The ketogenic diet is quite a radical diet that changes most people way of eating. Some people wonder if keto diet can be a cause of vertigo. Indeed they might have experienced a recent episode of vertigo. Let’s dig further into this question.
Vertigo is such an unpleasant sensation that he needs to be taken into account if you experience it. But what you might think being a vertigo episode might in fact only be a small dizziness.
Table of Contents
What is vertigo?
Everybody know that your ear is where your sense of audition is located. But no everybody knows that your ear is also where your sense of balance is located. In fact it is located in what’s called your inner ear. The inner ear is a small organ located inside your ear and it is in charge of your balance. Having a good balance is vital for walking or even for running.
You might experience vertigo when there is a problem in the way your inner ear and consequently your sense of balance works.
Most of the times this problem comes from an ear infection[1], so it’s most common during the winter. Please note that the vertigo might come as well from another part of the brain and the involved nerves.
How to prevent vertigo?
Depending on the underlying condition that’s causing vertigo you might be able to prevent some of the symptoms using the following techniques:
- Move slowly in particular when you stand up or seat.
- Be careful when bending your body.
- Pay special attention when moving your head in order to remember to move it slowly.
- When sleeping use at least 1 or 2 pillows.
- Drink a lot of fluids throughout your day.
If you experience vertigo on a regular basis and not occasionally your should pay a visit to your physician. A professional will be able to properly diagnose an underlying condition that needs a more thorough treatment. In particular with aging vertigo become more common. Another red flag is if you already experienced vertigo in the past due to an ear condition.
What’s the difference between vertigo and dizziness?
Dizziness generally describes a sensation of spinning around as well as loosing his sense of balance.
When you experience vertigo, you feel dizziness symptoms, but also you feel like the world around you is moving (whereas in a normal condition it feels stable). With vertigo you might as well experience additional symptoms like nausea and vomiting.
So one can say that the symptoms of vertigo are more heavy. They are often a manifestation of one of the conditions highlighted above.
Why does keto diet causes dizziness?
One of the main aspect of the keto diet is that you will reduce your consumption of sugars a lot. Indeed reducing your intake of carbohydrates is essential as you want to substitute them with good fats.
Lots people not on a keto diet, i.e. people eating pretty much anything, tend to eat a lot of sugars along the day:
- Starting with breakfast cereals and milk.
- At lunch lot of people eat sandwiches or a significant amount of bread.
- Also for dinner most people eat bread.
Reducing high sugar intake can cause dizziness
So here it is: that’s the reduction of the previous high sugar intake that can cause dizziness. How your body reacts to this reduction is quite unique to your own body, but one common symptom is dizziness.
The symptoms depend on how much sugar or artificial sweeteners your were taking before switching to keto. People eating a lot of sweet snacks or candies for example might experience more acute symptoms.
On top of dizziness while you reduce your sugar intake you might experience the following mental symptoms:
- Cravings: that’s the most common one, and the one people have a hard time with.
- Depression: reducing sugar can cause a negative alteration of your mood.
- Anxiety: you may feel more nervous and having a hard time to keep calm and patient.
On the physical side you might also feel more tired: sugars are an essential source of energy for you body. Consequently reducing your intake reduces what your body might use for functioning properly.
Conclusion
In conclusion can keto diet cause vertigo? The keto diet doesn’t cause vertigo per se. Vertigo can be occasional or the symptom of a specific condition like an ear infection that needs to be treated.
Some people confuse dizziness caused by reduced sugar intake with vertigo. Once they are used to the keto diet the symptoms of dizziness should stop.
But in the meantime the symptoms of dizziness are really unpleasant and the quicker they disappear they better. Once they are gone most people will be able to enjoy the benefits of switching to the ketogenic diet without dizziness.
Dizziness should only be temporary after switching to a keto diet. Once your body gets used to a new way to source energy for well functioning, the cause for dizziness, the reduction in sugar intake, will be gone for good.
And then you will feel so much better with your healthy eating habits. Your body will thank you for having the courage to make a bold step to improve your health.
References
[1] https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/ears-nose-and-throat/vertigo
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