people with migraines may be more likely to get brain freezes
while anyone can get a brain freeze, there is
some evidence
that suggests people who get migraine headaches may be more susceptible to brain freezes.
one study done in taiwan
surveyed more than 8,000 young people aged 13 to 15 and found that about 40 per cent of them had experienced an “ice-cream headache”. of that group, researchers found that participants who had suffered from migraines were having brain freezes more frequently.
another study
found that people who had had a migraine in the last year were twice as likely to have “cold-induced headaches” than people with no history of migraine.
is a brain freeze dangerous?
although the pain from brain freezes can be very intense, it usually only lasts a few seconds, and is generally harmless. in fact,
researchers who study headaches
use brain freezes to understand head pain and treatments. of course, if the pain persists, you should seek medical attention.
how can i thaw a brain freeze?
the easiest way to avoid getting a brain freeze is not to eat or drink extremely cold or frozen foods or liquids — or eat and drink slowly. but if you do find yourself experiencing a few seconds of unpleasant pain brought on by a brain freeze, drinking or eating something warm can take the edge off.
other advice includes
pushing your tongue — or your thumb — against the roof of your mouth to warm it up.
you can also try the “cup and blow” method
: c
up your hand over your mouth and nose and blow warm air.