Brain freeze
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{{for|the 1999 mix album|Brainfreeze (album)}}
'''Brain freeze''', also known as '''ice cream headache''', '''cold headache''', '''shakeache''', '''frigid face''', '''freezie''', '''Frozen Brain Syndrome''', '''cold-stimulus headache''', or its given scientific name '''sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia''', is a form of brief [[cranium|cranial]] [[pain]] or [[headache]] commonly associated with consumption (particularly quick consumption) of cold [[drink|beverage]]s or [[food]]s such as [[ice cream]], [[slurpee]]s, or [[margarita]]s.
==Cause and Frequency==
An editorial was published in the ''[[British Medical Journal]]'' on Ice Cream Headache; it referenced several articles on the effect of rapid consumption of cold foods or beverages. It has been studied as an example of [[referred pain]], an unpleasant sensation localized to an area separate from the site of the painful stimulation.
The effect occurs when something very cold, like ice cream, touches the top palate in the mouth. The blood vessels constrict due to the cold. As the palate warms, the blood vessels suddenly enlarge and the blood rushes back to the blood vessels. The nerves in this area send a signal for pain to the front of the brain, resulting in a brief headache.
It has been estimated that 1 in 3 people experience brain freeze from ice cream. Some studies suggest that brain freeze is more common in people who experience migraines; other studies have shown the opposite. <ref>[http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/314/7091/1364 Ice cream headache - Hulihan 314 (7091): 1364 - BMJ<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/325/7378/1445 "Ice cream evoked headaches (ICE-H) study: randomised trial of accelerated versus cautious ice cream eating regimen"]
[[Category:Headaches]]
[[da:Brain freeze]]
[[de:Kältekopfschmerz]]
[[he:קיפאון מוחי]]
[[la:Cerebellum congelatum]]
[[nl:IJshoofdpijn]]
[[no:Iskremhodepine]]
[[fi:Jäätelöpäänsärky]]