Brain freeze—also known as an “ice‑cream headache” or sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia—occurs when you ingest something extremely cold too quickly. Although it lasts only a few seconds, the sudden, sharp pain can be surprisingly intense.
Medical experts believe the culprit is a rapid change in temperature at the roof of your mouth and the back of your throat. Cold stimuli cause blood vessels in that area to constrict, prompting the brain to dilate arteries in an effort to warm the head. The trigeminal nerve, which relays facial sensations and is involved in migraine attacks, then sends a sharp signal to the brain, producing the characteristic headache.
Prevention is straightforward: keep cold foods and drinks warm and give your palate time to recover. Tips include:
If brain freeze strikes, a rapid, effective remedy is to warm the roof of your mouth. After removing the cold item, press your tongue or thumb against the palate. A warm drink nearby can also help, but a quick thumb or tongue press usually brings relief within seconds.
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