What Causes Sphenopalatine Ganglioneuralgia (Brain Freeze) and Tips for Prevention

Symptoms of brain freeze

The symptoms of brain freeze include a sharp and sudden onset of pain in the frontal part of the head. This can feel like a dull ache or a sharp pain.

The pain can last anywhere from a few seconds to a full minute or two. This depends on how much of the cold food or liquid you‘ve consumed and how quickly you’ve consumed it.

Causes of brain freeze

Scientists aren’t exactly sure what specifically causes brain freeze. One 2012study tried to figure out the cause by measuring the blood flow and activity in the brain while participants drank ice water.

The researchers’ theory was that when the brain is cooled rapidly as a result of ingesting extremely cold food or liquids, it changes the blood flow in the brain. The cold is transferred from the roof of your mouth to the nerves of the brain, and this causes some kind of reaction in the brain.

The researchers used a Doppler, which measures blood flow, to look at the blood vessels in the middle and front brain arteries in 13 adults while they drank both ice water and room-temperature water.

The participants drank ice water through a straw placed against the roof of their mouth until they felt a brain freeze. The researchers then measured the brain resistance, heart rate, and blood pressure of these participants before, during, and after the brain freeze.

They found that drinking the ice water increased the blood flow in the front brain arteries, but not the middle blood vessels. The ice water also caused increased resistance in the brain.

With these findings, the researchers concluded that the pain of a brain freeze is actually caused by the increased blood flow and resistance in the brain blood vessels. So if you’re experiencing a brain freeze, you might actually be feeling your brain’s blood vessels reacting to the cold.

The study group was small, so more research is needed to understand the cause of this sensation.

Treatment for brain freeze

The cure for brain freeze is actually very simple, and something you can do on your own. The moment you start to experience a brain freeze, press your tongue to the roof of your mouth.

The heat from your tongue will transfer heat and energy to your sinuses behind your nose, which will then warm the nerve bundles that cause brain freeze. Keep your tongue firmly against the roof of your mouth until you feel the pain start to dissipate.

You can keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth for as long as it takes for the brain freeze to completely disappear.

Seeking help for brain freeze

You don’t need to see a doctor for a simple brain freeze that happens while you’re enjoying a cold drink. But if you’re experiencing regular headaches, you should seek the advice of a medical professional.

The same nerves that are responsible for a brain freeze are also involved in serious headache disorders, like cluster headache. These types of headaches cause severe, regular pain.

Some reports identify a possible connection between consuming a cold beverage and atrial fibrillation (AF), which is a type of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat.

This connection appears to be rare, but if you begin to experience irregular heartbeats after consuming a cold food or beverage, call your doctor. They may want you to come in for evaluation.

If your brain freeze lasts for more than 5 minutes, either with or without treatment, you may need to see your doctor. You should also seek help if you experience similar pain or discomfort when you haven’t consumed something cold or been in an extremely cold environment.

Outlook

Brain freeze isn’t usually a serious condition. If you’re willing to risk the discomfort, you can continue to enjoy your favorite cold foods and beverages.

In rare cases, you may experience other symptoms, like an irregular heartbeat, after consuming something cold. If you suspect AF, contact your doctor immediately.

You should also call your doctor if you have intense headaches that last longer than 5 minutes after consuming something cold, or happen when you haven’t consumed something cold.

How to prevent brain freeze?

To prevent brain freeze, you can avoid some of the foods and drinks that are common causes of the sensation, like:

• ice cream and frozen yogurt
• ice water (drink room-temperature or lukewarm water instead)
• slushies
• popsicles
• ice cubes

If you find it hard to give up these cold items, try consuming them more slowly. This may reduce your risk for developing brain freeze.

You can also try preventing brain freeze by taking a sip of a warmer beverage immediately before and after the cold beverage in order to keep the nerves warm.

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