How to Ease Brain Freeze
Featured Expert
Updated October 10, 2026
On a hot summer day, there’s nothing like taking a big gulp of ice-cold water or a slushy beverage, or going for a big mouthful of ice cream. Great way to cool down, right?
But then it hits you: a bolt of intense pain in the temples, forehead or behind the eyes or nose known as brain freeze. Wojtek Mydlarz, associate professor of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at Johns Hopkins, discusses this phenomenon and ways to stop brain freeze in its tracks.
Key Points
- Brain freeze is a short headache caused by very cold foods or drinks touching the roof of the mouth.
- Quick relief: Stop eating or drinking the cold item and warm the roof of your mouth with your tongue or warm water.
- Migraine link: People with migraines may be more likely to get brain freeze, and cold foods can sometimes trigger a migraine.
What is brain freeze?
Brain freeze, otherwise known as ice cream headache, is technically known as cold neuralgia or sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia. Big words for a short— but-agonizing— episode. It’s experienced as a brief, sharp pain in the forehead or temples that happens when something very cold touches the roof of your mouth.
What causes brain freeze?
What causes ice cream headaches? Nothing serious, says Mydlarz. He explains:
“There are several theories about what makes this happen. The one that probably makes the most sense is that when you eat or drink a large quantity of very cold food or liquid, you substantially drop the temperature of the palate (the roof of your mouth). The blood vessels automatically constrict—it’s a survival reflex to maintain your body’s core temperature.”
After the squeeze, Mydlarz says, the blood vessels quickly open-up. “This rebound dilation sends a pain signal to the brain through a nerve called the trigeminal nerve, whose upper branch extends into the midface and forehead,” he says.
Mydlarz says ice cream headache is an example of “referred pain” — when changes happening in one part of the body signal pain in another. In this case, the tiny muscles around the blood vessels in the palate are tightening and relaxing suddenly, but the sensation is experienced higher up in the head.
How to Help Brain Freeze
If you get nailed by brain freeze, act fast.
- Remove the cold food or drink from your mouth.
- Press your tongue or your thumb against the roof of your mouth.
- Drinking warm water can help, too.
- Take smaller bites or sips of cold food and drink, and warm them up in your mouth before swallowing.
Grabbing an aspirin or acetaminophen may not be worth it. In the majority of people, brain freeze headaches are so short lived that by the time pain medications kick in, the headache will resolve on its own.
The Migraine Connection
Brain freeze and migraine appear to involve some of the same pain pathways, particularly the trigeminal nerve and changes in blood vessel activity in the head. Researchers have found that people with migraines may be more likely to experience brain freeze, suggesting that studying brain freeze could help scientists better understand migraine mechanisms and develop new treatments.
Can brain freeze trigger migraines?
Yes. Brain freeze does not cause migraines in most people, but it can sometimes trigger a migraine attack in people who are already prone to migraines. If you notice that cold foods or drinks repeatedly trigger migraines, it may help to consume them more slowly and discuss the pattern with your healthcare provider.
Medically reviewed by Wojtek Mydlarz, M.D.
