Scalp symptoms Assessment Questionnaire

Questions Your Doctor May Ask - and Why!

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques to assess the symptom: Scalp symptoms. These will include a physical examination and possibly diagnostic tests. (Note: A physical exam is always done, diagnostic tests may or may not be performed depending on the suspected condition) Your doctor will ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to openly share any pertinent information to help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.

It is also very important to bring an up-to-date list of all of your all medical conditions, medications including dosages, and names of numbers of any specialist you see.

Create your printable checklist by answering questions that your doctor may ask below:

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How long have you had the scalp symptoms?
Why: to determine if acute or chronic.
What particular scalp symptoms do you have?
Why: e.g. itchy scalp, rash on scalp, scaly scalp, flaky scalp, dry scalp, tender scalp.
Is there any other areas of the body that are affected?
Why: e.g. seborrheic dermatitis may also affect the skin of the face and trunk; psoriasis may also affect the skin on the trunk, nails and the joints but tends not to affect the face.
Contact with anyone that also has scalp or other skin symptoms?
Why: e.g. may suggest chicken pox, impetigo or head lice.
Past history of skin disorders that may cause scalp symptoms?
Why: e.g. atopic dermatitis (eczema), seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, dermatitis herpetiformis.
Have you been exposed to anything different recently?
Why: e.g. hair spray, shampoo, hair perm chemicals - may suggest contact dermatitis.
Do you have an allergic tendency?
Why: e.g. asthma, hay fever - may suggest atopic dermatitis as the cause of scalp symptoms.
Has your scalp been exposed to direct sun recently?
Why: may suggest scalp sunburn as the cause of scalp symptoms.
Past medical history?
Why: e.g. Celiac disease may be associated with dermatitis herpetiformis.
Medications?
Why: some medications may cause sensitivities such as aspirin, morphine and codeine; some medications (such as captopril, gold, tetracycline, chloroquine, quinine, chlorothiazide and chlopropamide) may cause a lichen planus-like eruption which may cause thinning of the scalp skin and loss of scalp hair.
Known allergies?
Why: e.g. food allergies, insect allergies, drug allergy.
Family history?
Why: e.g. allergies, psoriasis, eczema, systemic lupus erythematosus.
Itchy scalp, and if so is the itch mild, moderate or severe?
Fever?
Why: may suggest chicken pox, Steven's -Johnson syndrome.
Headache?
Why: scalp skin tenderness is a feature of muscle contraction headache (tension headache).
Symptoms of psoriasis vulgaris of the scalp?
Why: e.g. thick patches of adherent scale on the scalp, mild to moderate itch. May be associated with psoriasis lesions on other parts of the body including elbows and knees. May be complicated by arthritis and nail symptoms.
Symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis?
Why: e.g. yellow-red, scaly, greasy and itchy rash of the scalp. May also affect the ears, face, eyebrows, around the eyes, around the nose, centre of the chest and centre of the back. Dandruff is a feature of the scalp area. In infants, scalp involvement is called "cradle cap".
Symptoms of head lice (Pediculus humanus capitus)?
Why: e.g. white spots of the nits (may be mistaken for dandruff), nits cannot be brushed off, scalp itching. Scalp may be without symptoms and may not be itchy.
Symptoms of dandruff?
Why: e.g. most prevalent in adolescence; scalp skin flaking, scalp itching. If severe, may be associated with seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis.
Symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus?
Why: e.g. fever, fatigue, weight loss, joint aches, butterfly-shaped red rash over face and mouth ulcers. May also have disc shaped lesions on scalp skin and patchy hair loss over the scalp.

Conditions listing medical symptoms: Scalp symptoms:

The following list of conditions have 'Scalp symptoms' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

Select from the following alphabetical view of conditions which include a symptom of Scalp symptoms or choose View All.

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Conditions listing medical complications: Scalp symptoms:

The following list of medical conditions have 'Scalp symptoms' or similar listed as a medical complication in our database.

» Next page: Types of Scalp symptoms

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