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.

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 and Vestibular Neuritis

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