I’m not sure if this is the right forum for this, as I am looking for not only accounts of other people’s experiences, but also hard scientific fact…
I am familiar with the concept of “brain freeze” (if you drink something cold too quickly, you get a temporary powerful headache). However, I have never experienced this. I always get a strong, almost pressure-like pain in my chest, around the breastbone, if I drink cold things too fast. My mother also gets these “chest freezes”. No one, besides my mother, even knows what I am talking about when I describe this phenomenon. They look at me like I am mad! There must be others who get this? Anyone?
Also, I am curious if anyone has any sort of biological explanation as to why the cold would affect my chest, rather than my brain. As I said before, I have never had a brain freeze.
i remember when taking a livesaving course, to be a lifeguard, that it was mentioned that going from hot outside air to rather cold water, could cause a person to stop breathing. it could be called a chest freeze. some people will have a gasping reaction to being hit in the chest with very cold water either from a shower or from a water hose. a rather quick moment where you can’t move your ribs/chest to breathe in or out.
My husband and I were talking about this just yesterday! I get “chest freeze” too–we’d gotten frozen Cokes (yum!) and I commented to him that my throat/chest gets so cold I can’t take a deep breath without having to cough.
It’s maybe a little like that, as it seems I can only take shallow breaths when I have “chest freeze”, but it lasts more than a quick moment. It gradually fades away. It’s the strangest thing. I am starting to be convinced that I am some kind of biological freak
I know exactly what you’re talking about! I get it too! It’s hard to describe, like a cold pressure/pain right in the middle of your chest. I’ve wondered about this too… I only occasionally get ‘brain freeze’ but I get ‘chest freeze’ all the time.
My cat gets brain freeze from licking ice cream off my spoon. You can tell by the way she blinks that it’s hurting, but she’ll still fight me for the bowl!
I think I might. It feels like my lungs are shivering. A very odd experience. I’d also get it if it were cold outside. Like the 11° F I experienced in Tucsan.
Hello yes I get chest freeze!! I used to get brain freeze but the last 2 years i have been experiencing these chest freezes…they last at least a few minutes and my breathing is shallow my hubby said I looked flush and clammy and pale… My eyes water, and shakey… I use to be an iv drug user for a few years and it feels like I’m rushing. It’s scary and I don’t understand why this happens!! Glad I’m not the only one tho… I would rather have brain freeze
