Why Does Brain Freeze Happen?

Brain freeze happens when something really cold, such as ice cream, hits the roof of your mouth and makes blood vessels in your head quickly shrink and swell. That sudden change tricks your brain into thinking you're in pain!

It kicks in when something super cold touches the roof of your mouth (called the palate). This sudden chill causes nearby blood vessels to shrink fast, then swell just as quickly. That rapid change sends mixed signals to your brain, which interprets it as pain, often in your forehead. Sneaky, right?

But here’s the good news: you can stop a brain freeze in its tracks.

How to Stop Brain Freeze

Just press your tongue against the roof of your mouth. The warmth from your tongue helps the blood vessels return to normal, calming things down fast. You can also sip warm water or breathe through your mouth with your hands cupped over it as if you're warming up on a cold day.

Here’s a wild brain-freeze bonus fact: the pain isn’t even in your brain. Your brain doesn’t have pain receptors! It’s actually your mouth nerves sending distress signals to your forehead area through a shared nerve pathway.

And get this, sharks never get brain freeze, even in icy water. Their blood vessels are specially adapted to handle rapid temperature changes. Cool, right?