This starts a cascade of reactions involved in brain freeze. The body expands the blood vessels in the mouth, pushing blood to the area in order to heat it up.
The quick change in blood vessel size and blood flow here is what causes pain. Other vessels in the surrounding area may also grow or shrink, including in areas like the forehead and behind the eyes, in the area between the skull and the brain called the meninges.
All these areas transmit pain signals to the brain through the trigeminal nerve , a nerve responsible for many operations in the face and head. So, when your brain receives these signals, you perceive pain not just at the source of the problem, but also in the front of the head as well. Why we get brain freeze is a bit of a mystery.
And brain freeze even exists in the animal kingdom such as cats , likely serving the same function — slowing down the consumption of cold foods. The main differences are in the symptoms. Take, for example, migraines, which are the most common type of headaches.
Migraines are typically associated with pain on one side of the head or the other, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, and sometimes blurry vision. But the pathway is similar. You want to bring the temperature of your mouth back up to normal, so the blood vessels can shrink back to their neutral state.
One proven way to do so is to press your tongue against the top of your mouth, where its heat will transfer into the tissue. Similarly, you can drink room-temperature water, which serves the same function. The pain of brain freeze headaches is more intense and sharp than that of a migraine. Both headaches can occur in the forehead and result in throbbing pain.
If you get nailed by brain freeze, act fast. If possible, remove the cold food or drink from your mouth, and press your tongue or your thumb against the roof of your mouth. Drinking warm water can help, too. Mydlarz whose favorite ice cream flavors include coffee and chocolate-cherry recommends taking smaller bites or sips of cold food and drink, and warming them up in your mouth before swallowing. Grabbing an aspirin or acetaminophen may not be worth it.
In the majority of people, brain freeze headaches are so short lived that by the time pain medications kick in, the headache will be over. The proximity of very sensitive nerves and the extreme stimuli changes are what cause the nerves to react.
Jorge Serrador, a cardiovascular electronics researcher, highlighted research in The FASEB Journal April Issue , which explained that, until now, scientists have not been able to fully understand what causes brain freeze. As soon as the artery constricted, the brain-freeze pain sensation wore off. A preventative cure is reducing the cold stimuli on the palate, which means avoiding large amounts of cold food or drink at once.
Serrador explains that we already know that migraine sufferers are more likely to suffer brain freeze after consuming very cold food or drink, compared with people who never have migraines. He suggests that some of what occurs during brain freeze may be similar to what causes migraines, and possibly other kinds of headaches, including those caused by traumatic brain injuries.
Serrador and team believe that local changes in brain blood flow may be causing other types of headaches. If this can be confirmed in further studies, new medications that prevent or reverse vasodilation widening of the blood vessels may help treat headaches. If dilated arteries cause a sudden rush of blood to the brain, which raises pressure and causes pain, a drug that constricts the blood vessel should reduce pressure and eliminate the pain.
Also, constricting the blood vessels that supply the brain could help prevent pressure building up dangerously high. Experts classify headaches by the type, location, and frequency of pain, as well as by the various causes.
Learn more and find a helpful chart here.
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