Why do you get a headache when you let cold water stream over your head for a few minutes?

Answer 1

what a tough treatment! ;-)

anyway, because they're so important, our brains have an in-built defense mechanism against cold. So if some suitably located sensors worry that the brain is going to get too cold, these sensors trigger a reaction.

on the outside of the head these are the usual temperature sensors in the skin, on the inside you've gone one just above the top of the mouth.

anyway, so there you go, you pour cold water and your detectors panic. They request increased blood flow to the brain, in an attempt to save it. In some people (in all people, if you overdo it enough with the cold), this blood flow, which is meant to save your life, can be so intense that it will cause pain, potentially quite heavy.


what to do about it? Well, you cannot tell your automated defense mechanisms to just not panic because the cold water is only temporary. But you could try slightly less cold water ;-)

hope this helps

Answer 2

this kind of encounter is called as neuralgia.

Neuralgia is a painful disorder of the cranial nerves. Simple stimuli such as eating, talking, washing the face, or any light touch or sensation can trigger an attack (even the sensation of a gentle breeze). The attacks can occur in clusters or as an isolated attack. Some patients will have a muscle spasm which led to the original term for TN of "tic douloureux". It is a form of chronic pain and can be extremely difficult to diagnose. Patients usually show no physical abnormalities, and with the attacks generally lasting a very short time, it can be difficult to reach a doctor before the attack is over. It sometimes occur because of a cold substance comes into contact.

Answer 3

Its called neuralgia and is the same type of headache you sometimes get if you eat ice cream too quickly.

The cause is a dilation of blood vessels in the head. The dilation may be caused by a nerve center located above the roof of your mouth -- when this nerve center gets cold, it seems to over-react and tries to heat your brain causing the pain

Answer 4

The best way to prevent this is NOT to let cold water stream over your head.

Answer 5

I had that the other day when I woke up in the bath after a night out. The shower was drip drip dripping on my head. The headache is called a hangover

Answer 6

cold water decreases the amount of blood circulation in head that's why you got headache.

Answer 7

Creamed Corn is the National Food of Iowa.

Answer 8

It is gods way of punishing people stupid enough to do that.

Answer 9

vasodilation of the vessels