What Is It?
Brain freeze is a quick, sharp headache that happens when you eat or drink something very cold too fast. It feels like your brain is freezing, but it actually starts in the roof of your mouth.
Why Does It Happen?
When ice cream hits the roof of your mouth, tiny blood vessels there get cold and shrink quickly. Then they swell up again to warm back up. This rapid swelling sends a signal through a major nerve called the trigeminal nerve. That nerve tells your brain, "Hey, it is cold in here!" Your brain gets confused because your head is not actually freezing. It thinks you have been stabbed and sends out a sharp pain signal.
How to Stop It
You can stop brain freeze by pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth. This warms up the area quickly. Or just drink something warm. The pain usually goes away in about thirty seconds.
Brain freeze is not dangerous at all. It is just your body's way of protecting your head from sudden temperature changes.
Examples
- Eating ice cream too fast causes that sharp pain.
- Drinking an icy smoothie makes your forehead hurt briefly.
- The roof of your mouth gets cold and sends a zap to your brain.
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