Have you ever been enjoying a delicious ice cream or a super cold drink when suddenly, your head starts to hurt? That’s called a brain freeze, or an ice cream headache! It’s something many people experience, and it usually goes away quickly. Let’s find out why it happens and what you can do about it.
When you eat something cold like ice cream, the inside of your mouth and throat gets cold really fast. Normally, the inside of our bodies is warm, which is important because our bodies need to stay at a certain temperature to work properly. That’s why we sweat when we’re hot and shiver when we’re cold.
Inside your body, blood flows through tiny tubes called blood vessels. This blood is warm, just like the rest of your body. But when you eat or drink something cold, the blood vessels in your mouth and throat get cold, too.
Scientists think that two things happen when you get a brain freeze:
This might sound strange, but there’s a good reason for it. Your body tries to keep more blood in the middle, or core, to keep important parts like your heart and brain warm. It’s like when you put a jar of water in the freezer. The water near the outside freezes first, while the inside stays warmer longer.
When you eat something cold, the blood vessels in your mouth squeeze tight to keep the blood warmer. In your throat, the blood vessels send more blood to your brain to keep it warm. This quick change can hurt, which is why you get a brain freeze.
If you get a brain freeze and want it to stop faster, try pressing your tongue against the top of your mouth. This can help warm up the blood vessels and make the headache go away. But remember, if your head hurts, it’s always a good idea to tell a grown-up.
Now that you know why brain freeze happens, you can enjoy your ice cream a little more slowly and avoid that sudden headache. Thanks for learning with us, and remember to keep having fun and exploring new things!
