What should people with vestibular disorders eat and avoid?

I have Meniere's vestibular disorder. Doctor, can this disease be cured? What should I eat and avoid to improve the symptoms? (Bich Loan, 45 years old, Quang Ngai)

Reply:

Meniere's disease is a peripheral vestibular disorder (in the inner ear) with common symptoms including dizziness, tinnitus, and hearing loss. Patients may also experience other symptoms such as lightheadedness or a feeling of fullness in the ear. Symptoms of Meniere's disease do not appear continuously but occur in episodes. Each episode may have one or more vestibular-hearing symptoms at the same time.

The cause of Meniere's disease is still unknown. Some hypotheses related to the pathophysiology of Meniere's include genes, infections, trauma, mechanics, autoimmune, allergies and vascular causes... On that basis, current treatment methods also aim to address the above causes such as: medication, surgery, changes in diet, lifestyle...

Currently, there is no official diet to cure vestibular disease. However, you can limit or increase certain foods related to the accumulation of cochlear fluid to help manage Meniere's disease.

Low-salt diet: A low-salt diet is beneficial for Meniere's disease, especially in the early stages. Reducing salt in the diet helps to reduce fluid accumulation, thereby reducing vestibular symptoms. The recommended amount of salt is 1-1.5 grams per day (less than 1/3 teaspoon).

Limiting salt when preparing food is beneficial for people with vestibular disorders. Photo: Freepik — Limiting salt when preparing food is beneficial for people with vestibular disorders. Photo: *Freepik*

Drink enough water: Water is needed for all normal activities of the human body, not just the vestibular system. An adult needs to drink at least 2 liters of water per day.

Limit caffeine and alcohol: Caffeine use can cause constriction of blood vessels supplying the vestibular system and inner ear, making vertigo symptoms worse. Therefore, people with Meniere's disease should limit their caffeine intake. Similar to caffeine, alcohol consumption can also make vestibular disorders worse.

There are currently many methods of treating vestibular disorders. For example, the ENT Center, Tam Anh General Hospital, is equipped with a system to measure vestibular function using the world's most modern dynamic eye chart (VNG) technology. Patients wear glasses with a camera attached to them, which records and analyzes eye movements, from which the device can determine whether the nystagmus is caused by the ear (peripheral vestibular disorder) or the brain (central vestibular disorder). Based on that, doctors can provide appropriate, personalized treatment methods to increase effectiveness for each patient.

Treatment methods may include medication, vestibular rehabilitation exercises, surgery, diet and lifestyle changes... Dietary changes are considered one of the first supportive treatments for this disease, especially early-stage Meniere's.

If readers have questions about vestibular disorders and ear, nose and throat diseases, they can ask questions here to get answers from doctors.

Master, Doctor, Specialist I Pham Thai Duy
ENT Center Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City

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