🍦 Almost everyone has experienced it: you take a big bite of ice cream, sip a frozen drink, or slurp a milkshake—and suddenly you’re hit with a sharp, stabbing headache. We call it “brain freeze.”

It feels painful, it comes out of nowhere, and it disappears almost as quickly as it arrives. But what actually causes it? Let’s break down the science behind this strange (and very human) phenomenon.

🧊 The Science Behind Brain Freeze

When something very cold touches the roof of your mouth (the palate), the sudden temperature drop makes the blood vessels in that area narrow quickly. Then, just as fast, they expand again to balance the temperature.

That rapid change triggers nerves in the roof of your mouth—specifically the trigeminal nerve, which also senses pain in your face. The brain gets the signal and interprets it as a headache.

👉 That’s why you feel the pain in your forehead or temples, even though the trigger is actually in your mouth.