What exactly causes you to get a "brain freeze" after indulging in ice cream, slushes, etc.,?

Question

Also, what is the quickest way to get rid of it?

Answer 1

Brain freeze, sometimes known as ice cream headache, but also cold headache, shakeache, frigid face, freezie, Frozen Brain Syndrome, cold-stimulus headache, or its given scientific name sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, is a form of brief cranial pain or headache commonly associated with consumption (particularly quick consumption) of cold beverages or foods such as ice cream, slurpees, or margaritas.  It's interesting to note that not everyone suffers from this - I am one of the unlucky one's like you and there is no way of getting rid of it quickly, the pain should dissipate pretty quickly.

Answer 2

Brain freeze, sometimes known as ice cream headache, but also cold headache, shakeache, frigid face, freezie, Frozen Brain Syndrome, cold-stimulus headache, or its given scientific name sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, is a form of brief cranial pain or headache commonly associated with consumption (particularly quick consumption) of cold beverages or foods such as ice cream, slurpees, or margaritas.

The effect occurs when something very cold, like ice cream, touches the top palate in the mouth. The blood vessels constrict due to the cold. As the palate warms, the blood vessels suddenly enlarge and the blood rushes back to the blood vessels. The nerves in this area send a signal for pain to the front of the brain, resulting in a brief headache.

additional info: (lol!) "Cure" --- pressing the tongue hard against the roof of the mouth or by breathing into your hands to heat the mouth. this 'thaws' the palate, making the the pain of a brain freeze subside.

Answer 3

The pain is not really in the brain. The cold temperature of the roof of the mouth is transmitted into some nerves in that area called the sphenopalatine ganglion -- a ganglion is a collection of nerves.

Basically, the nerves between your mouth and brain react to the extreme cold. So drink them slowly.  

Answer 4

the major arteries in your neck carry warm blood to your head.....when you eat ice cream it cools the arteries and causes cold blood to goto your brain .....your brain is used to florida weather and then you toss it into antartica it gets a little pissed off and says take this a hole!...

basically this is a brain freeze!

Answer 5

it actually has to do with the blood vessels in the roof of your  mouth. when they get cold they constrict upon warming up they expand .blood rushing in causes the pain which is transmitted to the brain.

  "Brain freeze" is the pain sometimes inflicted by devouring something cold like ice cream or a cold beverage, often very quickly.

The reaction is (obviously) triggered by the cold ice cream or beverage; coming into contact with the roof of the mouth. It triggers nerves that give the brain the impression of a very cold environment. To heat up the brain again, blood vessels start to swell, which causes the headache-like pain for approximately 30 seconds.

The temperature change in the roof of the mouth has to be rather drastic; this is why brain freeze often occurs on warm days.

The pain can be relieved by putting the tongue to the roof of the mouth, which logically will heat it up.

From:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_freez...