need of washing.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
Does that make this a bad hair day?
I don't know if I'd have ever described it as my hair hurting, but when I'm coming down with a bad cold or the flu I sometimes do have what I can only describe as hypersensitive nerve endings--like my skin hurts. All of me feels sorta ouchie.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
I've had my hair hurt before, too. Almost always when I have a migraine, but also when I've got a fever and feel lousy. I've also had my teeth hurt, too. Not the gums, but the actual teeth.
Posted by cmc (Member # 9549) on :
katharina, you asked if something was going around? There is a very nasty something going around (that I know of) in North Carolina, Massachusetts, Florida + Alaska. It's a gross sort of head-cold-type thing that's mostly just snots and feeling a little less than enegetic. But it likes to hang on and a few of my friends have had nasty coughs to boot. I'm over it now but it took about 2 weeks and from what I hear I got the 'easy version'. Groodie and I hope it stays away.
Posted by Boris (Member # 6935) on :
I had some serious chest and cough problems about a month ago. Got some meds which helped, but it stayed just under the surface for about 2 weeks after it went away.
Posted by Silent E (Member # 8840) on :
When I'm coming down with something, before any other symptom manifests, I'll often have a slight ache in the roots of my teeth.
Posted by Lissande (Member # 350) on :
quote:I tried convincing my wife that it's a medical condition, but she still laughs at me every time I do it.
I'm telling you, no one believes it unless they have it. It's too weird to credit, I guess. But it's ok - we know the truth. Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
I wonder if I have that. I still feel crummy, and I've been coughing again recently. Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
(((kat))) Sending you some European fresh air to keep you healthy. Any way you can see a doctor in the near future?
Posted by Lissande (Member # 350) on :
quote:Originally posted by Corwin: (((kat))) Sending you some European smoke-filled, asthma-inducing air to keep you healthy. Any way you can see a doctor in the near future?
Fixed that for you. Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
I don't smoke.
Posted by Lissande (Member # 350) on :
Nor do I, but the air around me is still often polluted. Hope I didn't offend you. Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
Memo to myself: include smilies when appropriate.
Lissande: Posted by Lissande (Member # 350) on :
Just making sure. You Europeans are so touchy sometimes. Posted by Occasional (Member # 5860) on :
There is a question I might have missed. Don't you mean my scalp hurts? Hair doesn't have nerves or pain receptors, although they can be attached to them.
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lissande: Just making sure. You Europeans are so touchy sometimes.
Great, now I have "U can't touch this" in my head. I thought I'd share. Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Occasional: Normally I would ignore your post because you missed the point so completely, but I'm going to explain.
I said what I said precisely because it is slightly absurd. Saying it amuses me because it is something a child would say, and being sick makes me feel like a little kid who wants her mother. It's a literary device and a way of looking at the world, and it is outside the normal mode of conversation enough that if someone does understand what I meant, then that's like a momentary flash of belonging to the same club. It's like discovering someone has your birthday.
I am entirely aware that hair does not have pain receptors, and I'm torn between amused and offended that you thought I did believe that. You should have more respect.
In starting this thread, I wanted to: 1. Get opinions on whether this is a bad sign, for which I needed responses, because I think I might be sick. The title would hopefully get that.
2. Express how I was feeling, which is like a little kid because I'm a terrible patient and all I want is my mother.
3. Create some connections, and the phrase could do that because it's like a code word for people who understand what I meant.
To answer your question, no, I don't mean my scalp hurts. My hair hurts, and I think I'm getting sick.
--
Corwin: I went to the nurse here this morning and she thinks I might have bronchitis. I'm going to try and find a doctor soon - I don't have one in D.C. yet and my insurance is complicated. My boss is the one who took me to the nurse, though, and she's being completely understanding. Which is great. Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
For what it is worth, we are seeing a nasty little respiratory virus up in British Columbia (West Coast Canada) that is triggering asthma symptoms in susceptible people: chest tightness, wheezing, prolonged and lingering cough (especially at night).
