Brain Freeze: Eating or drinking very quickly cold foods such as ice cream will quickly reduce the temperature of the back of the throat and the roof of the mouth.
Have you ever felt that your brain is freezing and you have a severe headache while eating a delicious ice cream? What is really happening?
“Brain freeze” is a short and intense pain behind the forehead and temples that usually occurs after eating cold foods quickly. If you experience this, don’t worry, because your brain isn’t really frozen. In fact, what you feel has happened in your skull and is related to what is happening in your mouth.
Brain freeze is not as common as you might think, and many studies report that only half of participants experience it. Researchers have not yet found a reason for it.
Brain Freeze
What Causes Brain Freeze?
We know a lot about what causes brain freeze, and there’s a lot we still don’t know.
Just under the skin of the face, there is a network of blood vessels that supply blood to the face and brain. Blood contains many nutrients and oxygen that are essential for brain function. In this network of vessels, there are very small nerve fibers that are connected to each other and are connected to the brain through the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve is one of the largest sensory nerves in the human body and is responsible for various feelings and sensitivities in the face, including pain, touch and temperature.
According to Conversation, scientists believe that the blood vessels in the throat and mouth as well as the trigeminal nerve play a major role in what we call brain freeze, but they do not agree on which of these factors is more important in causing pain.
Most of them believe that eating or drinking cold foods like ice cream quickly reduces the temperature of the back of the throat and the roof of the mouth. Many agree that this causes the small blood vessels in these areas to contract, resulting in less blood flow. What reduces the delivery of necessary oxygen to the brain through the blood? But what happens next is a bit unclear.
Brain Freeze
Feeling Pain In The Brain Means Don’t Continue!
Some scientists say that the trigeminal nerve reacts to these events in the throat and mouth by sending pain messages to the front of the brain. Whether this nerve specifically responds to cold or to a sudden decrease in blood and oxygen supply to the brain, or both, is not yet clear.
Some other scientists believe that at first the vessels of the throat and mouth suddenly contract and narrow, which reduces the flow of blood and oxygen, but after a few moments, they expand and expand again, and blood and oxygen flow to these areas at once, which provide Brain oxygen helps, but it can also temporarily cause pressure and headaches.
Brain Freeze
Is Brain Freezing Dangerous?
Brain freeze may seem bad at first, but the pain is good for you because it forces you to avoid a tasty but cold treat, thus protecting you from reduced blood and oxygen supply to the brain.
If you’re worried about brain freeze, try slowing down your eating. Of course, this is not very convenient while eating delicious ice cream on a hot summer day, but at least you can enjoy it for a longer time.
Also Read:
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Best Herbs For Brain Health: 7 Best Herbs For Memory And Brain Health
