1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio. Hey brain Stuff. 2 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 1: I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, and today's episode is another classic from 3 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: our archives and former host Christian Sagar. This one concerns 4 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: the diabolical phenomenon the results from Delicious Frozen Treats brain Freeze, 5 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: Hey brain Stuff, it's Christian Sagar. We get headaches for 6 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: a lot of reasons. Sometimes foods like chocolate, cheese or 7 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: cured meat can cause them. Other times it's stress or 8 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 1: maybe changes in our sleep habits. Headaches are also caused 9 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: by eye strain, sinus problems, coughing, and even sex and 10 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: if you're really unlucky, they're a sign of neurological problems. 11 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: But do you know what causes headaches and over one 12 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: third of the population. Ice cream? Diabolical evil ice cream 13 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: otherwise known as a brain freeze or a quote cold 14 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: stimulus headache in more lofty circles. The ice cream headache 15 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 1: only requires two things. First, something cold touching the roof 16 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: of your mouth, and second, a hot environment like a 17 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: summer day or a sauna or a yoga class full 18 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: of sweaty people. That's where we all usually eat ice cream. Right, 19 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: brain freeze is caused by both a constriction and dilation 20 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 1: of the blood vessels in your head. There's a nerve 21 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: center just above your mouth, and when it gets cold, 22 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: it signals the anterior cerebral artery to widen, trying to 23 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 1: heat your brain with warm blood. Since the skull is 24 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: a closed structure, the sudden rush of blood could be 25 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: increasing pressure, which causes the pain we feel. It's kind 26 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: of a horrible stabbing achy feeling, but the warm air 27 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: around you causes these blood vessels to restrict again, relieving 28 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: the pain about ten to twenty seconds after its onset. 29 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: This experience, it's is reportedly similar to a migrain headache, 30 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: albeit a very short one. It's possible the influx of 31 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: blood is supposed to protect your brain from extreme cold. 32 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 1: The pain is usually in the mid frontal area, but 33 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: it can be unilateral in other parts of the brain. 34 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: But don't worry. Experts say that ice cream isn't going 35 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: to give you brain damage or anything. In fact, when 36 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: they're correcting aneurysms, doctors sometimes lower your brain temperature down 37 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 1: to sixty four degrees fahrenheit or seventeen point eight degrees celsius, 38 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: So ice cream ain't no thing, except there's only one 39 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: cure for brain freeze. Never eat ice cream again. No, 40 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: I'm just kidding. In one article about these headaches, a 41 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: researcher actually said ice cream abstinence is not indicated, So 42 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: keep eating all the ice cream you want, but slow 43 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: it down a bit. There, Hoss, try to eat in 44 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: small bites and avoid the roof of your mouth. Also, 45 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: you may be more likely to get brain freeze if 46 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: you already get migraines. The science isn't confirmed on that, 47 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: but since the vascular response of ice cream headaches is 48 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 1: similar to the experience of migraine sufferers, they may be 49 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: more vulnerable. Researchers are investigating this connection now in hopes 50 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: of developing even better painkillers. Today's episode was written by 51 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: Christian and produced by Tyler Klang. For more on this 52 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 1: and lots of other topics, visit our home planet, how 53 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: Stuffworks dot com plus. For more podcasts. For my heart radio, 54 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: visit the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 55 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.