Ménière's disease: Eating a low-salt diet
Introduction
The vertigo (spinning sensation) experienced in Ménière's disease can be severe and debilitating. There is little you can do to change the intensity of an episode, but eating a low-sodium diet may help reduce the frequency of your episodes. Salt is the most familiar source of sodium.
The U.S. daily recommended value for sodium is less than 2,300 mg a day. Evidence exists that restricting sodium to 1,000 mg a day may help those with Ménière's disease.
Eating less salt does not have to be difficult. Following are five keys to decreasing salt in your diet:
- Read labels, especially on processed foods, to see how much sodium foods contain.
- Ask for low-salt meals at restaurants.
- If you use canned vegetables, rinse them thoroughly.
- Call your local water company to find out the sodium content of your water supply. If you drink bottled water, read the label and choose a sodium-free brand.
- Don't add salt to your food.
What is the benefit of eating a low-salt diet?
Why should you follow a low-salt diet?
How do you limit the salt in your diet?
Where to get more information
More information about vertigo can be found in the following topics:
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
- Ménière's Disease
- Dizziness: Lightheadedness and Vertigo
- Labyrinthitis
- Vestibular Neuritis
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| Author: | Monica Rhodes | Last Updated: October 20, 2008 |
| Medical Review: |
Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine Barrie J. Hurwitz, MD - Neurology |
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