Migraine pains are a common form of discomfort. When the pain is triggered, getting through the day may feel like a monumental task and a hill that you are desperate to run away from. To avoid these consistent and persistent headaches, it is advised to avoid things that trigger the pain. But there is a wide range of factors that contribute to this condition, and the triggers can vary from person to person.

Not many know of this, but the city that one lives in could be a major trigger for migraine-induced headaches. Research conducted by Bert Sterling and his team ranked the following US cities according to how badly they can affect migraine pains.

The cities that are worst for migraine patients are:

1. Cincinnati
2. Madison
3. North Little Rock
4. Knoxville
5. St. Louis
6. Nashville
7. Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol
8. Chattanooga
9. Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson
10. Canton-Massillon

And to arrive at this conclusion, these are the considerations they took note of.

How was this concluded?
In order to figure out which cities in the United States could be good or bad for people suffering from migraines, certain factors were taken into consideration. While not all of the listed cities ranked poorly on all these scales, some of them did. Some of the factors that contributed to the list are as follows:

• Prescription
  In order to treat migraine pain, a certain dosage of triptans is prescribed. One of the key factors in analyzing which cities are bad is their migraine friendliness; it is important to note the number of triptan prescriptions and the frequency of refills. This is calculated by the number of prescriptions fulfilled per capita.
• Food
  Like every other condition, migraine pain too can be triggered by what one eats and drinks. Therefore, to rank cities on this scale, one key factor considered was the consumption of trigger foods. This included all the major foods and food groups that are known to trigger or contribute to the severity of migraine pain. Some of the common food triggers for migraine pain include alcohol, cola, tea, coffee, pickles, pizza, cheese, nuts, chocolates, sour cream, and peanut butter. Shockingly enough, citrus fruits and juices have also been added to the list.
• Environmental factors
  Another contributing factor is the environmental condition. This might not be commonly known, but the factors like rapid weather changes and living in extreme temperatures can contribute to the frequency of migraine pains. Some other contributing keys are the rate of crime, divorce, and suicide in the city. This might not seem like a primary concern to many, but the statistics say otherwise.
• Lifestyle
  Lifestyle can cause and affect a lot of things. If someone has a poor lifestyle, the outcome of those choices is bound to be similar. That and the negative impact of things like long travel hours, extra-long working hours, increased and prolonged exposure to screens, and the sun. Sleeplessness and the increased frequency of insomnia also can contribute to migraine pains. Some other lifestyle factors that some may not have considered are the intensity of workouts.