Scientists think that brain freeze may be a way for the brain to protect itself from the cold temperature of some foods. (Christopher Robbins / Digital Vision / Getty Images)
The Science Behind “Brain Freeze”
Could a rush of blood be the reason for ice cream headaches?
On hot summer days, there are few things better than reaching for an ice-cold lemonade or a chilly treat like ice cream. But at times, instead of just cooling down, we get a sharp pain in our foreheads some call a “brain freeze,” also known as an ice cream headache.
Until now, scientists have been unsure what causes this short-lived pain. But thanks to a recent experiment, they believe that brain freeze could be due to a rush of blood into the brain.
Researchers used special equipment to watch the brains of 13 adults as they experienced these icy aches. The volunteers sipped ice water and raised their hands when they felt a brain freeze coming on. They raised them again when the headache ended.
Scientists noticed that during the headache, an artery that supplies blood to the front portion of the brain quickly dilates, or widens, allowing an increase of blood flow to the brain. The artery, called the anterior cerebral artery, constricts, or narrows, and the pain goes away.
According to the researchers, this dilation and constriction could be a way for the brain—one of the body’s most important organs—to protect itself.
The brain is sensitive to temperature. So when cold food or drinks come in contact with the top of a person’s mouth, the brain reacts by protecting itself with heat. Blood vessels from the anterior cerebral artery may move warm blood to the tissues surrounding the brain to make sure it stays warm, explains Jorge Serrador of Harvard Medical School.
But because the skull is a closed structure, the sudden influx of blood could raise pressure and induce pain, he adds.
The experiment led researchers to believe that a similar bodily response could be the reason some people experience migraines and other types of headaches. With further research, scientists hope to find different ways to treat headaches in the future.
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Sunrise Over Fallujah
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by Walter Dean MyersOperation Iraqi Freedom, that's the code name. But the young men and women in the military's Civil Affairs Battalion have a simpler name for it: WAR.
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People's Republic of China, Revised Edition
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People's Republic of China, Revised Edition
by Kim DramerSET FEATURES:
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