Good to know - Why Cold Food and Beverages Give Us Brain Frost
On sunny days, a cold ice cream can be a real treat. However, the mood can quickly be spoiled when a sudden, sharp pain shoots through the head. Almost everyone has likely experienced this phenomenon, known as "(Ge)hirnfrost", "Brain Freeze", "Ice Cream Headache", or simply cold headache pain. But how does such a headache occur?
The everyday phenomenon, scientifically known as Sphenopalatine Ganglioneuralgia, has also been studied by researchers. Canadian scientists estimate that around one-third of people may experience cold headaches. In 2002, they conducted an experiment with 145 students from the Dalewood Middle School in Hamilton.
One-third of people experience "brain freeze"
The children were allowed to eat ice cream six times. One group had to eat 100 milliliters of ice cream in under five seconds, while the second group could take their time to consume the same amount. The result: nearly 30% of the fast eaters experienced cold headaches. However, the "brain freeze" disappeared in less than ten seconds for half of the children. In contrast, the "ice cream headache" occurred much less frequently in the students who ate the ice cream more slowly - only 17% complained about it. The cause of the "brain freeze" was not investigated in this experiment.
The reason why headaches occur from cold foods or drinks we consume is still not clear. In a small study, scientists from the USA and Ireland found that sudden headaches seem to be triggered by a sudden increase in blood flow in the anterior cerebral artery, as stated in a press release. Once the artery has contracted again, the pain subsided in the participants. For the study, 13 healthy adults were given ice water to drink while their brain blood flow was monitored. They later drank room-temperature water as a control.
The researchers suspect a kind of self-defense reflex behind the reaction. "The brain is one of the most important organs in the body and it is very temperature-sensitive," says neurologist Jorge Serrador of Harvard Medical School, who led the study. "By dilating the blood vessels, warm blood flows into the tissue. This ensures that the brain does not get too cold." The sudden blood influx could increase pressure and thus cause pain, explains the researcher. With the study, the scientists wanted to find out how migraine attacks are triggered in the brain or what happens in other types of headaches. Previous studies show that migraine sufferers are more likely to experience "brain freeze". Both headaches can occur in the forehead and lead to throbbing pain.
Cold headaches are easily preventable
Unlike Migraines, Ice Cream Headaches Are Harmless
Ice cream headaches, also known as "brain freeze," are not severe and usually disappear within a few seconds or at most, a few minutes. Wojtek Mydlarz, assistant professor of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, explains: "The temperature of the palate drops significantly when we consume large amounts of very cold food or drinks. It triggers a survival reflex, and the body tries to maintain its core temperature." Mydlarz believes ice cream headaches are an example of "referred pain." Tiny muscles around the blood vessels in the palate tense and relax, but the sensation is felt higher up in the head.
To avoid the sharp pain, it's best to eat ice cream slowly. Taking smaller bites or sips of cold items and warming them in the mouth before swallowing can also help. If you do get a brain freeze, try to raise the temperature in your mouth and palate. This could be done by stopping the consumption of ice cream or drinking room-temperature water. Another way to warm the palate is to press the tongue or thumb against it.
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The study conducted by Canadian scientists revealed that one-third of people are susceptible to experiencing cold headaches, often referred to as "brain freeze." In contrast, fewer instances of cold headaches were reported among those who consumed ice cream at a slower pace.
Despite the common belief, ice cream headaches, or "brain freeze," are harmless and not as severe as migraines. They typically dissipate within a few seconds to a few minutes, usually caused by a survival reflex triggered by the significant drop in temperature in the palate when consuming large amounts of cold food or drinks.
