How does brain freeze happen?

We all know that feeling we get after gulping down a milkshake too quickly — a quick, yet sharp and excruciating headache that lasts for seconds. Official name sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia. We figure that may be hard to pronounce, so let’s just call it brain freeze.

Behind the stimulus

A brain freeze is a cold-stimulus headache when something cold touches your mouth at a faster rate than it should, be it ice cream, slushies (drinks made of crushed ice), or just cold air.

Our body is filled with a lot of blood vessels. So, when there is extreme cold in the throat or the mouth, blood vessels in the head rapidly constrict and expand to let in extra blood for warmth. That immediate constriction and expansion can trigger pain receptors. The trigeminal nerve (a nerve which carries facial sensations) sends the pain signal to the brain. The brain misinterprets the pain as coming from the forehead.

The trigeminal nerve is one of the largest pathways in the head. These paid changes create an alarm, which is essentially the pain. It is short-lived because temperature equalises quickly.

Ice cream also contributes to brain freeze.
| Photo Credit:
ASHOK R/The Hindu

Who gets it?

This is mostly common in children, who have not yet learned to slow down in eating (not all children). It is also frequent in people who are prone to migraines.

Brain freeze often manifests as headaches.
| Photo Credit:
Freepik

To stop it all

So, how can you stop a brain freeze? While a brain freeze will slow down on its own, there are some measures you can take to immediately regulate body temperature.

• Stop eating or drinking the cold item, or quickly step away from the cold

• Drink something that is room temperature (not too hot or not too cold)

• Press your tongue or thumb against the roof of your mouth to transfer warmth

But of course, prevention is better than cure, so here’s how you can prevent a brain freeze altogether.

• Slowly eat your cold and frozen treats

• Use a barrier against the cold, like a scarf or a face mask.

Slushies, a frozen shaved ice treat.
| Photo Credit:
Vera Lair/Freepik

A brain freeze can be painful, but it shows just how delicately our bodies are wired. A spoonful of ice cream can set off a fascinating, and nerve-wracking chain reaction. In the end, brain freeze reminds us that even the smallest everyday experiences — a popsicle on a hot day — are backed by extraordinary biology. In the end, brain freeze reminds us that even the smallest everyday experiences — a popsicle on a hot day — are backed by extraordinary biology.