The Stillwater Chiropractor to see - Chiropractor Stillwater

What is Brain Freeze?

Headaches and neck pain

You’ve just bought a nice refreshing ice cream cone on a hot day. You’re sitting down on a park bench, enjoying the flavorful cold sensation in your mouth when…OUCH! That sharp pain in your head signals that you’re a victim of the dreaded “brain freeze,” also known as an ice cream headache.

What causes brain freeze? Sometimes, when you eat something very cold and it comes in contact with the center of the roof of your mouth, the cold temperature activates certain nerves. These nerves cause the blood vessels in the brain to swell in order to prevent the loss of body heat, causing the acute pain that many experience. The pain rarely lasts for more than 10-20 seconds, although often it seems much longer!

How can you avoid brain freeze? Well, for starters, you can keep the cold food away from the roof of your mouth! If you experience brain freeze – you need to warm up the roof of your mouth quickly. You can do that by touching the roof of your mouth with the underside of your tongue, which is warmer than the top of your tongue. Or, you can drink a hot or warm beverage – or even water – that is room temperature! You can also press your thumb to the roof of your mouth!

Sometimes brain freeze results from eating cold food very quickly or from taking bites that are too big! So slow down and savor that ice cream cone! Brain freeze won’t kill you, but it sure can make you uncomfortable!

Search:

Dr. Corey Asks some important questions of interest to Stillwater residents - Chiropractor Stillwater Dr. Corey Asks...

What does a chiropractic adjustment do?
Chiropractic adjustments give your spine a little "nudge" at the right place, right time and the right direction so your body can use that energy to "right" itself. With a schedule of consistent chiropractic visits, a new, healthier spinal pattern emerges.
Is a muscle spasm a cause or an effect?
With the knee-jerk use of muscle relaxers, you'd think it was a cause. But it's an effect. Chiropractors know that bones don't move unless muscles move them. And muscles don't contract unless commanded by the nervous system. That's why your nervous system is the focus of our Stillwater chiropractic practice.