Why Ice Cream Can Give You Brain Freeze

Key vocabulary

• unpleasant adjective — Not enjoyable or comfortable.
• discomfort noun — A feeling of slight pain or difficulty.
• vessels noun — Tubes that carry blood through the body.
• relief noun — The feeling when pain or worry becomes less.
• prevent verb — Stop something from happening.

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A delicious ice cream can sometimes cause an unpleasant surprise: a sudden sharp headache. This common feeling is called brain freeze, or an ice cream headache. [1]

It often begins when cold food touches the roof of the mouth. It may also touch the throat. The pain is often felt in the forehead instead.

The discomfort normally lasts only a short time. Despite its dramatic name, brain freeze does not mean the brain itself becomes frozen. [2]

Scientists are still studying the exact cause. One explanation involves nerves and blood vessels reacting to sudden temperature changes.

People often find relief by stopping the cold food or drink. Warming the roof of the mouth with the tongue may also help. [3]

Brain freeze is a useful reminder that the body can react surprisingly quickly. Eating ice cream a little more slowly may prevent the problem.

Discussion questions

1. Have you ever felt brain freeze while eating or drinking?
2. Why do people sometimes eat cold food too quickly?
3. Which simple health tips have worked for you?
4. How would you explain brain freeze to a child?
5. What other small body reactions do you find surprising?

Sources

1. Johns Hopkins Medicine, Ice Cream Headache
2. Cleveland Clinic, Brain Freeze
3. Harvard Health, What happens during a brain freeze

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