2006-10-17 03:12:51 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
You call it brain freeze, ice cream headache, freezie, or Frozen Brain Syndrome which describe a form of cranial pain or headache which people are known to sometimes experience after consuming cold beverages or foods such as ice cream, often as a result of rapid consumption.
When a very cold substance like ice cream comes into contact with the roof of the mouth, the nerves in the region are activated causing the blood vessels in the brain to dilate. When vessels in the brain dilate, a common effect is an acute headache.
It has been reported that the pain can be relieved by: moving the tongue to the roof of the mouth to cause greater warmth, slowly sipping room temperature water, and laying the head to the side.♥
2006-10-17 03:45:59 · answer #1 · answered by ♥ lani s 7 · 10⤊ 0⤋
Dazy M did you even read the question before you answered?
I really think you missed the entire point of the question, which was about "Brain Freeze" or "Slurpee Headache" or any other number of names that people use.
As far as I have read there are many different reasons for this sudden shooting pain caused by cold food and drinks.
I have never seen any report that conclusively describes what causes it.
some say the cold causes a reaction where the blood vessels swell to warm the area, and thus cause a pain.
some say the cold sets off a nerve reaction in the palantine ganglion which causes the shooting pain
still others say the pain is caused by the sudden decrease in
temperature in the base of the nasal cavity.
Basically there has not been much study about it, as it is mostly an annoying problem with no lasting effects.
some facts about it,
-you can only get it in warm temperatures, and not in the winter!.
there are at least 2 different types of pain that you can get from it (and thus there could be different reasons for the cause of the pain)
-Ipsilateral temporal and orbital pain
-Bilateral pain
-the pain usually only lasts 10- 20 seconds
-it feels really really good when the pain goes away!
I find that breathing out through my nose tends to make the pain go away a bit quicker, some others say to rub the top of your mouth. Either way I think you are just warming the area up a bit quicker.
2006-10-17 13:59:44 · answer #2 · answered by zaphods_left_head 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
The pain occurs when your hard palate (the hard bit on the top of your mouth) gets too cold, and then you get that horrid shooting pain up into your head. I'm no scientist, so don't know why it happens exactly... but I do have a cure!...
Suck your thumb.. and rub it on the top of your mouth - will get rid of the pain in seconds.
Hope it helps!
2006-10-17 10:24:13 · answer #3 · answered by Baxter 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Headache is a pain in the head, scalp or neck. Headaches can be
caused by minor problems like eyestrain, lack of coffee or more
serious reasons like head injury, brain tumors, encephalitis and
meningitis. Taking painkillers continuously can have harmful side
effects, so it is better to modify your lifestyle. More information
available at http://tinyurl.com/q8696
2006-10-17 13:11:33 · answer #4 · answered by DAZY M 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋
BEING SOOOOO GREEDY AND RAMMING IN IT
2006-10-17 10:55:32 · answer #5 · answered by carrie j 1 · 2⤊ 4⤋
dont know
2006-10-17 10:25:03 · answer #6 · answered by zanzabarr 2 · 1⤊ 6⤋