Brain Freeze That’s why eating ice cream sometimes gives you a headache

Do you know that, too? You happily scoop up an ice cream cone and then all of a sudden a sharp pain shoots up your forehead, almost as if your brain freezes. In fact, this cold headache is also called brain freeze. But where does the so-called “brain freeze” come from and what can you do about it?

Hence the headache after the ice cream

According to a Canadian study, every third person tends to get these unpleasant headaches when eating ice cream or drinking ice-cold drinks. Basically, this reaction to cold in the mouth is a natural protective mechanism of the body. The colder the ice or the drink, the more violently the body reacts.

What is brain freeze anyway?

When you eat something frozen, the blood vessels in the throat and palate constrict to prevent a drop in body temperature. At the same time, blood rushes to the brain to compensate for the cold.

The rapid flow of blood increases the pressure in the blood vessels. This leads to the sudden stabbing pain in the forehead region. It almost feels like your brain is freezing. But don’t worry: the cold headache is unpleasant, but not dangerous.

You can do this for cold headaches

The stabbing headache comes from touching the roof of your mouth with something very cold. If you want to avoid the annoying brain freeze, only take cold food and drinks slowly and in small amounts.

It also helps if you turn the spoon when eating ice cream so that it is between the palate and the ice cream. Wait until the ice cream has melted on your tongue before swallowing.

If the pain has already set in, it helps if you put your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Or you slowly drink a glass of lukewarm water afterwards. With these methods, the stabbing pain will subside more quickly. If you tend to get cold headaches, you should avoid ice cubes in your drink altogether.

By the way: You can save yourself a headache pill if you have a brain freeze. By the time the painkiller takes effect, the headache will almost certainly be gone and the ice melted. Cold headaches usually only last a few seconds.