When people think of the factors that affect their vertigo episodes, they seldom consider what they eat. Little did they know diet plays a critical role in maintaining good health and reducing the severity of various vertigo diseases such as vestibular migraines.

Getting proper nourishment helps speed up the recovery of damaged body parts like an irritated brainstem (a common cause of vestibular migraines). 

If you already started receiving care from a chiropractor for vertigo or other health professionals, we highly recommend switching to a healthier diet. Check out some helpful diet tips for patients with vestibular migraines below: 

#1. Start by knowing what you need to improve

What better way to know what aspects of your diet you need to change than by tracking what you eat and drink every day? You can use a food diary or personal journal to list the usual items you grab when you feel hungry. Additionally, we highly recommend noting food products that trigger spinning sensations, such as:

• Processed meats
• Aged cheeses
• Chocolate
• Alcoholic beverages (red wine, beer, etc.)

#2. Never skip meals

Infrequent eating can lead to several negative impacts on your health, such as brain fog, fatigue, and mood swings. It can also potentially aggravate vestibular migraines because of the lack of nutrients absorbed by the brain and the sudden decrease of sugar flowing into the bloodstream. 

#3. Avoid eating too many carbohydrates

Binge eating on carbs spells trouble for people with vestibular migraines because it can suddenly cause your blood sugar to increase. We suggest eating carbs in small amounts each meal to avoid blood sugar fluctuations. By doing this alone, you can significantly reduce the severity of your vestibular migraine episodes.    

#4. Switch to a low-fat diet

Balance problems and spinning sensations heavily affect obese people. Consequently, obesity increases the risks for health conditions that may aggravate your vestibular migraines. That’s why it’s crucial to keep tabs on your weight and shy away from food products that may contribute to your weight problem. 

Instead of opting for food products with excessive saturated fat in them, we suggest trying some of the following low-fat food products:

• Leafy green veggies
• Fresh fruits
• Legumes and beans
• Cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cabbage, turnips, bok choy, etc.)
• Tart cherry juice
• Ancient grains (bulgur, spelt, quinoa, and farro)

#5. Experiment with herbs and spices

Food products rich in saturated fat are popular for a reason–they’re tasty and widely available to the public. However, as mentioned above, opting for such food products is a big no-no if you frequently struggle with vestibular migraines. 

Instead of immediately reaching for fast-food or ready-to-eat meals, we suggest experimenting with spices and herbs to bring out the flavor in popular superfoods. Surely enough, you can easily find amazing recipes that will keep you from craving unhealthy food products. 

#6. Work with a dietician 

Restricting or eliminating certain food groups for a prolonged time can make you susceptible to nutrient deficiencies. Moreover, removing a specific food product from one’s diet to curb the frequency of a vestibular migraine doesn’t work for every patient. So, if you tried making changes to your diet and noticed adverse effects, we suggest taking a second look at your approach to addressing potential problems. 

You might also find it helpful to work with a dietician or your primary healthcare provider to learn the best course of action you must take. 

#7. Keep your body saturated

Besides eating healthy food and giving up food triggers, it’s also equally important to drink enough water every day. By doing so, you can help your kidneys clear out toxins and excess electrolytes that may affect several body parts, such as your vestibular system. Avoiding dehydration can also prevent common vestibular migraine symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo, and unsteadiness.

Other Lifestyle Adjustments for Patients with Vestibular Migraines

Getting enough nutrition is, without a doubt, one of the most crucial things that patients with vestibular migraines need to do. However, there are other lifestyle adjustments that you will need to make to manage your symptoms better. Some examples of these include:

• Avoid sensory triggers like bright lights and loud sounds
• Minimize doing sudden movements, especially when getting out of bed
• Address riboflavin or magnesium deficiency 
• Try taking OTC medication to reduce headaches, aura, or vertigo symptoms during an episode
• Explore remedies like vestibular rehabilitation and going to a chiropractor for vertigo 

Upper Cervical Care for Vestibular Migraines

There you have it, our list of vestibular migraine diet tips! We hope you will put it to good use to minimize the impact of your condition in your everyday life. Upper cervical chiropractors are no strangers to the horrible experiences patients have to go through because of their vestibular migraines.

If you haven’t tried upper cervical chiropractic for vertigo or vestibular migraine relief yet, we recommend booking a consultation. This way, you can determine if upper cervical chiropractic will make an excellent option to explore for your case. 

Upper cervical chiropractic is a proven remedy for chronic vertigo attacks due to conditions like vestibular migraines. It involves checking for cervical bone misalignments and providing ample chiropractic adjustments to revert the changes and stimulate natural healing.  

After you start receiving the adjustments, you can potentially reduce the severity of your vestibular migraine attacks. That’s because restoring your upper neckbones' neutral alignment releases pressure on tissues like the brainstem and vestibulocochlear nerve–which play a part in sensing balance and motion changes. 

Want to work with a chiropractor for vertigo? You can schedule your consultation with an upper cervical care practitioner near you today!

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