1. Change Your Diet
Many Meniere's disease patients report that their vertigo attacks are reduced when following a specific diet, although there is little scientific data to back up the changes in the disease's behavior. Cutting sodium intake to about 1,000 mg per day can be helpful, though this dietary change must be approved by your doctor before you start. Reducing or eliminating caffeine and alcohol intake can also provide benefits. In order to evaluate how your diet influences your vertigo spells, you should consider keeping a food journal in conjunction with listing your Meniere's disease symptoms.
2. Prepare Yourself for Future Vertigo Attacks
Keeping a running record of what triggers vertigo and how the attacks develop can help you prepare to deal with future bouts. For example, if you know the worst vertigo spells come after a sudden blockage in one of your ears, you can be prepared to find a place to sit or lie down the next time it happens. Your coworkers should be aware of your condition, so they can find the appropriate treatment for you if a sudden Meniere's attack causes you to fall.
3. Take Medication to Control Symptoms
While caffeine and alcohol can increase the frequency or severity of Meniere's disease, taking diuretics in medication form can be one possible treatment. Ask your doctor about medication that can increase blood flow to your inner ear to help prevent damage as a result of frequent Meniere's bouts. Be aware that some of the medications you take for other conditions may be detrimental to your Meniere's treatment.
4. Surgery as a Last Resort
If you have lost hearing in one or both ears as a result of Meniere's disease or another condition, surgery can be used to limit vertigo spells. This surgery will remove part of the inner ear and sacrifice any sense of hearing that remains in that ear. Other types of surgery call for precision cuts to a nerve in the inner ear to help control vertigo. However, these are delicate procedures that carry the risk of hearing loss and other side effects.
