What Causes a ‘Brain Freeze’ When You Eat Ice Cream Too Fast?

A brain freeze happens when something very cold touches the roof of your mouth too fast. It feels like your head is freezing, and it hurts! Imagine drinking a soda too quickly on a hot day, that's kind of how a brain freeze works.

When you eat ice cream quickly, the cold hits your tongue and the top of your mouth. This sends a message to your brain saying, 'Hey, it’s super cold here!' The brain then sends back a signal that causes a quick pain in your head, and that's what feels like a brain freeze.

Your brain is trying to keep everything warm inside your head. When it gets a sudden shock of cold, it reacts by sending more blood to the front of your head, which makes you feel the pain.