[ October 25, 2006, 12:07 PM: Message edited by: ClaudiaTherese ]
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*wards off frantically*
Posted by Occasional (Member # 5860) on :
Sorry for offending. Just wanted to know exactly what you meant. Guess I am not part of the group this was intended for.
Posted by Theaca (Member # 8325) on :
There's no rule that says a symptom has to be rational or scientifically accurate. Most aren't, when you get right down to it. I love hearing some of the more unusual ones. Although if they can't then sit down and explain the problem in more basic terms I can become very frustrated. Posted by Mama Squirrel (Member # 4155) on :
Squoose and I picked up a cough when we were in MN/WI for my Grandmother's funeral. We are coming up on 4 weeks. I finally went to the doctor on Saturday and got antibiotics. I seem to be coughing less. I have taken Squoose to the doctor 3 times in the last two weeks. He has had a fever off and on for those two weeks (not even every day, and I haven't had a fever at all). At the second appt they gave him a prescription for albuterol because the doc could hear some wheezing with the stethoscope. This time (yesterday) they took chest x-rays and gave us a prescription for amoxicillin for him. Hopefully he will be getting better soon.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:Originally posted by Theaca: There's no rule that says a symptom has to be rational or scientifically accurate. Most aren't, when you get right down to it. I love hearing some of the more unusual ones.
Such as? Now I'm intrugued.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
I'd love to hear them, too.
--
I have a doctor's appointment on Friday morning. Whether or not I'm actually sick, I need to anyway so I can get back on birth control. Life is much better for me when I'm on it.
Posted by Theaca (Member # 8325) on :
Right now the one I'm thinking about is "I'm coughing up cold." Maybe this is a common use, but I never came across it till I moved to Indiana. It's usually older patients, especially elderly black women. The want an antibiotic because they are coughing up cold but look at me incredulously when I ask them to explain this.
Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :
Noemon:
I know exactly what you are talking about with all 3 of the hair-related sensations.
In addition, when I'm getting sick, I'll have a couple of patches of skin that become sensitive -- seem to be in different places every time.
Of course, since I have sinus issues, I don't need all the other indicators. I can tell how sick I am or about to be and what kind by what's going on with the sinuses.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
I've had patients tell me that they have a cold in various parts of their bodies not ordinarily associated with respiratory symptoms. They usually mean that they have something wrong with it that is bothering them, but not enough where they have to go stay in bed. I've heard about a cold in the back, in the neck, in the shoulder, and in "the privates." Some people complain of localized fever, something that I usually think of as a systemic complaint. They usually mean some kind of localized pain and swelling, such as "a fever in my knee."
Then there are the complaints so vague and mysterious, that I have no idea what they are talking about: "I have a feeling of fresh air in my hair -- what does that mean?" "What does it mean when I sometimes get a feeling of lightness around my shoulders?"
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Actually, I do sometimes get a "feeling of lightness around my shoulders."
I usually attribute it to the fact that I've had pressure on my shoulders, like a child or a backpack, and it's now gone. Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
I finally went to the doctor. Stupid bacteria. I definitely have something, and she gave me a blazing antibiotic that I only take for five days and a nasal spray to get rid of the congestion, so I should be better soon. Yay!
Maybe I'll go the doctor more quickly next time. It was just hard this time because i didn't have one yet and I couldn't look one up at home since I don't have internet at home. So, when I was very sick, I didn't have an easy way to find one.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
quote:Originally posted by katharina: So, when I was very sick, I didn't have an easy way to find one.
Exactly. And it's often both easier to get in and better care to work with someone who already is familiar with you and your history, even if it was just one prior visit.
Hope you feel better soon, Katie.
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
Get well soon, kat. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
That antibiotic should have kicked in by now, right?
How're you feeling, Katie?
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Oh joyous, SO much better. I still take the nasal spray and my throat is slightly raw, but I feel a million times better and have actually been able to work every morning this week. Yay!
And thank you for asking. *hugs*
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*feels guilty*
I am very glad that you are feeling so much better!
But I probably would not have thought to ask if I hadn't been looking for threads to post on last night. But I should have thought to.
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Any way you can see a doctor in the near future?
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