Ice Cream Headaches: I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream

What's better on a hot summer's day than ice cream, heck the ice cream man drives up and down the street several times a day playing catchy little songs for kids and adults alike to entice people of all ages to buy some of his cold sugary treats? Ice cream is great it tastes good in moderation can give you energy and cools your body down.

I scream you scream, we all scream for ice cream headaches?

About one-third of the population the world, will get to experience "ice cream headaches" or "brain freezes". Especially if you have ever eaten ice cream or a frozen treat including a frosty by Wendy's or an icee, you have undoubtedly have had the great chance of experiencing a "brain freeze" or an "ice cream headache".

The feeling of this headaches makes you want to stomp your feet around the floor and drink something hot to stop the coldness. Neither of these will work, stomping around on the floor might keep you busy and entertain the people that are around and drinking hot anything might make you think that it will make the sensation of this headache stop, however you are just going to be either a, the center of attention for stomping around, or b someone that is now experiencing burning of the stomach and the esophagus plus a headache.

An "ice cream headache" or "brain freeze" from ice cream usually lasts about a minute or so, although it can feel like it is lasting much longer and can last for up to a maximum of 5 minutes, and it goes away on its own. You do not need to drink something hot or to take Tylenol this will have no effect on the headache and by the time you get either one your headache should already be gone.

In a study many doctors say that eating cold foods slowly can help prevent "ice cream headaches" or "brain freeze". You can also try warming foods up in the front of your mouth by blowing on them like you would blow a spoonful of hot soup, before swallowing them. And if you start to feel an "ice cream headache" or "brain freeze" coming on, you may be able to slow it down by holding your tongue against the roof of your mouth.

Clinical studies have shown that if you avoid getting ice cream on the roof of your mouth you are also going to be avoiding giving yourself a headache. The roof of the mouth is very sensitive and if the cold feeling is put upon the roof of your mouth you can initiate the blood vessels that control how much blood flows to your hear. The nerves will respond by causing the blood vessels in the head to swell, causing your headache.