Why do we get brain freeze?

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Why do we get brain freeze? 22 0
Posted by duddy   September 27, 2016   7598 views
Brain freeze is the name used to describe the sensation you get when you consume something really cold, really fast. The scientific name for this temporary cold-stimulus headache is sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia. When something extremely cold touches the upper-palate (roof of the mouth), blood vessels in this region dilate to increase blood flow to counter the cold. The homeostatic triggers in your body perceive the cold as a threat to the brain, thinking the brain is in danger from the cold. As the warm blood rushes to your brain, this build-up of blood pressure causes the pain you feel. While brain freezes are not dangerous, they are slightly uncomfortable, so the best way to make it quickly go away is to rub or press your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Stay safe!
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1 Brain freeze occurs when something extremely cold touches the upper palate (roof of the mouth). It normally happens when the weather is very hot, and the individual consumes something too fast. The phenomenon is also known as sphenopalatine ganglion neuralgia. It refers to a temporary headache caused by drinking or eating extremely cold foods quickly. 1. Contact of cold substances with the palate cause the vessels to constrict. The palate is very vascular and thin allowing such rapid changes in temperature to be readily transmitted to the smooth muscles of the vessels. 2. Once the temperature normalizes (rich blood supply, thin palate, warm air from nose etc.) the smooth muscles of the vessels undergo Rebound Dilation. 3. The palate is innervated by fibers from sphenopalatine ganglion. These nerve endings sense the sudden vasodilatation as pain. The brain perceives this pain to be from the forehead or the base of the cranium (all are supplied by trigeminal nerve). Posted on Sep 29, 2016 by leesajohnson 2 Appreciate the information Posted on Sep 30, 2016 by duddy