Episode Overview

Podcast: Who Smarted?
Episode Title: What is happening in your head when you get a Headache?
Release Date: March 25, 2026

In this lively and hilarious episode, the Who Smarted? crew dives into the science, history, and surprising causes of headaches. Host Cherie B. Tey (aka "Trusty") takes a dreamy nap to escape her throbbing head and, in the process, is joined by her whimsical dream guide—a talking slice of pepperoni pizza! Together, they explore what causes headaches, the different types, why some foods can trigger them, and clever tips for coping and prevention. With humor and trivia, the episode is packed with easy-to-understand science and fun interactive moments for kids and curious listeners of all ages.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Headache Myths Busted

• Is a headache a pain in your brain?
  • Myth: Headaches are your brain hurting.
  • Fact: "Even though a headache might feel like your brain hurts, that's not actually what is happening. That's because while your brain tells you when other parts of your body hurt, your brain can't actually feel pain itself." (Pepperoni Pizza, 03:01)
  • It’s actually the nerves, blood vessels, and head/neck muscles around the brain that send pain signals.

2. Types of Headaches

• Tension (Muscle Contraction) Headaches (04:20 – 05:21)
  • Most common type, caused by muscles in the head and neck squeezing too tightly.
  • Pain is described as dull, constant, and feels like something pressing or squeezing the head.
• Migraine Headaches (05:25 – 06:45)
  • Characterized by sharp, throbbing pain.
  • Can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.
  • "Approximately 20% or 2 out of every 10 people suffer from migraine headaches in the USA and around 12% or every 12 out of 100 people experience migraine headaches. World Whoa." (Pepperoni Pizza, 05:42)

3. The History of Migraines

• Migraines are not new: "Historical records show people have had migraines for at least 7,000 years." (Pepperoni Pizza, 06:19)

4. Headache Triggers: Illnesses, Emotions, Smells, Foods

• Illness: Headaches may come with colds, flu, strep throat (07:07).
• Emotional triggers: Excitement, nervousness, sadness, and stress can all contribute.
  • "Getting excited about a special event like a party or feeling nervous or worried about something like a test can cause you to feel headachy." (Cherie B. Tey, 07:34)
• Strong Smells: Perfume, smoke, fumes, new cars—anything with a strong scent may trigger headaches (08:40).
• Food Triggers:
  • Caffeine: Found in coffee, tea, chocolate, soda, and energy drinks (09:32).
  • Cold Foods: Ice cream headaches (or "brain freezes") happen when cold foods affect temperature-sensitive nerves in your mouth, causing blood vessels to react and induce sudden pain (10:15).
  • Nitrates in Processed Meats: Pepperoni, bacon, bologna, and hot dogs can trigger headaches in some people due to the presence of nitrates (12:48).

5. Genetics and Headaches

• "Headaches can be genetic, which means your genes determine if you'll get them or not." (Pepperoni Pizza, 13:09)
• Clarified using a pun on "genes" vs. "jeans" for comic relief.

6. How to Relieve or Prevent Headaches

• Best First Step: Rest and sleep—most headaches go away on their own.
• Other Remedies:
  • Stretching, taking a walk outside, applying a cold pack to the forehead, and drinking fluids (14:12).
  • Pain relief medication can help, but check with an adult first (14:52).
• "Most headaches will go away on their own after you've rested or slept a while." (Pepperoni Pizza, 13:50)

7. When to See a Doctor

• Headaches are rarely a sign of a serious health problem, but medical attention is advised if:
  • Headaches are frequent, severe, don’t go away, follow a head injury, or come with vision changes or tingling sensations.
  • Persistent headaches disrupt normal activities or frequently wake you up at night (15:16 – 15:53).

8. Helpful Tips

• Headache Diary: Track what you eat and activities to identify triggers (15:53).
• Decorate your diary with pizza stickers! (for fun and to spot patterns) (16:02).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• 00:50 Pepperoni Pizza: "Hi, trusty. I am so excited to be a part of your dream. Also, I think I can help you and the smarty pants learn about headaches."
• 03:01 Pepperoni Pizza: "The answer to that question is surprisingly false. Even though a headache might feel like your brain hurts, that's not actually what is happening."
• 05:42 Pepperoni Pizza: "Migraine headaches are one of the most common medical conditions... Approximately 20% or 2 out of every 10 people suffer from migraine headaches in the USA."
• 06:19 Pepperoni Pizza: "Historical records show people have had migraines for at least 7,000 years."
• 09:32 Pepperoni Pizza: "Well, for anyone who said coffee, tea, chocolate, energy drinks and soda, you're right. But do you know why those foods give you a headache? It's because they have something in them called caffeine..."
• 10:15 Pepperoni Pizza: "When you eat something cold like ice cream or an ice pop, it affects the temperature sensitive nerves in your head and the blood vessels along the roof of your mouth. In an effort to warm up your mouth, blood rushes to that area and causes a headache."
• 12:48 Pepperoni Pizza: "Well, you see, pepperoni, along with foods like bacon, bologna, and hot dogs, has something called nitrates in it can give some people a headache."
• 13:09 Pepperoni Pizza: "Headaches can be genetic, which means your genes determine if you'll get them or not."
• 13:50 Pepperoni Pizza: "Absolutely. And trusty, you definitely had the right idea by taking a nap. Most headaches will go away on their own after you've rested or slept a while."
• 15:53 Pepperoni Pizza: "I know some people who keep a headache diary where they write down every time they have a headache and what happened before it that might have triggered it."
• 16:08 Pepperoni Pizza: "Good idea. And again, sorry I gave you a headache."
• 16:14 Cherie B. Tey: "That's okay. Thanks for all the great information. And while it's a bummer that pepperoni gave me a headache, the good news is I'm happy with a slice of plain cheese pizza, too."

Important Timestamps

| Time | Topic/Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Cherie sets the scene with her headache and nap | | 00:50 | Introduction of Pepperoni Pizza Dream Guide | | 03:00 | Busting the "pain in your brain" myth | | 04:20 | Types of headaches explained: tension vs migraine | | 05:42 | Migraine statistics and history | | 07:07 | Headaches and illness | | 07:34 | Emotional and environmental triggers | | 08:40 | Headaches from strong smells | | 09:32 | Caffeine and "brain freeze" causes | | 12:48 | Nitrates in foods as headache triggers | | 13:09 | Genetics and headaches | | 13:50 | How to relieve headaches | | 15:16 | When headaches warrant a doctor visit | | 15:53 | Headache diary recommendation | | 16:08 | Episode wrap-up and thanks to listeners |

Episode Tone & Style

• Wonderfully quirky and inviting, with pepperoni pizza puns and silly dream logic.
• Playful, interactive: listeners are encouraged to answer questions and play along.
• Explains science in simple, kid-friendly language without talking down to the audience.

Conclusion

This episode of "Who Smarted?" turns the nuisance of headaches into a fascinating learning adventure. By blending humor, catchy dialogue, and relatable examples (who hasn’t had a brain freeze?), it teaches kids about why we get headaches, what triggers them, and how to cope—all while keeping science fun and memorable. If you've ever wondered what’s happening inside your head during a headache, or just love a good slice of pizza wisdom, this one’s for you!