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8 year old daughter complaining of ticklish feeling in forehead
Hello
I am writing about my 8-yr-old daughter who has been complaining almost daily now since January about what she calls a "ticklish feeling in her forehead". I initially dismissed her complaints thinking she had a headache from being tired or watching too much TV or swimming too much or maybe a bit of eye strain or whatever but as her complaints became more vociferous, I began to take more notice. I especially began getting concerned when I noticed her pulling faces sometimes -- a kind of grimace that involved her crunching up her eyes, sometimes rubbing her eyes. When I asked her what she was doing she said she was trying to make the ticklish feeling go away. Alarmed, I decided to take her to see an eye specialist in May thinking that she might need glasses (the feeling often occurs when she is reading or watching TV) even though she assured me she could see fine. She had an extensive exam and her eyes are fine; no vision problems at all, near or far. Peripheral is fine, tracking is fine. He tested everything. When I described her complaint he seemed stymied and could offer no solution. I went home relieved about her eyes but now on high alert. I wanted to try and sort this issue out. I asked Sarah to explain the feeling to me exactly. She is very very specific. It is not like a headache feeling. There is no throbbing. There is no pressure. There is no tingling. It is a ticklish feeling and it is confined to the forehead area of her brain I guess. In other words it is not a sensation on her skin. It is in the front of her head across the whole forehead behind her eyes. We started to try and monitor when it started to try and discern a pattern or to see if something triggers it. Not really after a month of close observation but certain actions almost always bring it on: reading, watching TV (not always though), looking closely at something with focus or concentration especially if it is close to her eyes. What makes it go away? No pattern. It just stops. The feeling is intermittent. It is annoying to her, not at all pleasurable, but not painful like a headache. In early June, Sarah got sick. I should mention that she has allergic rhinitis. We live in South Africa by the way and every year without fail since she was born she gets sick in June/July (our winter). In her early years she always landed up in hospital every winter -- pneumonia when she was 1 and 2, bronchiolitis when she was 3 and 4. Her paediatrician eventually came to the conclusion that all her trouble begins in her sinuses and if they get infected or whatever, this often leads to her having a post nasal drip and coughing at night and eventually some kind of chest infection invariably occurs if we don't catch it in time. We know what to look for now and every June I am on high alert. This month has been no exception. We were at our GP early in the month with her sinusitis and I decided to discuss the ticklish feeling with him. He seemed to think it had something to do with her sinus issues which were drying out her eyes but I am convinced he is wrong. He did not get at all what she was trying to describe. Shortly after this visit we left to visit my husband's family in Buffalo in the USA where we have been for the past three weeks (it is winter school holidays here, or was till this week). During our time in Buffalo, we discussed the ticklish feeling every day. Did she have it? When she got it, when it stopped. Again, no obvious pattern. She told me that she has had this feeling for the past two years, but that when she was in pre-primary (aged 5/6) and Grade R (aged 6/7) it did not happen so frequuently, or last as long. This year it happens almost every day. Even when she is in bed at night sometimes trying to go to sleep with her eyes closed and the light off. It is annoying to her and frustrating obviously. She says when she gets it at school, almost always when she is reading or doing some kind of work involving close attention to a book, like Maths, or writing a story, it really interferes with her ability to concentrate and listen to the teacher. It is not a noise or a sound in her head. It comes on suddenly in a rush not from one side of her head or another and it doesn't start weakly and get stronger. It just starts across her whole forehead. Obviously I have to go and see someone about it. When we were away I determined that we have to deal with it immediately. We flew home on Tuesday and thought I would look for some answers online to see if I could find any other descriptions that sound similar. In all honesty, I have searched for hours. All the descriptions of sinus headaches and migraines do not capture her experience. They describe pressure on top of the head, at the back of the head, behind one eye. They describe throbbing, pulsating pain, even a tingling. Sarah is adamant that this is not what she is feeling which is a sudden onset, uniform ticklish feeling behind her forehead that is extremely annoying while it lasts but not painful as such. What alarmed me most in my search was that the only descriptions that I found that came really close to describing what she was telling me were people talking about tapping into the "third eye" energy of their sixth chakra. I am not joking. Those descriptions of the feeling, without the spiritualese, came the closest to echoing her own description of the physical sensation. This did not put my mind at ease! I am obviously going to take her to see her paediatrician who has known her her whole life and who will hopefully be able to help and refer me to a specialist, but does this ring any kind of bell? I would value some informed medical feedback. Many thanks, worried mom, Cape Town
