Dizziness normally passes quite quickly, and is when a person experiences a sensation of a light head or lack of balance. There are a number of different reasons for dizziness, and the treatments for dizziness will often depend on the original cause, but there are some occasions when avoiding foods will reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. Read on to discover some of the common foods people should avoid when suffering from dizziness.
What Causes Dizziness?
There are a variety of things that can cause dizziness, such as getting up too quickly, especially if the temperature is too hot, dehydration and heatstroke, and lack of nutrients. These are all causes that can be dealt with reasonably simply and easily. However, sometimes medical conditions are the uncommon causes. For example, inner ear inflammation, Ménière's disease, and vertigo are all known to produce dizziness as a symptom.
What to Avoid
Salt
Ménière's disease is a condition that affects the inner ear, and one of the common symptoms is dizziness. Along with other treatment options, altering the diet is often one of the things known to treat the condition, and this will of course reduce dizziness. In particular, a low-salt diet is recommended for treatment of this condition. It can also cause dizziness by leading to dehydration, as the excess salt requires more water to break it down, and dizziness is a natural consequence.
Coffee
Coffee is very dehydrating and this can easily lead to dizzy spells. For this reason, it is best to cut down on coffee or avoid it completely. If you need a boost in the morning, there are plenty of other options to give you the energy you need, such as tea, fruit, or whole grains.
Sugar
Like salt, sugar also has the potential to disrupt fluid balance, and so eating lots of food that is high in refined sugars, such as sweets, soft drinks, and sugary cereals, has the potential to cause dizziness and a general feeling of imbalance.
Dizziness is unpleasant to say the least, and can actually be quite dangerous if it occurs at inappropriate moments, such as whilst driving. For this reason, it is important to treat it as effectively as possible, and this can include altering the diet. By avoiding the foods listed above, you should find a reduction in the regularity and severity of dizzy spells and attacks. If nothing seems to work, it would be advisable to visit your doctor, in order to ensure that the dizziness is not caused by a medical condition that needs to be treated. Read about important things to know about dizziness.
Sources
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- Michigan Medicine. (2018). Dizziness: Lightheadedness and Vertigo. Retrieved May 9, 2019, from https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/dizzi
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