Here's Why Slushy Drinks Give You Those Terrible Brain Freezes

On a hot summer day, there are few things more delicious and refreshing than an ice-cold slushy. If you're not careful, though, that slushy drink can give you a terrible brain freeze. And it's not just slushies, unfortunately. Whether you're having ice cream, its cousin frozen custard, or even just an exceptionally cold glass of water, brain freeze can strike anyone with a cold treat in their hand. But what is brain freeze, exactly?

Firstly, despite the name (and how it feels), brain freeze doesn't have anything to do with the brain itself. Instead, it's centered on the roof of your mouth and the back of your throat. When you eat or drink something especially cold, the temperature drop in that area causes your blood vessels to contract quickly, which makes the arteries in your head react and expand to bring in extra blood to warm things back up, causing a brief, intense headache. It's painful, but ultimately harmless. If you really want to impress people, the scientific term for a brain freeze is sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia.

Thankfully, preventing brain freeze while eating treats like creamy lemon slushies is easy. Just take it slow. Enjoying your frozen desserts at a steady pace will prevent the sudden temperature drop that causes an ice cream headache. Your treats will taste much better if you take the time to savor them, anyway, so next time you're enjoying a nice slushy or ice cream cone, pace yourself to get the most out of it and prevent that nasty brain freeze.

If you do eat your dessert too fast and give yourself a brain freeze, don't fret. It goes away quickly. You can help speed up the process by pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth. While your tongue might still be cold from whatever you're eating or drinking, it's still likely warmer than the area causing the headache, and that warmth will help ease it quicker. If you prefer, you can put your thumb to the roof of your mouth instead.

Another good way to end an ice cream headache early is to drink or eat something warmer. Consider having a glass of room-temperature water on hand when you're eating things like gelato or ice cream that can induce brain freeze. Just don't try it with hot food or drink. Going from one temperature extreme to the other isn't good for your teeth, and it won't do any favors for your throat, either.

Of course, the best way to ease an ice cream headache is to not let it happen in the first place. Stay vigilant while eating anything cold and recognize the signs that a brain freeze is coming on. When you feel them, stop eating whatever cold food or drink you have in front of you. In a minute, you can start enjoying it again once you feel the brain freeze going away.