If your favorite frozen dessert is ice cream, then in all likelihood, you’ve experienced sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia before. If you’re like me, then you probably don’t know how to pronounce it and don’t know what it means. But that’s okay, most people don’t either. Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, or brain freeze, is a short-term headache you feel after consuming cold beverages or foods very quickly. Brain freeze typically lasts 30 to 60 seconds and begins when something cold touches your upper palate or roof of your mouth.
However, the exact science behind brain freeze is still up for debate. There are two theories worth noting; one focuses on the blood flow of an artery, and the second focuses on the cooling of sinus capillaries. For the first theory, Dr. Jorge Serrador, a cardiovascular electronics researcher, conducted an experiment in 2012 that measured brain blood flow of subjects who drank ice-cold water. Dr. Serrador suggested that brain freeze is caused by a sudden increase in blood flow through the brain’s anterior cerebral artery. This causes the artery to expand and results in pain behind the forehead. But when the artery constricts, the effects of brain freeze are relieved.
The second scientific theory into the cause of brain freeze is the rapid cooling and rewarming of the sinus capillaries. The cold food that touches the upper palate causes the capillaries to constrict and then quickly expand as the body warms up. This results in the headache-type pain associated with brain freeze.
Image Source: Glenn Asakawa
Understanding brain freeze is key to understanding other types of headaches. Dr. Serrador points out that people who suffer from migraines are more likely to experience brain freeze. The reason for this is that changes in brain blood blow that occur for brain freeze are similar to what occurs during migraines and other headaches.
Oftentimes, a good way to treat brain freeze and constrict the anterior cerebral artery is to drink warm water. Other ways include pressing the tongue against the upper palate, tilting your head back, or breathing out through the nose. One method to prevent brain freeze is to avoid contact with cold foods along the roof of your mouth. The key is to let the cold food warm on your tongue first before touching your upper mouth. You can also consume them slowly to avoid the sudden changes temperature.
Brain freeze is a common occurrence for everybody, so don’t let a short-term headache prevent you from eating your favorite frozen dessert!
Feature Image Source: Brain Freeze by Jayel Aheram
