“Brain freeze” or “ice cream headache” occurs when the head is exposed to cold.
In winter, the cold increases headaches. Known as “ice cream headache” or “brain freeze”, this pain is short but very sharp. This headache can occur when it is very cold, during a cryotherapy session or when you ingest a cold drink or ice cream too quickly. The contact of cold on the palate makes the person feel pain or even shooting sensations in the skull or temples. The pain is short-lived but can be acute.
What are the possible medical causes?
Dr Daniel Caroff, general practitioner, explains this headache to us using cooling followed by very rapid warming of the vessels called blood capillaries. These are placed at the level of the sinuses. “The cold then causes vasoconstriction (the reduction in the diameter of the blood vessels) then, a few seconds later, a vasodilatation (the increase in the caliber of the vessels)“, specifies the doctor. He adds, however, that some people have a more developed sensitivity to cold due to overexpression of TRPM-8 proteinsynthesized from the TRPM-8 gene. This is located at the level of the sensory neurons which act as receptors, and is directly involved in cold sensations.
What to do?
To limit this unpleasant feeling:
- Cover your head and ears well when it’s cold
- Avoid eating too many cold or frozen foodsor eat them slowly.
- Inhale through your mouth and exhale through your nose to warm the nasal cavities through the passage of hot air.
When to consult?
“If this pain is only linked to the cold, there is no need to consult because the doctor will not undertake diagnostic research and will not propose a remedy.” On the other hand, if headaches appear after taking certain medications (to treat hypertension for example), it will be possible to think about modify the treatment.
Thanks to Dr Daniel Caroff, general practitioner and naturopath.
