Ask a doctor on the topic of General medicine

Hot head

March 4, 2016 | 15,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Ralf Berg

Hello,
What does it mean when, for example, you suddenly get a "hot" head at work or during a conversation, etc.? Or when an ear (in this case the left one) suddenly feels hot? What could be the causes of this? And what can be done about it?
Thank you in advance.

Dr. med. Ralf Berg

Good evening,
From the way you describe the situation, it is most likely a vegetative reflex. The autonomic (independent of our will) nervous system reacts to emotions such as fear, tension with changes in skin blood flow. These reflexes are still very pronounced in childhood and adolescence. (One gets a red face when lying, cold sweat when scared, etc.) Throughout life, we unconsciously learn to suppress these reflexes (so we can lie without blushing), but with very fine measuring methods (lie detector), reactions can often still be detected.
I strongly suspect that depending on the content of the conversation (such as anxiety, embarrassment, excitement) or the level of effort/concentration at work, this may resurface for you. Especially in the case of the ear being only partially involved.

In conclusion: you don't have to worry. However, you can wonder what could have triggered it and try to avoid this state, or actively relax (e.g. yawning, moving around (jumping, etc.)). Autogenic training or behavior training can also help to train these reflexes.

With best regards and have a great weekend, Dr. R. C. Berg

PS: Hot flashes all over the body, which you do not describe, can sometimes indicate an overactive thyroid gland, or occur as part of hormonal fluctuations in women (menopause, pregnancy).