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Diseases & Conditions
You don’t say? The scoop on ice cream headaches
- By Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
One upside to the summer’s record heat waves is an excuse to treat yourself to chilled treats like ice cream. But eating too much or too quickly can be a literal pain.
A cold-stimulus headache (scientific name sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, but commonly known as "brain freeze" or "ice cream headache") generally happens after you eat or drink something very cold. The sharp, steady pain centers on the forehead and usually lasts several seconds (although it may feel longer). While annoying, the effect is not considered dangerous.
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