THAT'S THE WHY:Brain freeze. No, I'm not talking about suddenly drawing a mental blank when you look at an exam paper or when you are asked an important question at a meeting.
Instead, this is the short-lived but often intense pain in your head that some people get when they chow down too enthusiastically on a cold food or ice-laden drink.
Also known as “ice-cream headache”, the pain sets in quickly but fortunately burns out rapidly, rarely lasting more than 10-20 seconds.
A 2003 study of more than 8,000 adolescents in Taiwan found that about 40 per cent experienced this reaction.
But why does it happen? The most widely touted theory associates the pain with constriction of blood vessels in the area.
An editorial in the British Medical Journal some years ago noted that the phenomenon can be avoided if you don’t put cold food in contact with the back of the palate.
It concluded, no doubt to the relief of many, especially those in hot climes, that “ice cream abstinence is not indicated”.
The editorial also prompted a slew of responses over the years, with many writers offering advice on how to alleviate the pain.
They included tips to press your tongue or the pad of your thumb to the roof of your mouth.
Or maybe you have already figured out your own way of dealing with brain freeze.
– CLAIRE O’CONNELL
