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,” the sharp throbbing pain in your forehead or temple is a familiar sensation for most of us.
Scientists aren’t sure exactly why it happens, but they think it might be brought on by sudden changes in the blood flow to your brain.
What Can You Do About It?
The easiest way to prevent an ice cream headache is stay away from anything ice-cold. If that doesn’t sound like fun, you can make them go away faster by letting your palate warm up again. Take a break from the banana split for a minute or two, have a swig of warm water, or press your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
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 -- or they might be worse -- if you tend to get migraines. But brain freeze is generally thought to be harmless, so that triple-scoop cone won’t trigger a migraine or any other type of serious headache.
