I very rarely experienced ice headaches as a a kid. One of my favorite things was homemade slushies made in mom’s blender with Ice and Orange Juice. Oh, those were so darn good after coming in from mowing the lawn. I couldn’t stop at a 7-11 without buying a ICEE with my allowance. Loved ice cream too but I’ve always preferred to let it sit and soften before eating.
Then I became an adult. Discovered the sheer misery of ice headaches. They got more frequent in my thirties and even more so in my forties. I haven’t bought an ICEE for myself in ten years. Homemade blender slushies? Oh my goodness no. It would hurt less to stick my head in the blender. Now in my fifties even the wonderful treat of ice cream can come with a painful surprise.
They were giving tiny little samples at a burger place this afternoon. tiny spoons, with a cup about an 2 inches wide. I took three bites. It was like I got stabbed in the eye with an ice pick. I had tears in my ears for several minutes. totally ruined that tasty moment. Getting old sucks.
How about you? Does the dreaded ice headache attack more often as the years go by?
I’ve heard certain sinus issues can cause it, but seems like it’s mostly adults that suffer. But I guess kids can too.
I’ve reached a point that I put very little ice in my glass. I prefer drinks just barely chilled. Primarily because there’s less risk of a ice headache.
I used to get them all the time as a child. I’ve gotten zero since learning the cause of and effective antidote for ice-cream headaches. They happen when the roof of your mouth and/or soft palate gets too cold. When you feel the headache coming on, vigorously rub your tongue forward and back against the top of your mouth. The friction and warmth counteracts the cold, instantly stopping the pain in its tracks.
In the course of a recent conversation, my husband mentioned he’s never had an ice-cream headache in his life. I want whatever mutation he’s been smoking!
Same here…but part of it is that I learned to sip icy drinks more slowly. I learned this when I was eleven or so…after one king-hell of a slurpee headache!
I’ve used the tongue to warm the roof of my mouth trick. It does help.
I think the reason the ice cream got me today was the ice tea that I had minutes earlier. The tea had already chilled my mouth. Didn’t think about warming the roof of my mouth until after the ice cream zinged me.
I voted “A little more frequently,” but with me it’s never been ice headaches, aka “brain freeze.” With me, it’s “chest freeze.” But yes, I think it does happen to me a little more frequently in my later years.
I get horrible brain freezes if a I drink a frap or a smoothie from Orange Julius too fast, but I attribute it more to a Turbinectomy that I had a few years ago more than age. They get so bad that it hurts in my back and chest.
The sdmb posters are a lucky bunch. Few have indicated issues with ice headaches aka brain freeze.
It seemed like most adults did when I was young. I never understood what the big deal was until I started getting them.
ICEE was still a pretty new product in my childhood. I’m not sure when they began to be sold. Early 1960’s maybe? I can recall older relatives trying their very first ones and getting zinged with brain freeze.
Discovered the sheer misery of ice headaches. They got more frequent in my thirties and even more so in my forties. I haven’t bought an ICEE for myself in ten years. Homemade blender slushies? Oh my goodness no. It would hurt less to stick my head in the blender. Now in my fifties even the wonderful treat of ice cream can come with a painful surprise.