Meniere’s Disease Home Treatment
Some of the home treatment for Meniere’s Disease include a low-sodium diet, maintain glucose levels with equal amounts of protein and carbohydrates, drink plenty of water, avoid inflammatory foods, avoid sugar substitutes and highly processed foods like MSG, avoid caffeine and nicotine, reduce stress as much as possible, and avoid allergens.
What Is Meniere’s Disease?
Meniere’s disease is an irritating condition [1] that affects the inner ear, which is a key element of maintaining our balance. The most notable aspects of the disease is a loss of balance, a ringing in the ears (also called tinnitus) and hearing loss. People suffer from Meniere’s disease in varying levels, and the effects come and go, being quite unpredictable in their duration or severity. For some people with the condition, it is only a mild annoyance that occasionally manifests as vertigo or dizziness, while for others, it can be a debilitating condition that eventually leads to completely deafness and a permanent imbalance of the inner ear due to excess fluid.
Symptoms Of Meniere’s Disease
There is no known cure for Meniere’s disease, although there are many suggestions and helpful treatments that manage the symptoms more than the condition itself. In terms of “classic” Meniere’s, there are four main symptoms :
Rotational Vertigo – this can last for anywhere from minutes to days, and can be very mild to dangerously severe. It is recommended to sit down or lie down when this symptom strikes, as many people suffer from falls and other injuries at this point.
Hearing Loss – this can happen in one or both ears, and may actually vary depending on the “attack”. The duration and completeness of the loss varies widely.
Tinnitus – This is characterized by a ringing in the ears, ranging from mild annoyance to unbearably loud and disruptive. This can also result in a related symptom of migraines.
Pressure – Your ears often feel swollen, popped, or under pressure, the duration of which is unpredictable.
The home remedies for Meniere’s disease are only preventative measures, although there is no way to “cure” the disease, properly managing the disease can reduce the severity and frequency of attacks, effectively solving your problem. The most effective and popular behavioral and diet alterations for Meniere’s disease are explained below.
Home Treatment For Meniere’s Disease
Home Remedies for Meniere’s Disease are as follows:
Drink Plenty of Water
Although Meniere’s is characterized by too much fluid in the inner ear, the cause could very well be a virus, bacteria, or pathogen in the system. Drinking plenty of fluids helps to keep the water balance in your body even by removing excess salts through urination, and clearing out any toxins as well. It doesn’t seem like it makes sense, but it helps!
Avoid Sugar Substitutes and MSG
Both sugar substitutes (like aspartame) and MSG (a salt substitute) have been closely connected to the symptoms of Meniere’s disease. It is difficult to avoid these substances in the overly processed food market, but with some effort, you can reduce your chances of an unexpected attack of dizziness or hearing loss!
Stress Management
It has been found that stress and anxiety, particularly the release of stress hormones, triggers the bouts of Meniere’s symptoms. Therefore, professional treatment for chronic stress may be one option for you, or to engage in relaxing [10] techniques like yoga or meditation. Also, reading literature on stress management can also be a good way to avoid this sometimes unavoidable trigger for Meniere’s symptoms.
Low-sodium Diet
This is the most common recommendation from doctors, because the salt balance in the body is an important part of inflammation, which is a major contributor to the onset of a Meniere’s attack. An increase of fluid retention in the body can be eliminated [4] by lowering salt intake.
Avoid Caffeine and Nicotine
These are both stimulating substances, which can intensify the symptoms. For example, caffeine and nicotine can both extend the duration of hearing loss, increase the severity of the vertigo, or make the ringing of the ears even louder. They should be avoided entirely [9], if possible.
Carb and Protein Balance
Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars, which increase the amount of insulin in your bloodstream due to glucose. One important effect of protein in the body is the release of glucagon, which regulates the amount of insulin in the body. Keeping your blood pressure and insulin levels under control is an important factor [5] in managing Meniere’s disease.
Avoid Inflammatory Foods
Any foods that are taxing on the digestive system or can cause inflammation or irritation throughout the body, including foods which mimic allergenic substances [7], should be avoided. This sort of inflammation can spark the onset of a Meniere’s attack, so mild foods are probably a better choice for you!
