I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream With An Ice Cream Headache

Ann Marier

For anyone who has experienced the dull ache in their head after slurping an ice cream cone on a warm summer's day, the terms brain freeze or cold headache are probably not unfamiliar. However, did you know that an ice cream headache had a technical name as well?

An ice cream headache can also be referred to as Spheno Palatine Gangleoneuralgia. This type of headache is unique in that it occurs only after eating or drinking a food or beverage. These foods and beverages are not limited to ice cream; in fact, they can include many other cold or frozen foods, such as margaritas or slurpees. When these items are consumer quickly, the chance of acquiring an ice cream headache increases.

The Science Behind an Ice Cream Headache

When a cold food or beverage touches the roof of your mouth. This causes a group of nerves located on the roof of your mouth, known as pterygopalatine ganglion, to begin to spasm. These nerves send instructions to the blood vessels in the brain to dilate. Because headaches are caused by dilated blood vessels in the brain, this causes you to experience an ice cream headache.

The resulting ice cream headache typically ends within ten to twenty seconds; however, some ice cream headaches last fifteen to sixty seconds, and in rare cases an ice cream headache could last up to five minutes! The pain caused by this headache has been classified as "referred pain." Referred pain occurs when the site of the pain is different from the region where the pain was simulated.

Relieve the Pain

There are several methods that can be used to reduce the pain that comes from an ice cream headache. Some people say that the pain can be stopped by moving the tongue to the roof of your mouth in order to bring warmth to the area. Others say that, when sipped slowly, water at room temperature will do the trick. Laying your head to one side, and breathing rapidly while covering your mouth are also two suggested ways to overcome the pain caused by an ice cream headache.

How Common is an Ice Cream Headache?

It is thought that approximately thirty percent of the population experiences an ice cream headache. Many studies have determined that ice cream headaches are more common in people who experience migraines; for example, the data from one study states that ice cream headaches occur in ninety-one percent of those who experience migraine headaches, while they only occur in thirty-one percent of those who do not.