# Ice Headaches - What are they? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 12, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-headaches-what-are-they/188006 "2003-07-12T17:47:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bb2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@bb2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bb2000)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-headaches-what-are-they/188006/1 "2003-07-12T17:47:38Z")
We’ve all eaten ice cream to fast and got that searing pain between the eyes. My questions are simple : [list=1] [li]What is the proper name for an ‘Ice Headache’ - Googling for “Ice Headaches” didn’t yield much[/li][li]Why do they happen and how come they hurt so d@mn much![/li][/list=1] Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Jon\_the\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Jon\_the\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jon_the_Geek)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-headaches-what-are-they/188006/2 "2003-07-12T17:52:26Z")
I don’t know the proper name (other than, maybe, “brain freeze” to get more on the web), but I read somewhere (sorry, no cite) that they’re caused by arteries in the neck constricting from the cold, thus reducing blood flow to the brain. I know warming your neck helps to alleviate the pain, but I guess that could be psychosomatic. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-headaches-what-are-they/188006/3 "2003-07-12T17:54:25Z")
The cause, according to **Cecil** , is [far from clear](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_126.html). ---
**Author:** ![bb2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@bb2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bb2000)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-headaches-what-are-they/188006/4 "2003-07-12T17:59:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manhattan \* > \*\*The cause, according to **Cecil** , is [far from clear](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_126.html). \*\* Thanks manhattan. I did try searching for ice headaches on the board but ‘ice’ falls below the minimum-length threshold in the search engine. And thanks Uncle Cecil too 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-headaches-what-are-they/188006/5 "2003-07-12T18:49:13Z")
As an aside, to cure a “brain freeze,” place the palm of your right hand flat upon the carotid artery that runs up the front right side of your neck. The warmth of your hand will transmit heat to the chilled blood racing towards your shivering brain. This is one of the only effective methods I have ever seen to combat this phenomenon. ---
**Author:** ![Jon\_the\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Jon\_the\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jon_the_Geek)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-headaches-what-are-they/188006/6 "2003-07-12T20:01:42Z")
> [@](#): > > **Cecil** says: > Ice cream headache occurs in maybe a third of the general population but in over 90 percent of migraine sufferers, who feel it in the same place they get migraines. Really? I thought for certain that it was universal. I don’t have any real evidence, but I’ve never brought up the topic and had someone ask what the heck I was talking about (and, yes, I’ve brought up the topic often enough that I’d think I would get that response from one of the lucky two-thirders).