How many times have you gone out with friends for ice cream just to hear them yell, “Brain freeze!” after eating too fast?! Brain freeze is actually the common name for sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, which is your body’s way of telling you to slow down when eating cold foods. Brain freeze occurs because, when you eat or drink something cold, you are changing the temperature in the back of your throat extremely suddenly. This takes place at the internal carotid artery and anterior cerebral artery, both of which are connected to the brain. Brain freeze, though not actually causing pain to your actual brain, becomes the body’s way of preventing change from occurring too quickly. There is no official cure for brain freeze, but scientists do advise following common suggestions, like having a lukewarm drink to counter the cold, or putting your tongue against the roof of your mouth for warmth.
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