7 Ways to Care for Meniere’s Disease and 1 Way to End the Cycle

Meniere’s disease is a debilitating condition of the inner ear. The inner ear is responsible for helping us maintain our balance, and when it becomes compromised, Meniere’s can be the end result. Meniere’s disease is known for a loss of balance, hearing loss, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Meniere’s affects everyone at different degrees. It is intermittent and can be very unpredictable. Some can cope well with it as it is just a mild aggravation, while others find it to be very disabling and may lead to deafness and permanent imbalance of the inner ear.


Common Symptoms of Meniere’s DiseaseA classic case of Meniere’s disease has four major components:

• Hearing loss: This generally begins in one ear and may progress to the other one eventually. It may vary depending on the severity of the attack. No one case is the same as the next.
• Rotational vertigo: This is the sensation of spinning. You may feel like you or the things around you are spinning. It can come on mildly or hit suddenly and be very severe. The best thing to do when this occurs is sit down right where you are until the sensation passes because many people acquire injuries if they fall down.
• Pressure: The feeling of swelling, congestion, or that the ear is under pressure is common with Meniere’s disease.
• Tinnitus: A ringing sensation in the ears ranging from mild to unbearable. This may lead to a related symptom: migraines.

Why Does Meniere’s Disease Happen?The exact cause of Meniere’s disease remains a mystery among the medical community. Some theories suggest that it is due to a build-up of fluid in the inner ear. Some factors that could make this occur are:

• Abnormal immune system response
• Viral infection
• Migraines
• Genetic predisposition
• Improper fluid drainage
• Allergies
• Head or neck trauma

Because of the nature of the condition, a combination of factors may be involved. We are going to focus on the last item in the above list later in this article. A definite connection has been discovered between head and neck trauma and Meniere’s disease.
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7 Ways to Help Alleviate Symptoms of Meniere’s DiseaseHere are 7 things you can try at home to help alleviate your symptoms of Meniere’s disease:

1. Drink plenty of water: This may sound counterproductive because Meniere’s may be caused by an excess build-up of fluid, but another reason for Meniere’s can be a virus, pathogen, or bacteria in the body. Drinking water can help to flush this out. By keeping the water in your body balanced, you will be successful in removing excess salts and clearing out toxins.
2. Follow a low-sodium diet: Doctors will recommend this quite often because the extra salt in the body can cause inflammation and water retention. You can eliminate these problems by lowering your salt intake.
3. Keep your carbs and proteins balanced: Carbohydrates break down into simple sugars and increase the insulin in your bloodstream because of glucose. When you eat protein, it produces a release of glucagon to regulate the amount of insulin in the body. This can help keep your blood sugar and insulin in control and help reduce the symptoms of Meniere’s.
4. Stay away from sugar substitutes and MSG: Aspartame and MSG are closely linked to Meniere’s. These unhealthy products are found in a majority of processed foods. However, you can avoid them with a little effort and, hopefully, see an improvement in symptoms.
5. Manage your stress levels: Anxiety releases the stress hormones and can trigger a bout of Meniere’s disease. Getting professional help to deal with chronic stress may be a good option to consider. You can practice stress relief at home by listening to some calming music, doing some strengthening exercises, such as Pilates, or taking a long walk.
6. Keep away from caffeine and nicotine: Both of these substances are considered to be stimulating. It has been observed that both caffeine and nicotine extend the duration of hearing loss, make vertigo worse, and make the ringing of tinnitus even louder. Try to avoid both of these substances entirely if possible.
7. Avoid foods that cause inflammation: These include foods that are hard to digest, as they can cause irritation throughout the body. Mild foods are the best choice with Meniere’s.

Finding Natural Relief for Meniere’s Disease    A study involving 139 Meniere’s patients revealed some interesting information that is helpful to anyone suffering from it. Most of the participants could recall having some type of head or neck injury prior to the onset of the symptoms of Meniere’s disease. It was found upon examination that all 139 had a misaligned bone in their upper cervical spine. When given a correction by an upper cervical chiropractor, all reported seeing their symptoms improve. In particular, they noticed an improvement in their vertigo. The majority even saw their Meniere’s go away.
This has to do with the C1 vertebra and how closely it sits in the neck to the brainstem and Eustachian tube. If the C1 moves out of place, the misalignment may cause the brainstem to malfunction and begin sending improper signals to the brain about the body’s location, leading to vertigo. It can also cause issues with the Eustachian tube. The issues may not show up for several years after the trauma.
By visiting us here at Upper Cervical Cedar Falls in Cedar Falls, Iowa, we hope to help you find some sense of relief from your Meniere’s disease. We use a gentle method that helps to realign the bones in the upper neck without the need for popping or cracking them. Once back in place, often in only a few visits, patients see a similar result to those in the above-mentioned study. May this be your outcome as well, finding relief from the disabling symptoms of Meniere’s disease.

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