I am writing about my 8-yr-old daughter who has been complaining almost daily now since January about what she calls a "ticklish feeling in her forehead". I initially dismissed her complaints thinking she had a headache from being tired or watching too much TV or swimming too much or maybe a bit of eye strain or whatever but as her complaints became more vociferous, I began to take more notice. I especially began getting concerned when I noticed her pulling faces sometimes -- a kind of grimace that involved her crunching up her eyes, sometimes rubbing her eyes. When I asked her what she was doing she said she was trying to make the ticklish feeling go away. Alarmed, I decided to take her to see an eye specialist in May thinking that she might need glasses (the feeling often occurs when she is reading or watching TV) even though she assured me she could see fine. She had an extensive exam and her eyes are fine; no vision problems at all, near or far. Peripheral is fine, tracking is fine. He tested everything. When I described her complaint he seemed stymied and could offer no solution. I went home relieved about her eyes but now on high alert. I wanted to try and sort this issue out. I asked Sarah to explain the feeling to me exactly. She is very very specific. It is not like a headache feeling. There is no throbbing. There is no pressure. There is no tingling. It is a ticklish feeling and it is confined to the forehead area of her brain I guess. In other words it is not a sensation on her skin. It is in the front of her head across the whole forehead behind her eyes. We started to try and monitor when it started to try and discern a pattern or to see if something triggers it. Not really after a month of close observation but certain actions almost always bring it on: reading, watching TV (not always though), looking closely at something with focus or concentration especially if it is close to her eyes. What makes it go away? No pattern. It just stops. The feeling is intermittent. It is annoying to her, not at all pleasurable, but not painful like a headache. In early June, Sarah got sick. I should mention that she has allergic rhinitis. We live in South Africa by the way and every year without fail since she was born she gets sick in June/July (our winter). In her early years she always landed up in hospital every winter -- pneumonia when she was 1 and 2, bronchiolitis when she was 3 and 4. Her paediatrician eventually came to the conclusion that all her trouble begins in her sinuses and if they get infected or whatever, this often leads to her having a post nasal drip and coughing at night and eventually some kind of chest infection invariably occurs if we don't catch it in time. We know what to look for now and every June I am on high alert. This month has been no exception. We were at our GP early in the month with her sinusitis and I decided to discuss the ticklish feeling with him. He seemed to think it had something to do with her sinus issues which were drying out her eyes but I am convinced he is wrong. He did not get at all what she was trying to describe. Shortly after this visit we left to visit my husband's family in Buffalo in the USA where we have been for the past three weeks (it is winter school holidays here, or was till this week). During our time in Buffalo, we discussed the ticklish feeling every day. Did she have it? When she got it, when it stopped. Again, no obvious pattern. She told me that she has had this feeling for the past two years, but that when she was in pre-primary (aged 5/6) and Grade R (aged 6/7) it did not happen so frequuently, or last as long. This year it happens almost every day. Even when she is in bed at night sometimes trying to go to sleep with her eyes closed and the light off. It is annoying to her and frustrating obviously. She says when she gets it at school, almost always when she is reading or doing some kind of work involving close attention to a book, like Maths, or writing a story, it really interferes with her ability to concentrate and listen to the teacher. It is not a noise or a sound in her head. It comes on suddenly in a rush not from one side of her head or another and it doesn't start weakly and get stronger. It just starts across her whole forehead. Obviously I have to go and see someone about it. When we were away I determined that we have to deal with it immediately. We flew home on Tuesday and thought I would look for some answers online to see if I could find any other descriptions that sound similar. In all honesty, I have searched for hours. All the descriptions of sinus headaches and migraines do not capture her experience. They describe pressure on top of the head, at the back of the head, behind one eye. They describe throbbing, pulsating pain, even a tingling. Sarah is adamant that this is not what she is feeling which is a sudden onset, uniform ticklish feeling behind her forehead that is extremely annoying while it lasts but not painful as such. What alarmed me most in my search was that the only descriptions that I found that came really close to describing what she was telling me were people talking about tapping into the "third eye" energy of their sixth chakra. I am not joking. Those descriptions of the feeling, without the spiritualese, came the closest to echoing her own description of the physical sensation. This did not put my mind at ease! I am obviously going to take her to see her paediatrician who has known her her whole life and who will hopefully be able to help and refer me to a specialist, but does this ring any kind of bell? I would value some informed medical feedback. Many thanks, worried mom, Cape Town
So, many years later and no update on how to stop this. I've had this feeling all my life. I remember how annoying it was to go get a hair cut when I was below 10. I'm 29 now, male, and still have it. In fact, I had it the whole time I spend reading this and all the answers. I had to place my hand on my forehead to cope.
