That sudden sharp pain in your forehead after a cold drink or ice cream is actually a great example of referred pain.
When we have something cold, the blood vessels in the roof of the mouth suddenly contract sending a discomfort signal to the brain. The brain is used to having lots of sensory feedback from the mouth so it’s unsure whether the information is real or where it’s coming from so it sends the pain signal to the forehead instead.
This is a very relatable example of how hurt doesn’t mean harm and where we feel pain isn’t always damage or a source of origin and like the ice cream freeze, it dosn’t always last forever even when it’s debilitating in the moment.
