A low-salt diet could help to control Ménière's disease symptoms

World Salt Awareness Week 2016 - Monday 29 February - Sunday 6 March

It's estimated that in the UK around one in 1,000 people have Ménière's disease.

Ménière's disease is a rare disorder that affects the inner ear. It can cause vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss and a feeling of pressure deep inside the ear. The exact cause of Ménière's disease isn’t known, but the following factors may increase the risk of developing the condition:

autoimmunity – when your immune system attacks your own tissues and organs by mistake

genetic (inherited) factors – if you have a family history of the condition

a chemical imbalance in the fluid in your inner ear – as a result of too little or too much sodium or potassium in your body

a problem with the blood vessels – there's a link between Ménière's disease and migraines, which are thought to be caused by the narrowing and widening of blood vessels

some viral infections – such as meningitis.

One treatment for the symptoms of Ménière's disease is a low-salt diet. Although it’s not effective for everyone, following a diet without added salt can help some people to control their symptoms.

Lowering our daily salt intake can also prevent strokes, heart failure and heart attacks, the leading causes of death and disability in the UK.  There is also increasing evidence of a link between high salt intake and stomach cancer, osteoporosis, obesity, kidney stones, kidney disease and vascular dementia and water retention. Salt can also exacerbate the symptoms of asthma and diabetes

For more information about Ménière's disease go to www.nhs.uk/conditions/menieres-disease or www.menieres.org.uk

To find about more about the benefits of eating less salt go to www.actiononsalt.org.uk/less/Health