# Brain Freeze

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-freeze/194859>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 13, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-freeze/194859 "2003-08-13T07:47:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-freeze/194859/1 "2003-08-13T07:47:23Z")

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Why do you get a headache when you drink or eat cold food/drink too fast?

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**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-freeze/194859/2 "2003-08-13T08:03:41Z")

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What causes “ice cream headache”?

[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4\_126.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_126.html)

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-freeze/194859/3 "2003-08-13T09:36:14Z")

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Interesting; I had always assumed it was something to do with the sinuses.

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**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-freeze/194859/4 "2003-08-13T09:41:26Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Typically it starts when you cram too much cold stuff into the roof of your mouth.
> 
> \<SNIP\>
> 
> Cold farther down the throat produces no headache.

That’s weird - I only get it as the ice/ice cream goes down my throat after swallowing. It can be on the roof of my mouth with no ill-effect.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-freeze/194859/5 "2003-08-13T10:08:49Z")

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I wonder if that is just a delay effect though **jjimm**.

I had the worst ever bout of brain freeze the other day; I was in town and it was a scorcher of a day, I chanced upon a shop selling Slush Puppies, bought one, sucked all the flavour out (as you do), then scooped a huge chunk of ice granules into my mouth and swallowed.

It felt like someone has inserted a metal spike through the top of my head, extending right down to my stomach - there was pain, nausea, double vision - the lot - I kept telling myself “it will pass, it WILL pass”, but the effect lasted fully two minutes.