Why Do We Get ‘Brain Freeze’ When We Drink Ice Water?

Imagine your mouth is like a cold room. When you drink ice water, it cools down the roof of your mouth really fast. This sends a message to your brain that says, 'It’s super cold!' Your brain gets confused and thinks something is wrong, which makes your head hurt, just like when you get a surprise.

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Examples

  1. Drinking a big glass of ice water on a hot day can cause your head to hurt like it's been hit with a snowball.
  2. Eating an ice cream cone too fast might make you feel like your brain is freezing over.
  3. Sipping ice water through a straw makes the cold go straight to your forehead, and then your whole head.

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Categories: Health · brain freeze,science of eating,neurology