I think we need a support group because this phenomenon is really really annoying to the point that I felt like taking my own life while on admission in a hospital recently (unrelated treatment).
Please, anyone knows what the deal with the ticklish forehead is yet?
I think we need a support group because this phenomenon is really really annoying to the point that I felt like taking my own life while on admission in a hospital recently (unrelated treatment).
Please, anyone knows what the deal with the ticklish forehead is yet?
1 Comments
Hello. Perhaps your own thread on our neurology forum would be beneficial? https://www.medhelp.org/forums/Neurology/show/74 There is something called Sensory Processing Disorder that makes certain places much more sensitive and ticklish than other areas. It's basically a misfire of the nerves sending wrong information to the brain.
I recently started taking omega 3 supplements, I get this same ticklish sensation behind the forehead when I have about 5 pills at once. I take so many because It supposedly helps with concentration and mood, but I need a high EPA value to reap these benefits. the feeling usually goes away as the day progresses. maybe this sensation is triggered by high levels some ingredient or component present in the omega 3; I typically get 1200-1600mg of EPA a day from the pills when I take them, and 840mg of DHA. The official serving size is 2 pills. Other ingredients include natural mixed tocopherols (vitamin E), gelatin, gycerin, food glaze, and enteric coating. The fish oil is pure concentrate from USA wild caught Alaskan Pollock. The brand is Life and Food Omega-3 supreme, I am a 20 years old male and this sensation is only noticeable when I take many of these pills. Hopefully this information is of some use to you all.
1 Comments
I have had this since I was a child. I just decided to search about it today. From what I'm reading, I am the only one who feels this sensation even when someone touches their own forehead. I was watching the Fresh Prince as a teenager and Will stick a sticker on Carlton's head with a price gun and that set it off something fierce. It feels like a pulse of energy. It came on strong again when someone complimented my sunglasses which I had raised from my eyes to my forehead. I learned that I could make it go away by wiping my forehead with my hand. I also learned I could make it happen by focusing on the feeling itself and imagining someone touching their forehead or an object in front of mine. Apparently it's chakras or some third eye deal which is fine by me. And apparently there are allot of people out there who have the same thing.
I get it mainly in the eyes, have done for 20 years. I distract myself from it by pressing my hand onto my forehead. I usually get it when in bed at night trying to go to sleep, Have not found any cures yet. It really just a minor discomfort but can be annoying sometimes.
It has been about 4 years since your original post. Have you found a solution to the tinkling in your daughters forehead? What have you learned about it? My wife is going through the same thing and started about 3 years ago. desperately looking for answers. Not knowing is causing miserable anxiety.
I remember trying to explain what I had seen but not having the proper words. I can remember how frustrating that feeling was. But what transpired after I don't recall at all. No one ever spoke of the incident. Ever. In my teens I convinced myself it never happened. I told a friend in the Navy and then never spoke of it again until now. Anyway. About 2 yrs later ,kids at school discover the whole pencil/forehead thing. Well, first it only works for me when someone else holds the object. And when that happens... me no like. So me no do. Ever. Not a game I would play. 15 yrs later. Boom. Starts happening on it's own. Mostly sleeping but every once in a while ,while I'm conscious. Not enjoyable. Very uncomfortable. Take $5k cat scan. Nada. Perfect. Soooooooooo. Here I am. Searching for answers.
