Every summer, millions of people experience the
exact same betrayal.
You're at a party, a beach,
a backyard barbecue.
You take a big bite of ice cream
or a long sip of a frozen drink.
And then your brain tries to kill you.
Why does eating something cold hurt your HEAD?
The cold thing is in your mouth.
Your brain is encased in bone,
insulated by fluid.
How does cold ice cream cause pain in
your skull?
It seems impossible.
The answer lies in your trigeminal nerve,
the largest nerve in your head.
This nerve controls facial sensation and is
directly connected to your palate.
When extreme cold hits, the trigeminal nerve goes
haywire.
Cold triggers your anterior cerebral artery to
rapidly constrict, reducing blood flow.
Your body panics and immediately dilates the
artery.
This constriction-dilation cycle triggers nearby
pain receptors.
Here's the wild part:
your brain gets confused about WHERE the pain
is coming from.
The trigeminal nerve serves both your palate and
your forehead.
So pain signals from your mouth get
misinterpreted as coming from your head.
Press your tongue flat against the roof of
your mouth.
The warmth from your tongue warms the palate,
telling your blood vessels to stabilize.
Pain relief is almost instant.
Prevention is even better.
Eat cold things slowly.
Let them warm slightly in the front of
your mouth before swallowing.
Your blood vessels will thank you.
Brain freeze isn't just a party trick topic.
Researchers use it to study migraines,
vascular headaches, and pain perception.
Your frozen drink mishap is actually contributing
to medical science.
So to recap: Cold hits palate.
Blood vessels freak out.
Trigeminal nerve misfires.
Brain thinks head is in danger.
You feel pain.
Warm tongue fixes it.
Simple!
Next time brain freeze hits,
don't curse your ice cream.
Marvel at the complex neuroscience happening in
real-time inside your head.
Then press your tongue up,
fix it in seconds, and keep eating.
Because science.