The headache triggered by consuming something very cold, such as ice cream, originates initially within the oral cavity. When extremely low temperatures come into contact with the palate, they induce a response in the nerves and blood vessels of that area. The brain interprets this signal as if the pain were located on the forehead or temples.
This event is technically called headache associated with the ingestion or inhalation of cold stimuli, and is also known as sphenopalatine ganglionitis. Although the name is complex, the mechanism is relatively simple: the cold affects the palate, but the perception of pain occurs elsewhere.
When eating a spoonful of ice cream or drinking something very cold, the palate cools down rapidly. This thermal variation is detected by nerves that transmit information from the face to the brain. One of the main theories points to a vascular reaction to the cold, where blood vessels can quickly change their diameter, modifying regional blood flow and potentially activating pain signals.
However, scientists do not yet have a complete explanation for the entire mechanism; therefore, vascular alteration is seen as a central hypothesis, not a definitive conclusion. A study conducted in the scientific journal Cephalalgia, which analyzed 618 individuals, revealed that 51.3% of them had experienced headaches after contact with some cold stimulus.
Generally, this pain is transient. According to the international classification of headaches, it should cease within ten minutes after the cessation of contact with the cold, although in most cases the sensation lasts only a few seconds or a few minutes.
The explanation lies in a kind of 'confusion' of the nervous system. The nerves that bring information from the mouth are also connected to areas of the head. When the signal reaches the brain, it can be mistakenly interpreted as pain in the forehead or temples. This phenomenon is classified as referred pain, characterized by the sensation of pain in a point distinct from the origin of the stimulus.
The trigeminal nerve is one of the crucial components in this communication, as it conducts sensory information from much of the face and head. The sphenopalatine ganglion, located in a deep region of the face, is another structure linked to this phenomenon.
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This connection to pain pathways motivated researchers to investigate a possible correlation between ice cream headaches and migraines. A study published in Cephalalgia in 2003 investigated 8,359 adolescents in Taiwan. In this study, pain caused by cold was observed in 40.6% of participants. Among adolescents diagnosed with migraines, this frequency reached 55.2%, compared to 39.6% in the group without migraines.
Another research, published in the same journal in 2004 by researchers from Kocaeli University, Turkey, identified the phenomenon in 74% of participants with migraines and in 32% of those with episodic tension headaches. These findings suggest a possible link, but do not prove that ice cream headaches cause migraines. Additionally, a 1992 study in the journal Headache presented divergent results, showing a lower incidence of the phenomenon in people with migraines compared to the control group. Thus, the relationship cannot yet be established as a universal rule.
If the pain occurs, there is a simple technique that can help dissipate it quickly: pressing the tongue against the palate. The intention is to reheat the area that was cooled by the food or drink. Eating the ice cream slowly and in smaller portions also helps, allowing the mouth to better adapt to the temperature and reducing the probability of pain.
Although it can be alarming when it occurs, the headache induced by ice cream tends to be brief and temporary. The most notable aspect is the brain's ability to convert an internal stimulus in the mouth into pain felt in the forehead. Therefore, next time ice cream causes this sharp pain, the problem will not necessarily be in the head, but rather will have started in the palate.