Do you know how to stop a brain freeze in its tracks?
If you’ve ever eaten something cold, let’s say an ice cream, your body will react to the sudden change in temperature. With ice cream headaches or brain freeze, blood vessels throughout your head will expand quickly to let extra blood in to bring the temperature back to normal.
Now, this sudden change causes pain, making it feel like your brain is freezing. If you want to stop this sensation, all you need to do is push your tongue up to the roof of your mouth. Wait until your palette warms up, and your brain freeze will subside.
Of course, ice cream headaches don’t require medical attention. But, if you’re concerned about whether you’re dealing with brain freeze or a headache that needs to be looked at, read on.
Spheno- What?
The medical term for brain freeze (sometimes spelled brain freeze) is sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia. It rarely requires treatment.
Here’s a fun fact: You can get brain freeze not only from eating or drinking something cold or frozen. Breathing in freezing air can also give you a brain freeze.
As for brain freeze symptoms, the most recognizable is a sharp and sudden pain that could go on for over a minute. One way to distinguish headache symptoms from a brain freeze is when the cause isn’t cold-induced. You may want to get a second opinion if your headache symptoms feel like an ice cream headache when you haven’t consumed or breathed in something cold.
The Link Between Brain Freeze and Migraines
One theory proposes that migraine sufferers are also more prone to experiencing sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia.
Beyond genetics and environmental factors, the causes of migraines aren’t fully understood. Common triggers include hormonal changes, excess caffeine, stress, sleep changes, and certain medications.
Interestingly, blood flow changes are one factor that could bring on a migraine attack. That sounds similar to how a brain freeze episode proceeds, right? Researchers are also studying cold-induced headaches to understand migraines better.
Still Asking, “Do I Have Brain Freeze?”
If you often experience brain freeze symptoms even without consuming anything cold, it would be best to see a doctor.
Especially if you also get persistent facial pain, you’ll want to see a specialist right away. That’s because you want to rule out a brain injury if you’ve also been involved in an accident.
Don’t forget that some brain injuries require emergency treatment. Even if yours turns out to be mild, you should still see a doctor to avoid long-term complications.
It Came, You Thawed and Conquered It!
There’s something genuinely satisfying about thawing a brain freeze!
Now that you know more about differentiating it from a headache, don’t forget to see a doctor if you have concerns about your symptoms.
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