Dizziness is a feeling of lightheadedness, loss of balance, and fainting. It can make you feel like the world is spinning.
Sometimes the feeling is mild and goes away quickly. Other times it can be severe and come with other symptoms, like headaches and vomiting.
Many parts of your body, including your eyes, brain, inner ear, and the nerves in your feet and spine, work together to keep you balanced, and when part of that system is off, you can feel dizzy.
You can try these four lifestyle tips to help prevent dizziness:
1. Get enough sleep so you’re well-rested
Try to get enough sleep, starting at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning. Although everyone’s sleep needs are different, most adults get at least seven hours of sleep. Children and teens may need more.
If you are trying to develop a more regular sleep pattern, wait until bedtime to sleep and avoid napping. Napping is a great way to recharge when you have a consistent sleep schedule, but it can be counterproductive when you are trying to change your sleep habits.
2. Maintain a healthy diet
An anti-inflammatory diet can be particularly helpful in reducing inflammation. It also provides all the essential vitamins and minerals, especially if you eat a variety of foods.
The general principles of an anti-inflammatory diet include:
- Keep your food as close to its original or natural form as possible. This means you should try to limit any processed or prepared foods and cook as much as possible yourself.
- Reduce your salt intake.
- Limit your consumption of processed snacks and junk foods such as chips, cookies, cakes, and crackers.
- Use olive oil as your main cooking oil because it is high in healthy fats.
- Avoid fried or greasy foods such as onion rings, French fries, burgers, and hot dogs.
- Limit red meat and eat only skinless poultry or fish.
- Increase the amount of fish in your diet. Great sources of omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, tuna, sardines, and anchovies.
- Increase your intake of fruits, berries, and vegetables. Include brightly colored berries and fruits and leafy greens, such as Swiss chard, spinach, beets, and collard greens, and kale. You should also try to include broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts in your diet because they have anti-inflammatory and cancer-preventing properties.
- Add onions to your diet because they have anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties. Garlic is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties.
3. Exercise
Exercise regularly for overall health and stress management. While everyone’s exercise needs are different, adults should get at least 2 1/2 hours of moderate aerobic exercise (like brisk walking) each week.
While this exercise may not cure your vertigo, it will contribute to your overall health and well-being, just like making dietary changes.
4. Practice yoga to reduce stress
Yoga can help promote relaxation, which can help treat vertigo at home. Other relaxation strategies like meditation and guided imagery may be helpful.
Yoga is good for both the mind and body. Your stress levels will decrease, your muscles will relax, and you may experience less vertigo.
However, if you suffer from dizziness, you should let your yoga instructor know before class so they can adjust your posture if needed.
