Menieres Disease

Supportive Management

  • Know your vertigo triggers and avoid them.
  • During vertigo attacks:
    • Take a seat or lie down in bed with eyes closed.
    • Avoid bright lights.
    • Avoid watching television or reading.
    • Avoid driving and avoid operating machinery.
  • Limit the intake of salt. Take only 1,500 – 2,000 mg of sodium per day.
    *Note: 1 level teaspoon of salt has 2,300 mg of sodium

    • Read food labels and choose food and beverages with less sodium. Choose food stuff labeled with “low sodium”, “no salt added”, or “sodium-free”.
    • Avoid eating processed food (e.g. canned goods, bacon, microwaveable meals, and other packaged or instant food)
    • Avoid eating fast food meals.
    • Avoid using salt in giving flavor to home-cooked meals. Alternatively, use vinegar, calamansi, and other herbs and spices to give flavor to food.
  • Also, limit the intake of caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
  • As nicotine and allergy flare-up could worsen symptoms, consider smoking cessation and avoid exposure to allergens.
  • Eat regularly. Drink six – eight glasses of water per day.
  • Have plenty of rest. Sleep for 7-8 hours every night in a dark room, as melatonin – a powerful anti-oxidant that promotes healing through boosting the immune function – are found to be produced in higher amounts when sleeping in darkness. If sleeping in a dark room is not possible, wear an eye patch instead.

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Herbal Medicine

  • Gingko Biloba Supplement
    • For vertigo
    • Choose a high-quality gingko biloba supplement, that which contains 24% ginkgo heterosides or gingkolisides. Take 250 mg daily until the vertigo is reduced in frequency and severity. When the vertigo is significantly reduced, take a maintenance dose of 40 – 60 mg daily.

Other Complementary and Alternative Therapy

  • Acupressure for vertigo
    • Acupressure is traditional healing art which uses the fingers, palms, elbows, or feet to apply pressure on the body’s healing points (acupoints) in order to restore the life force energy of the body, improve blood circulation, relieve muscle tension, and ultimately, to improve health.
    • Please visit the following link containing a video demonstration on alleviating and preventing vertigo using acupressure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08wC9GU5MQY

Recommendation

Consult doctor for

  • Uncontrolled nausea and vomiting, thus, leading to dehydration (symptoms include: extreme thirst, less frequent urination, dark-colored urine, fatigue, confusion).
  • Pharmacologic management of vertigo (to lessen severity and frequency of episodes).

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Please note that the information provided by this tool is provided solely for educational purposes and is not a qualified medical opinion. This information should not be considered advice or an opinion of a doctor or other health professional about your actual medical state, and you should see a doctor for any symptoms you may have. If you are experiencing a health emergency, you should call your local emergency number immediately to request emergency medical assistance.