Okay so let me ask a super crazy question. Do any of you who have experienced this phenomenon , or the parents of those who have ,recall seeing something very odd early in you childhood that you couldn't explain?
Something that was visually stimulating.
Possibly light based,or maybe some sort of visual distortion.
Between the ages of 6 and 8 . Maybe 9 or 10.
I refuse to read any of this third eye stuff and I recall not sure I would except it if I did read it so it's not really something I can comment on. But attempting to find out what's have in common with all you people and your children,I can find almost nothing. But one thing. I haven't talked about this openly in 20 some odd years (I'm 34) for two reasons. One, I don't care to be driven crazy by answers I most likely never find. Two, nothing like ever happened again in my life so it must have not have been that important. Also as a bonus reason, I have in fact reasoned that I may have dreamt the entire event. Any how , here's the crazy short version of a crazy story that may or may not have happened. When I 6 maybe 7, myself and I believe two other children were being babysat at my home. Our babysitter was a Jamaican woman who was the primary babysitter of myself and the two other children. We were all very familiar. I was entering my room for whatever reason and was stopped dead in my tracks at the entry. On the carpeted floor, directly below the entry frame of the door,where words scrolling across the floor. Just between the framework. In light on the floor as if a projector was projecting them onto the floor. Now I was sucking terrified and totally confused. I freaked in the doorway. The babysitter and the other two kids came running. I only remember bits and pieces. Mostly the emotional parts. I can remember being stunned at the sight. I can remember looking up at the crown to see what the source was. And I remember freaking out. I don't remember what happened in the seconds before they arrived ed and after I freaked. Not sure if the words vanished when I looked away or if the visual faded as I screamed for help.
Something that was visually stimulating.
Possibly light based,or maybe some sort of visual distortion.
Between the ages of 6 and 8 . Maybe 9 or 10.
I refuse to read any of this third eye stuff and I recall not sure I would except it if I did read it so it's not really something I can comment on. But attempting to find out what's have in common with all you people and your children,I can find almost nothing. But one thing. I haven't talked about this openly in 20 some odd years (I'm 34) for two reasons. One, I don't care to be driven crazy by answers I most likely never find. Two, nothing like ever happened again in my life so it must have not have been that important. Also as a bonus reason, I have in fact reasoned that I may have dreamt the entire event. Any how , here's the crazy short version of a crazy story that may or may not have happened. When I 6 maybe 7, myself and I believe two other children were being babysat at my home. Our babysitter was a Jamaican woman who was the primary babysitter of myself and the two other children. We were all very familiar. I was entering my room for whatever reason and was stopped dead in my tracks at the entry. On the carpeted floor, directly below the entry frame of the door,where words scrolling across the floor. Just between the framework. In light on the floor as if a projector was projecting them onto the floor. Now I was sucking terrified and totally confused. I freaked in the doorway. The babysitter and the other two kids came running. I only remember bits and pieces. Mostly the emotional parts. I can remember being stunned at the sight. I can remember looking up at the crown to see what the source was. And I remember freaking out. I don't remember what happened in the seconds before they arrived ed and after I freaked. Not sure if the words vanished when I looked away or if the visual faded as I screamed for help.
I'm glad I found you guys. My little dude is 6 yrs old and he gets this tickle in his forehead all the time. We have also talked quite a bit about it and I even had the doctors put him in the tube for a cat scan when he was 4 because of this. I'm not going to lie it concerns me. He did awesome for the scan, they let me lie on his legs and go in with him. It came back clean, there was nothing at all. Which was a huge relief but this thing still worries me. It's nice to hear that others have it to and you guys have made it to adulthood.
I did find the same stuff about the 3rd eye and I'll let you guys know if he develops any powers but for now nothing. Wait a second, I just remembered something from when he was small. He was playing with a neighbors cat toy, a laser and he was trying to look at the light. I grabbed him right away but what if that wasn't the first time he tried it? Is it possible to give yourself laser eye surgery? His vision is superior though, he's way over twenty twenty so if he did shine it into his eyes it didn't blind him. He also reads extremely well. In kindergarten he can read chapter books. I don't know, I'm just throwing this out there because maybe someone else has had something like that.
