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What causes an "ice cream headache"?

http://www.100md.com   2005-5-2 chinadaily
     ice cream headache

    What causes an "ice cream headache"?

    An ice cream headache is triggered by a sudden change in temperature that occurs in your mouth when you eat something cold.

    On a hot day when you eat a snow cone, the cold crushed ice that touches the top of your mouth initiates a nerve reaction that swells blood vessels in your head. The nerve center on the roof of your mouth overreacts to the cold temperature of the snow cone and tries to heat your brain. This swelling of blood vessels is what causes an ice cream headache, or what is more commonly known as "brain freeze" or "frozen brain syndrome."

    Luckily the intense stabbing pain in your head usually lasts only for about 30-60 seconds.

    I scream, you scream, we all scream ice cream HEADACHE! - 30% of the human population suffers from these excruciating headaches. The best way to avoid getting an ice cream headache is keep the chilled foods or beverages you eat on the side of your mouth, away from the roof of your mouth.

    note:

    trigger: 引起

    snow cone: 蛋筒冰激凌

    overreact: 过度反应

    excruciating: 极痛苦的

    beverage: 饮料

 
 
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