Why Do We Get Brain Freeze?

You're enjoying a delicious ice cream cone on a hot summer day. Suddenly, you take a big bite and whoosh! A sharp, icy pain shoots through your forehead. You've just experienced brain freeze!

Brain freeze has a fancy scientific name: sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia. But don't worry, it's not as scary as it sounds. It happens when something very cold touches the roof of your mouth really quickly.

Here's what your body does next. The cold makes the tiny blood vessels in the roof of your mouth squeeze tight, then quickly expand again. This sudden change sends a pain signal through a nerve that goes right to your forehead. Your brain thinks your whole head is freezing, even though it's just your mouth!

The good news is that brain freeze only lasts about 30 seconds to a minute. Your body is actually trying to protect your brain by warning you to slow down. To make it go away faster, try pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth to warm it up.

Next time you're eating something frozen, remember to take smaller bites and let them melt a little. Your taste buds will thank you, and your forehead will too!