A Wonderleaf question
Why do we get a brain freeze from cold treats?
a real page from the book
Brain freeze happens when something very cold chills the roof of your mouth, where sensitive blood vessels and nerves sit close by. The vessels tighten, then open again quickly, and nearby nerves send a pain message that your brain reads as a forehead ache.
The fun fact is the name doctors use: sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, a long label for a short-lived zap. It is usually harmless and fades as the mouth warms. Pressing your tongue upward can help because it heats the cold patch more quickly.
Wonder words
- vessels
- nerves
- forehead
- temperature
Try it out
Sip something cold slowly, pause when your mouth feels chilly, then warm the roof of your mouth with your tongue.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
And the next question?
Ask anything — Wonderleaf writes and illustrates a picture book for it. That's the whole idea.
Ask your own question