Cincinnati... Nation's most miserable place to live?

[Franny]

I think people around here are just cry babies, that's all.


Top-ranked city for migraines
Diet, weather trigger headaches, researchers say
BY PEGGY O'FARRELL | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Is living in Cincinnati enough to give people killer headaches?

A new study ranks the Queen City as the No. 1 "hot spot" in the nation for migraine headaches.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.d...WS01/603130324

Changeable weather, diet and the number of prescriptions written for migraine medications contributed to the region's painful ranking, said Bert Sperling, founder of Sperling's Best Places, the Washington-based firm that conducted the study. Ortho-McNeil Neurologics sponsored the study. The company makes Topamax, which is prescribed to prevent migraines.


"Cincinnati has more migraine triggers than we found in other places," he said.

The study found doctors wrote 44.9 prescriptions for migraine medications per 1,000 people in the Cincinnati region, Sperling said. Consumers here ranked near the top in the nation for buying foods that trigger migraines, including red wines, chocolates, cheeses and cured or processed meats.

The No. 2 city, Little Rock, ranked higher for prescriptions, with 57.3 written per 1,000 people, but Cincinnati ranked higher on other factors such as food triggers and weather, Sperling said.

Headache sufferers can't do much about the weather, said Lisa Mannix, a West Chester headache specialist.

In the Midwest, Mannix said, many people who think they're plagued by sinus headaches are actually suffering migraines.

Getting a proper diagnosis for migraines - intensely painful headaches often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light, sound and smells - can help sufferers avoid triggers that can cause them, she said.

"A person who gets migraines has a very sensitive nervous system, and all of these factors can push them into an attack," Mannix said.

The right diagnosis can also help patients get relief for their headaches, she said.

"It's not so much where you are, but who you are and controlling your exposure to triggers and getting help," she said.

E-mail pofarrell@enquirer.com

[Tedesco]

I know the city is a haven for allergies. They always kick up whenever I am in town after spending a few days out.

[Black Magic]

i've worked in 3 different cities and i've never heard so many people complaining about headaches. i would blame the weather mostly. it is supposed to be 71 tomorrow and 46 on wednesday, that can't be good for anyone. the hills also contribute to the smog and mold count. why the hell does everyone stay here