What Are The Causes Of Brain Freeze Or ‘Ice Cream Headache’?

Here’s a look at the symptoms of brain freeze, why it happens, how it can be managed or treated, and what action to take if you suspect you have this condition.

Amethyst Radiotherapy News  |  December 3, 2024

What Are The Causes Of Brain Freeze Or ‘Ice Cream Headache’?

Brain freeze is the common name for sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, which is a severe head pain triggered by consuming cold foods or drinks. For this reason, it’s often referred to as the ‘ice cream headache.’ The pain hits when the cold substance comes into contact with the roof of the mouth (palate) at the back of the throat.

Here’s a look at the symptoms, why brain freeze happens, how it can be managed or treated, and what to do if you suspect you have this condition.

What causes brain freeze?

The exact causes of brain freeze are not fully understood, but it’s thought that it’s linked to the trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for sensory communication between the brain and the face. When this nerve is activated by very cold temperatures, the blood vessels rapidly constrict and then dilate.

In some people, the sudden rush of blood is thought to be misinterpreted by the trigeminal nerve as pain. Not everyone has this reaction, so it’s likely that some people have more sensitive nerves than others. There’s some evidence to suggest a link between brain freeze and migraines.

The name sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia refers to the sphenopalatine ganglion, a group of nerve cells involved in facial sensation that are situated near to the roof of the mouth.

What are the symptoms of brain freeze?

Brain freeze is triggered by eating or drinking something cold, and is characterized by a brief intense pain in the forehead or temples. The pain occurs immediately after contact with the chilled substance, such as ice cream, an iced lolly, or a slushy iced drink. Occasionally, the pain may also be triggered by sudden exposure to very low environmental temperatures.

It is usually experienced as a sharp stabbing sensation that recedes quickly, typically within a minute or two and always within ten to 30 minutes after the cold stimulus has been removed. If it goes on for longer than that, this pain may have another cause and requires further investigation.

How is brain freeze treated?

Brain freeze is considered to be medically harmless, so treatment is not always necessary if the pain is very brief. Avoiding very cold foods is the most obvious way to manage the condition.

If you would still like to enjoy ice cream and other chilled foods, you could try warming your palate with a hot drink first, or warming the cold food in your mouth before swallowing it. Taking painkillers is not considered to be effective because of the sudden and temporary nature of the pain.

However, trigeminal neuralgia involves the trigeminal nerve, which is also implicated in brain freeze. Although brain freeze itself is harmless, persistent or unusual facial pain could indicate trigeminal neuralgia or another condition requiring professional attention.

Warning signs that you need to take further action

If you experience frequent sudden intense headaches that aren’t always triggered by cold, or are accompanied by other symptoms, it’s strongly recommended to seek medical advice. In rare cases, there may be another underlying cause for the pain, including a brain tumour, cluster headache or stroke.

For example, if you also notice eyesight changes such as blurred vision, it may be a migraine headache. You may also notice flashing lights, zig-zagging lights or a rainbow of lights, known as an aura, which often arrives before the headache and lasts for about 20 minutes. Other symptoms include light sensitivity, nausea and vomiting.

Occasionally, headaches and vision changes may be caused by a brain tumour. Other common symptoms include seizures, sickness, memory problems, behavioural changes or changes in personality, and progressive weakness or paralysis down one side of the body.

These symptoms should be checked by a GP, particularly if they are unusual for you or your headache feels different from any you have experienced before.

Repeated pain associated with the trigeminal nerve could signal conditions such as trigeminal neuralgia, which require specialised treatment.

If you would like further information about face pain, trigeminal neuralgia treatment and nerves damage, please contact Mr. Jonathan Hyam of Amethyst Radiotherapy.


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