Brain Freeze Has a Scientific Name and Explanation

The scientific term for brain freeze is 'sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia,' which literally means 'nerve pain of the sphenopalatine ganglion.' When something cold touches the roof of your mouth, it rapidly cools the blood vessels in your palate. Your body responds by quickly dilating these vessels to warm them up again. This sudden expansion causes pain signals to be sent through the trigeminal nerve (the same nerve involved in migraines), which your brain interprets as pain in your forehead or temples. The phenomenon usually lasts 10-20 seconds and can be prevented by eating cold foods more slowly or warming your mouth with your tongue.