Why Does Ice Cream Cause Brain Freeze? The Science Explained

Brain freeze can feel so intense, but in reality it’s harmless and disappears on its own within seconds or minutes. It’s also known as an ice cream headache. Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is a scientific name for it.

Why does something cold in your mouth suddenly cause pain in your head? What is the answer in the way your body reacts to a sudden and extreme drop in temperature?

What causes brain freeze?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, brain freeze happens when you eat or drink something extremely cold. The sudden cold temperature affects the roof of your mouth and the back of your throat.

When these areas are cold very quickly, your body reacts to the sudden temperature change. The blood vessels in the roof of the mouth can quickly narrow, according to Harvard Health. That can then lead to changes in blood vessels and arteries that cause sudden headache-like pain in brain freeze.

The exact cause and effect of brain freeze is not clear yet, but the researchers consider the fast changes in the blood vessels could activate the trigeminal nerve, the nerve that sends sensory information from the face and head to the brain.

This sudden reaction is believed to give rise to the sharp pain humans feel upon tasting something very cold too quickly on the forehead or head.

Why does brain freeze hurt so much?

Brain freeze may be short-lived, but the pain can be quite strong. This is because the trigeminal nerve is connected with sensations in the face and head.

When the sudden cold causes a reaction around the roof of the mouth, the brain can interpret the sensation as pain coming from the head. That is why eating something cold can suddenly make your forehead or head hurt.

The pain usually starts just after the cold food or drink is consumed and goes away quickly once the affected area starts warming up again.

How long does brain freeze last?

One of the advantages of brain freeze is that it doesn’t usually last nearly as long. In many cases, it is gone in about 30 seconds.

Some people’s brain freeze may last a little longer if they continue eating or drinking something very cold quickly. But brain freeze generally goes away on its own once the temperature in the mouth starts returning to normal.

How can I get rid of brain freeze immediately?

If you get brain freeze and you’re eating your favourite ice cream while you’re in your favourite moment in your favourite place for ice cream, there are a few simple things you can do to get relief faster.

1. Press your tongue on the roof of your mouth.

One common method is to press your tongue firmly against the roof of your mouth. The warmth of your tongue may help warm the area that was suddenly exposed to the cold temperature.

You can hold your tongue there for a few seconds until the pain starts easing.

2. Stop eating the cold food.

Take a short break from your ice cream, popsicle or frozen drink. To warm up your mouth faster, brain freeze disappears.

When the pain comes out of your mouth you can get back to eating but take smaller and slower bites.

3. Slowly eat ice cream.

The best way to avoid brain freeze is to avoid eating extremely cold food too quickly.

Small bites and allowing the food to warm slightly in your mouth may help to minimize the sudden temperature change that may trigger the painful sensation.

4. Sip a warm drink.

Keeping a warm drink nearby and taking a small sip might also help warm your mouth. This could provide relief by helping the affected area return to a more normal temperature.

Can you prevent brain freeze?

Brain freeze is not always completely avoidable, especially if you love ice cream and other frozen treats. But slowing down can make a big difference.Instead of gulping down frozen drinks or eating very big bites of ice cream, eat and drink slowly and give your mouth time to adjust to the cold temperature.

The faster your mouth is exposed to an extreme cold temperature, the more likely you may be to experience that sudden ice cream headache.Brain freeze is a common, temporary headache that can happen after eating or drinking something very cold too quickly. Ice cream, popsicles, ice cubes and slushy drinks can all trigger it.

The sudden drop in temperature around the roof of the mouth and back of the throat causes a rapid reaction involving blood vessels and possibly the trigeminal nerve, resulting in a sharp pain in the head.

Although the exact mechanism is at this stage still unknown, brain freeze is usually harmless and goes away in a matter of seconds. Eating cold food more slowly, warming the roof of your mouth with your tongue and taking a short break can help ease the pain.

And so the next time a delicious scoop of ice cream gives you a sudden headache, you will know exactly why it happens—and why slowing down may save you from the dreaded brain freeze.