What is the best diet for vestibular migraine?

A vestibular migraine is a nervous system disorder that can cause patients to experience dizziness (also known as vertigo) repeatedly over time.

Despite sharing its name with the traditional migraine, vestibular migraines do not always cause headaches. The most noticeable symptom caused by vestibular migraines is dizziness and vertigo.

Along with vertigo medicine and therapy, lifestyle changes can also play a big part in treating the disorder.

In this blog, we’re going to take a look at the best vestibular migraine diet practices that can help in the overall treatment process.

Vestibular migraine causes

It is still not clear what exactly causes vestibular migraines. Just like migraines, there are theories about the vestibular migraine causes, but no clear answer yet.

The common consensus in the medical community is that the disorder is caused by defects in the messages sent by the nervous system which can lead to problems of the vestibular system, which is primarily concerned with hearing and balance functions.

Vestibular migraine treatment

Even though there is no specific medicine for vestibular migraine treatment yet, medication is a part of the overall treatment process.

For example, medications like triptans are used to control headaches and vestibular suppressants like lorazepam and promethazine can also be used as part of the treatment process.

In some cases, your doctor may prescribe migraine medication like beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers too.

However, medication is only one part of the overall vestibular migraine treatment process. Living a healthy life and eating healthy is also a large part of the treatment process, not only for vestibular migraines but also for other vestibular problems like BPPV vertigo.

Best vestibular migraine diet practices

with a healthy diet, vestibular disorder and the intensity of its symptoms can be controlled to a large extent. While it is not possible to create a universal diet that’s good for everyone, there are certain principles that we can follow when it comes to eating healthy.

Here are some salient points if you’re considering switching to a healthy vestibular migraine diet:

• Track what you eat
  
  The first step to switching to a new diet is to observe your current diet and your food intake in general. A food journal can help in identifying your current eating patterns and helping you change them to better ones.
  
  You do not have to be really meticulous when it comes to recording your eating habits, even a roughly written journal can help a lot when it comes to changing your diet. All you have to do is just make a quick note of what you eat and when you eat it!
  
  Once you have a food journal, you can start tracking your food habits more precisely and slowly change it for the better!
  
  
• Healthy foods for vestibular migraine patients
  
  Once you have a good understanding of your eating habits and patterns, the next step is to slowly start introducing food that’s good for vestibular migraines gradually into your diet.
  
  So, what should be included in a vestibular migraine diet?
  
  Fish is considered to be a really good food source for patients who experience vestibular migraines. Fishes like salmon and cod are extremely rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which are known to have positive health effects. Other sources for Omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts and flax seeds.
  
  Additionally, foods that are rich in riboflavin are also very good for patients who are suffering from vestibular migraines. Examples of such foods include mushroom and spinach.
  
  Milk and shrimps can also be a good addition to the diet as they are both rich in vitamin D. Lastly, it is always a good thing to include colorful vegetables like beets, carrots, string beans, asparagus, etc. in your diet.
  
  
• Unhealthy foods for vestibular migraine patients
  
  Along with including healthy food in your diet, it is also important to stay away from food that can trigger the symptoms of the migraine to intensify.
  
  There are several foods that are bad for patients suffering from vestibular migraines including chocolate, coffee, red wine, energy drinks, soda, foods containing a high amount of sodium, and aged meats.
  
  Of course, it is still possible for vestibular migraine patients to enjoy these foods once in a while, it is recommended to not include them in their regular diet.
  
  At the end of the day, the objective is to be more thoughtful and adopt lifestyle habits that lead to a better and healthier you.

A balanced diet for a better you

If you’re a patient suffering from vestibular migraines or BPPV vertigo or any kind of vestibular disorder, it is important to discuss potential diet changes with your physician before committing to them.

Since every patient is different, it is not possible to create a diet that would work for everyone due to varieties in dietary preferences and restrictions.

However, a healthy diet does have an effect on your health in general and can definitely help in reducing the symptoms of vestibular disorders like vestibular migraines and BPPV vertigo.