| Hi Gina,
I just had a
"Brain freeze" last week. I think I was drinking icy cold
water when it happed.
Anyway, your brain
doesn't really freeze. What happens is that when you drink something
that is really cold, a collection of nerves in the roof of your mouth
(called the spheno-palantine ganglion) go into a spasm (a spasm is like
a cramp). These nerves tell the brain blood vessels to get bigger or
"dilate". When our brain's blood vessels get big, we get
headaches.
These "brain
freeze" headaches usually last from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.
A "brain
freeze" does not hurt your brain at all.
Now, what should
you do if you get a brain freeze?
Well, you can drink
some warm water, or better yet hold your tongue to the roof of your
mouth. The warmth of your tongue will tell the nerves to stop telling
the blood vessels to get big, and the headache will go away. Or, you can
just wait it out.
If you enjoy ice
cream or slushies, this is the season to have a bunch of them. If you do
get a "brain freeze" you know what to do, and you know that it
will eventually go away, and won't hurt you. Enjoy your summer! |