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Human BodySurprise 4/5Difficulty 3/5Reviewed on October 17, 2026

The headache from eating ice cream too fast is called sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia.

Why it is true

Cold on the roof of the mouth makes blood vessels constrict and then quickly widen. Nerves in the area read this sudden change as pain in the forehead. Pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth warms it and the pain fades in seconds.

Source: The FASEB Journal (Serrador et al., 2012)

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