He doesn't complain about the tickling when he's reading though. Lately it's before bed that he mentions it. It frustrates him because he's trying to get to sleep. Anything you guys can add is much appreciated.
Thanks
I did find the same stuff about the 3rd eye and I'll let you guys know if he develops any powers but for now nothing. Wait a second, I just remembered something from when he was small. He was playing with a neighbors cat toy, a laser and he was trying to look at the light. I grabbed him right away but what if that wasn't the first time he tried it? Is it possible to give yourself laser eye surgery? His vision is superior though, he's way over twenty twenty so if he did shine it into his eyes it didn't blind him. He also reads extremely well. In kindergarten he can read chapter books. I don't know, I'm just throwing this out there because maybe someone else has had something like that.
He doesn't complain about the tickling when he's reading though. Lately it's before bed that he mentions it. It frustrates him because he's trying to get to sleep. Anything you guys can add is much appreciated.
Thanks
My 7 year old is going through exactly what you just described about your child. Please let me know if your child was able to get past this and any advice would be appreciated because this ticklish feeling in her forehead causes her so much discomfort. Thank you for your time
My bet is that what your daughter is experiencing is this "anticapatory reflex" in overdrive. Just looking at that picture with the pencil close to the forehead; my forehead gets that sensation and I have to look away.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Someone-Perceive-a-Touch-Without-Touching-Them
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Someone-Perceive-a-Touch-Without-Touching-Them
Thank you for posting this. Your daughter is fine. I am in my thirties and have had this my whole life. I can remember feeling it when I was quite young, but somehow never told anyone. It is pretty annoying, no doubt, distracting for sure, and can be quite unpleasant at times, but never painful. You can control it if you concentrate enough or simply think of something else. It is probably just some neurons misfiring. I have found that rubbing my eyes or touching part of the forehead relieves it momentarily. The main thing is to not reinforce it by doing this too much. It's weird for sure, but there are far worse things out there.
Im 20 and i had this my whole life. Its worse when i close my eyes and put an object close to my forehead without touching it. Ive asked everyone i know about this ticklish sensation and it turns out most people have it, some more stronger than others. I dont know what it is, but i do know its quite common. Its nothing to be worried about.
I think as I got older I learnt to be able to control it, although no one is able to touch my forehead. Let me know if anyone has been able to find a diagnosis.
I've had this all my life. I'm 32 now and most irritating thing ever. No Internet back then so unlikely to ever find a diagnosis online
My daughter who will soon turn 10 had described the same sensation in her forehead. The cause is quite different than your daughters. My daughter claims that when she is going down a hill particularly a roller coaster or a hill that I may drive down to get a chuckle out of my children. I have not done anything medically about it, but find it interesting. I am far from being an expert and perhaps a neurologist may be the best answer.
I try to relate it to anxiety, as somehow she has trained her brain and neuro triggers to respond to her body descending, giving her a tickling sensation in her forehead. She is my youngest of three of which I had three kids in three years. We take note how different her sensation is as opposed to everyone else in her family. I am guessing if this is related to anxiety, she may overcome it.
I can recall when she was much younger she would cover her ears if a toilet was lowed when flushed. But she has over came that as the noise may have scared her or actually hurt. I hope to probe further into this tickling sensation, and I will post my results. I am glad you posted about your daughter. I just wish the causes would be more relative to each other, just as the tickling sensation is.
MOM of a tickling forhead
I try to relate it to anxiety, as somehow she has trained her brain and neuro triggers to respond to her body descending, giving her a tickling sensation in her forehead. She is my youngest of three of which I had three kids in three years. We take note how different her sensation is as opposed to everyone else in her family. I am guessing if this is related to anxiety, she may overcome it.
I can recall when she was much younger she would cover her ears if a toilet was lowed when flushed. But she has over came that as the noise may have scared her or actually hurt. I hope to probe further into this tickling sensation, and I will post my results. I am glad you posted about your daughter. I just wish the causes would be more relative to each other, just as the tickling sensation is.
MOM of a tickling forhead
Hi, I would try not to get to worried. I would just get her to the doctors soon and have a general health check. Have her blood work done and make sure she is fine. You can then relax. Good luck
Get her checked out asap it could be something serious but keep me posted I've got your child in my prayers
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