Can Brain Freeze Kill You? Debunking Common Myths
By Dr. Shubham Pandey +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Shubham Pandey
Last updated: Jul 5, 2024Click to rate this article!
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By Dr. Shubham Pandey +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Shubham Pandey
Last updated: Jul 5, 2024Table of Contents
Sometimes when you’re sipping on a cool summer drink or enjoying your favourite ice cream, suddenly, a sharp pain strikes the head. This is called a brain freeze. In this article, we will delve deep into what is brain freeze, its long term effects, myths regarding it, and tips on how to avoid and deal with the unpleasant feeling. Lastly, we will be answering frequently asked questions regarding this topic.
Did you know?
Brain freeze is also called sphenopalatine ganglion neuralgia. In the sections below we will be discussing what causes it, what are the symptoms, and what’s the science behind it.
Brain freeze occurs after eating ice cream or sipping a cold drink because the roof of the mouth, or palate, goes through a fast temperature change. This rapid change triggers a response from the blood vessels and nerves, leading to a brief headache. What happens is the rapid temperature change leads to the constriction and dilation of blood vessels around the palate. This reaction stimulates the nerves that cause the brain freeze. This is a protective process; the brain tries to maintain a stable temperature. It does this by first constricting, then quickly dilating the blood vessels when the cold substance is gone.
A sharp and strong pain in your temples is experienced.
The pain lasts only for a few seconds to minutes which is a typical trait. However, the exact time can depend on things like how quickly you ate the cold substance and your sensitivity level to it.
The trigeminal nerve plays a major part in causing brain freeze. This nerve picks up sensations such as temperature and pain in your face, including from the roof of your mouth.
As you already know, the trigeminal nerve picks up changes in temperature and pain in your face. When you eat or drink something cold and it touches the roof of the mouth, this nerve quickly sends the signal to the brain. The brain then sets in motion a series of reactions that lead to the constriction and dilation of blood vessels. This is what causes the pain you feel during brain freeze.
As mentioned above the brain tries to maintain a stable temperature. So when the temperature of the vessels drops fast, the blood vessels constrict. Now the brain doesn’t want the palate to freeze so as soon as the cold substance is gone, the blood vessel dilates quickly to get back to the normal flow of blood and make the palate warm again. This quick change in size triggers the trigeminal nerve again leading to the discomfort of brain freeze.
Brain freeze is both harmless and brief. Still, it has some connection with migraine headaches. By looking at their shared triggers and similar ways of causing pain, we can understand why some people with migraines are more likely to get brain freeze. We can also learn how to manage both.
Cold foods and drinks, along with cold settings, can trigger both brain freeze and migraines. The truth is, not everyone who gets brain freeze will also get migraines. Yet, studies show that brain freeze is more common among people who have had migraines.
The way that the trigeminal nerve, and the closing and opening of blood vessels, trigger pain is similar in both brain freeze and migraines. This shared way of triggering pain shows a possible link between the two. It could provide more insight as to why those who suffer from migraines are also likely to get brain freeze.
It is seen that people with migraine when they do experience brain freeze, they often report more severe pain on the same side where their migraines occur.
Brain freeze is harmless but feels bad. It’s crucial to tell it apart from other types of headaches that could show serious latent medical issues. In this section, we’ll dismiss some typical myths about brain freeze and explore the short-term effects and how it quickly clears up on its own.
Some people believe things about brain freeze that simply aren’t true which have been addressed below.
Just because it feels bad doesn’t mean brain freeze poses a threat to your life. It’s temporary and goes away on its own in minutes. There’s no evidence showing that brain freeze can lead to long-lasting or life-threatening health problems.
There’s no scientific evidence to suggest any long-term brain damage. Brain freeze is short-lived and happens because of quick changes in blood flow, and it doesn’t harm the brain health in the long run.
A common myth is that brain freeze leads to stroke. There’s no proven link between the two. Sure, they share symptoms like sudden severe pain, but brain freeze has nothing to do with strokes. Nor does it cause any lasting harm to the brain.
There’s no evidence to back up the claim of a connection between brain freeze with medical conditions. Brain freeze is a brief event caused by cold triggers and is not tied to lasting or latent health issues.
Sure, brain freeze isn’t fun. But there are a few simple ways to avoid or handle it. By changing how we eat and drink cold things and using quick remedies when brain freeze hits, we may keep its impact low.
Take small bites and eat your cold food slowly. It reduces the sudden effect of cold substances on the palate and thus lowers the chance of a brain freeze.
Having warm drinks before or after eating or drinking something cold may ward off brain freeze. The heat from the drink can balance out the temperature in your mouth and combat the cold feeling.
Try keeping cold foods and drinks from touching your palate directly when you consume them. That may help reduce the risk of triggering the nerves that cause brain freeze.
If you’ve got brain freeze already, there are several ways to soothe the discomfort. These include:
Press your tongue to your palate to warm it up and reduce the effect of brain freeze. Keep pressing softly till the pain is gone.
Take small sips of warm water. It may help fight the cold feeling in your mouth and ease the pain from brain freeze.
Put your hands over your mouth and nose, then breathe fast. This will raise the flow of warm air in your nose. It may help fight off brain freeze by warming up the blood vessels around your palate.
While brain freeze is usually safe and brief, there might be times when you need to see a healthcare professional. If you notice lasting, severe, or strange symptoms, don’t hesitate to get medical help.
If the brain freeze lasts more than a few minutes, or if it goes hand in hand with other signs like sick feelings, dizziness, or blurry eyesight, get in touch with your healthcare professional. They’ll help figure out if a hidden health problem is behind it or give useful advice to handle your symptoms.
If you have had migraines or are concerned about it or any underlying headaches then make sure to see your healthcare professional. They’ll guide you on the best course of action to manage your symptoms and give advice on ways to avoid issues going forward.
Also Read: Brain Zaps: Uncovering the Science Behind This Disturbing Phenomenon
It may not feel great, but remember brain freeze, or sphenopalatine ganglion neuralgia, is a harmless and short-lived event. It only happens because of quick changes in the temperature of the blood vessels and nerves around your palate. While it might be uncomfortable, it ends fast, meaning it poses no risk to your ongoing health.
By learning about what causes brain freeze, busting common myths, and using ways to avoid it, you may safeguard yourself against this temporary discomfort. Don’t forget to seek help from a healthcare professional if your symptoms last, you’re worried, or you are suspicious of a hidden health problem that might be behind the brain freeze bouts.
A brain freeze is not deadly and is only a temporary discomfort due to exposure to cold things.
There’s no evidence that brain freeze can cause lasting harm to the brain, given its temporary and quick-ending nature.
Though there’s no direct link, there is a shared way of causing pain involving the trigeminal nerve, and blood vessel closing and opening, in both brain freeze and migraines. Studies show people who’ve had migraines before may be more likely to get brain freeze.
If your brain freeze is severe or won’t go away, reach out to your healthcare professional right away. They’ll rule out any hidden health problems or give advice to deal with your symptoms. If your brain freeze is severe or won’t go away, reach out to your healthcare professional right away. They’ll rule out any hidden health problems or give advice to deal with your symptoms.
Brain freeze has no links with strokes or other health problems. This is because it’s caused by brief changes in blood flow and temperature.
To avoid brain freeze, take your time eating cold foods and drinks, sip warm beverages, and keep cold substances away from direct contact with the roof of the mouth.
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