What Is a Brain Freeze?
On a hot day, nothing hits the spot like a slushy frozen drink or an ice cream cone. But if you gulp down that frosty treat too quickly, you could be hit with the dreaded “brain freeze.”
Also known as an ice cream headache, a cold stimulus headache, or by the medical term “sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia,” this sharp pain in your forehead or temples is a familiar sensation for most of us.
Frosty treats aren't the only things that cause it. You could also get brain freeze from breathing in very cold air or jumping into cold water.
What Causes Brain Freeze?
Scientists aren’t sure exactly why it happens, but they think it might be brought on by sudden changes in blood flow.
When an icy food or drink hits the roof of your mouth and back of your throat, the temperature in that area drops suddenly. In a survival response, your body reacts by quickly increasing blood flow to your head to try to warm it up. As part of this process, blood vessels in your head expand.
Experts believe your brain experiences these sudden changes in your blood vessels as pain.
Brain Freeze Symptoms
Brain freeze causes sudden, sharp pain in the front of your head. The pain can be more intense than that of a migraine headache. Some people describe it as throbbing or stabbing. You might feel it in your forehead, both temples, behind your eyes, or in the back of your nose.
It goes away on its own in less than 5 minutes.
How to Stop Brain Freezes
The best way to stop brain freeze is to warm up your mouth. Here are some ways to do that:
Stop eating.Take a break from your cold drink or banana split for a minute or two to let your mouth and throat return to their normal temperature.
Eat or drink slowly. This gives your body time to adjust to the temperature of a cold food or beverage. Take a break between each bite of ice cream. Try sipping very cold drinks through a straw. One reason children are more prone to brain freeze than adults may be that they haven't yet learned to take their time when enjoying a cold treat.
Sip a warm drink. A swig of lukewarm water or other beverage will warm your mouth and throat. Avoid anything too hot, since you don't want further temperature swings.
Warm the roof of your mouth. Hold your tongueor your thumb against the roof of your mouth to warm up your palate.
Breathe warmair. Cup your hands over your mouth and nose, then inhale the warmer air that collects in your hands.
You might be tempted to take an over-the-counter pain reliever like aspirin or acetaminophen to stop the headache. But by the time this medication starts working, the brain freeze will have worn off.
Brain Freeze and Migraine
While ice cream headaches can hit anyone who enjoys an icy-cold treat, you might be more likely to have them if you tend to get migraine attacks.
One older study found that 55% of teenagers who'd had migraine attacks in the past got brain freeze. But among those without a history of migraine, only 37% got brain freeze. Other research found that women with migraine were twice as likely to get a brain freeze headache after drinking ice water than those who'd never had migraine.
As with brain freeze, changes in blood vessels and blood flow are thought to contribute to the pain of migraine headaches. But cold foods and drinks aren't generally thought to trigger migraine attacks.
Brain Freeze and Atrial Fibrillation
Some people who have atrial fibrillation or AFib (a fast, irregular heartbeat) report that drinking or eating something cold can trigger an episode. While there's been little research into this, a couple of case studies have described such incidents.
Experts think AFib might be triggered when the cold substance passes through the esophagus, the tube in your throat that connects your mouth and stomach. That's because your esophagus runs very close to your heart.
If you feel your heart flutter or beat quickly after you drink or eat something cold, tell your doctor.
Takeaways
Brain freeze, or ice cream headache, is sudden head pain you can get when you eat or drink something cold, get into cold water, or drink very cold air. It's not serious and goes away on its own in less than 5 minutes. If you suddenly get a bad headache that doesn't go away quickly, seek medical help.
Brain Freeze FAQs
Can brain freeze kill you?
Brain freeze isn't life-threatening, and doesn't seem to cause any lasting harm. In fact, it stems from your body's efforts to protect you by keeping your head in a healthy temperature range.
If you get a sudden headache without being exposed to something cold -- especially if it doesn't go away within a few minutes -- seek medical attention.
What causes an ice cream headache?
Experts aren't sure, but they think it's caused by changes in blood flow to your head. When your mouth and throat suddenly get cold, your body sends blood to your head to try to warm it up, causing blood vessels there to widen. Your brain interprets these blood vessel changes as pain.
How can you prevent an ice cream headache?
To prevent brain freeze, avoid sudden temperature swings in your throat and mouth:
- Don't dive or jump into cold water.
- Consume cold foods and drinks very slowly.
- Wear a face mask or scarf if you're out in the cold air.
How can you relieve an ice cream headache once it starts?
The best way to stop an ice cream headache in its tracks is to warm up your mouth and throat. Some ways to do this include:
- Stop eating or drinking whatever caused the item.
- Drink a room-temperature beverage.
- Press your tongue or thumb against the roof of your mouth and hold it there.
