Migraines are debilitating and can affect all aspects of life, and if you’re like me and get them pretty often, you might want to take a look at one of the 10 best places to live in the US and Canada for migraine sufferers.
I suffer from severe migraines that are caused by a variety of triggers. A decent amount of my migraines aren’t caused by anything specific, that’s just the way my brain seems to work, but others are caused by weather conditions, allergies, lack of sleep, lack of caffeine, among others. It’s important for me to consider those things when I pick where to live and visit so I can be sure to be prepared. There’s nothing worse than going on vacation somewhere with a bunch of people and then realizing the town is full of cedar trees and then being bedridden for over half the trip. One time I went camping with a school leadership group, which was already a negative thing because I hate camping, and I couldn’t even function for most of it because it was humid and raining, which brought a lot of disgusting allergens out into the open air. Hard pass on camping.
Millions of people suffer from migraines and most who do have a history of them in their family, which was confirmed by the Migraine Research Foundation. Sometimes they can’t be prevented, but it’s important to recognize that certain places are just not going to be a fun experience.
Migraines are different than regular headaches, as they tend to only affect half the head and come with other symptoms, like nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and chills. For the most part, people can try to avoid the things they know will give them migraines. The most common are drastic weather changes, which affect air pressure and therefore head pain, food, and stressful lifestyles. The Human Health Project conducted a poll that showed which foods and activities trigger migraines the most. It concluded that caffeine intake and stress are top factors if there’s too much.
Sperling’s Best Places did a study on the worst places for migraine sufferers, and Cincinnati, Ohio topped the list. In order to help compile our list of the 10 best places to live in US and Canada for migraine sufferers, we used that study and also based it on the weather changes in different areas from AccuWeather. Places with less severe weather changes tend to be overall better environments for people who get frequent migraines.
Just like our list of the 10 Countries With the Best Climate for Longevity, moving to one of the 10 best places to live in the US and Canada for migraine sufferers could be a great option.
10. Boston, Massachusetts
Beneficial for migraine sufferers: 86%
Boston ranks among the best places for migraine sufferers because of its stable weather that will help reduce migraine attacks.
9. Sherbrooke, Canada
Beneficial for migraine sufferers: 93%
We are continuing our list of best places to live in the US and Canada for migraine sufferers with Sherbrooke that is a little humid, but it doesn’t have harsh weather changes that can affect those with migraines greatly.
8. Greater Sudbury, Canada
Beneficial for migraine sufferers: 93%
It’s uncommon for Greater Sudbury, our next entry on the list of best places to live in the US and Canada for migraine sufferers, to have high pressure changes in the air that stir up pollen and cause migraine attacks.
7. Ottawa, Canada
Beneficial for migraine sufferers: 93%
Ottawa is pretty far from neighboring areas, so there isn’t overflow pollution, making it overall fairly stable.
6. Montreal, Canada
Beneficial for migraine sufferers: 93%
The 6th place on our list of best places to live in the US and Canada for migraine sufferers goes to Canada that is clearly a great place to live for migraine sufferers. Montreal has slightly drastic weather changes more in the springtime, but during the rest of the year, it’s rather stable.
5. Stamford, Connecticut
Beneficial for migraine sufferers: 93%
Commuting is popular in Stamford, so there tend to be less cars on the road which contribute to pollution. The weather is stable for migraines.
4. El Paso, Texas
Beneficial for migraine sufferers: 100%
The only drastic weather changes here are from winter to summer, but considering it’s Texas there isn’t much of a winter.
3. Miami, Florida
Beneficial for migraine sufferers: 100%
Commute times contribute heavily to migraine attacks, and because Miami, one of the best places to live in the US and Canada for migraine sufferers, is a center of trade and industry it’s unlikely you’ll be stuck in traffic for too terribly long (if you’re adjusted to their road systems).
2. Los Angeles, California
Beneficial for migraine sufferers: 100%
LA receives just enough rainfall and doesn’t have bizarre weather.
1. Honolulu, Hawaii
Beneficial for migraine sufferers: 100%
There couldn’t be anything more relaxing that Hawaii. Weather temperatures only differ slightly, and it’s a calming, quiet place that won’t trigger migraines too terribly much.
That being said, these were the 10 best places to live in the US and Canada for migraine sufferers.