A surprising number of scientific studies have looked at the cause and prevalence of the phenomena. The prevailing theory is that the ice-cream headache sensation results from cold food contacting a nerve-filled area on the roof of your mouth. One of the nerves in this region, the “trigeminal nerve,” is the largest cranial nerve. Its three branches work together to sense and communicate information between the brain and the different areas of the front of the head — including teeth, tongue, and palate. Though it is the roof of the mouth that is exposed to the cold, the pain of fast ice-cream eating manifests itself, obviously, in the head.
There are a few other theories involving the trigeminal that explain the sensation. One has it that the pain of an ice-cream headache is an example of referred pain. In other words, instead of feeling the consequences of the cold at the site of contact, the pain manifests itself elsewhere along the nerve pathway — usually as an intense pain in the forehead, although some people also experience pain in the temples or other parts of the head.
Another idea that is often mentioned is that the trigeminal nerve senses the cold sensation contacting the palate and – in an effort to increase blood flow to the brain and keep it warm — reacts by dilating blood vessels in the head. It is thought that this over-zealous attempt to warm up your brain alters the blood flow, causing a pulsating headache.
There are a few other theories involving the trigeminal that explain the sensation. One has it that the pain of an ice-cream headache is an example of referred pain. In other words, instead of feeling the consequences of the cold at the site of contact, the pain manifests itself elsewhere along the nerve pathway — usually as an intense pain in the forehead, although some people also experience pain in the temples or other parts of the head.
Another idea that is often mentioned is that the trigeminal nerve senses the cold sensation contacting the palate and – in an effort to increase blood flow to the brain and keep it warm — reacts by dilating blood vessels in the head. It is thought that this over-zealous attempt to warm up your brain alters the blood flow, causing a pulsating headache.
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I heard it's something with the sinuses because of the cold. If you put your tongue on the roof of your mouth it's allegedly supposed to stop the brain freeze but it's never worked for me.
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There are blood vessels in the back of your throat and on the top of your mouth your freezing the basically But here's a trick take your tounge and put it on the top of your mouth always works
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Because you have blood vessels in the roof of your mouth and the cold contracts these vessels causing little circulation in the roof of the mouth
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It has to do with blood flow