Meniere’s disease is a rare vestibular condition with a limited number of treatment options. If you are looking to avoid the side effects of surgeries or injectable medications, then you may find some help in this guide to managing Meniere’s disease naturally. We’re going to look at everything from lifestyle changes to an alternative therapy that many are finding beneficial.

Diet and Nutrition for Meniere’s Patients

One thing that can reduce the severity of your symptoms is to control your diet. Here are a few adjustments that may make a big difference:

• Low sodium diet – This is recommended by many healthcare professionals in order to lessen the amount of fluid a person retains. Since many of the symptoms of Meniere’s are related to excess fluid in the ear, this approach makes seen and lessens symptoms for some patients.
• Low sugar diet – Sugar actually increases fluid levels in the body. As a result, having too much sugar in your diet may make symptoms worse.
• Low caffeine intake – Some patients complain that caffeine intake increases ringing in the ears, a common Meniere’s symptom. If this happens to you, a reduction in caffeine intake may be in order.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners – Artificial sweeteners are about the worst thing you can ingest if you want to keep fluid levels down.

Get Allergies and Sensitivities Under Control

When a person is exposed to an allergen, the body goes to work producing various fluids to force the allergen out of the body. This can increase the amount of fluid in your ears. Thus, avoiding things you are allergic to is vital for Meniere’s patients. This includes being on guard against food sensitivities. One way you may be able to reduce seasonal allergies naturally is by taking in raw, local honey.

Change Your Habits

There are some habits that can negatively impact Meniere’s and others that positively impact it. For example, two things a person may be in the habit of that could potentially increase the symptoms experienced are:

• Using tobacco – Tobacco makes the blood vessels constrict. This can lead to reduced blood flow to the ears. Quitting the habit can definitely offer some symptomatic relief.
• Drinking alcohol – You may be able to use alcohol in moderation but keep an eye on your symptoms. If using alcohol increases them greatly, you may need to quit altogether.

On the other hand, you will want to increase your water intake. Does that sound counter intuitive since you want to decrease fluids in the body? Water cleanses impurities form the body. It’s not the kind of fluid you have to be worried about building up. Plus, if you are cutting your sodium intake, this will help you to avoid becoming dehydrated (which would make vertigo worse).

Get Stress Under Control

Stress can cause Meniere’s symptoms to flare out of control, so you need to control the stress to control the condition. Since we just took away two common ways people deal with stress (cigarettes and alcohol), we’d like to present you with a few positive ways to deal with the pressures of daily life as well as the large trials that may spring up from time to time.

• Talk to someone – Speak with an empathetic friend, hire a professional, join a support group – do whatever is best for you when it comes to getting out your feelings.
• Find a relaxing hobby – It may be playing an instrument, taking photographs, reading in hot bath, or taking a walk through a local park. Whatever makes you feel relaxed that you can dedicate some time to is perfect.
• Get some exercise – There’s nothing like a little cardio to replace those stress hormones with feel-good hormones. Many say they can feel stress melt away while taking a brisk run.
• Massage – Whether you hire a professional massage therapist or save yourself some money by having a loved one provide the massage, they key is to feel relaxed when all is said and done.

Get An Atlas Adjustment

If you’ve never heard of the atlas, it is the nickname of the C1 vertebra, the top bone in the neck. It is located at the base of the skull, right between the ears. From this location, it is in a unique position to affect both the ears and the central nervous system (CNS). Thus, it can have a major effect on all of the symptoms related to Meniere’s disease. It is no wonder that in a case study involving 300 patients, 97% saw dramatic improvement in their symptoms – vertigo in particular.

The researcher in that case study discovered that these 300 Meniere’s patients were all suffering from an upper cervical misalignment. Perhaps it was due to an accident or another injury that lead to whiplash or a concussion. In fact, many of the patients received their diagnosis about 15 years after the injury that caused the misalignment. This underlying issue was clearly working behind the scenes for years, leading to problems that restricted the body’s natural process of draining off excess fluid from the ears via the eustachian tubes.

If you suffer from Meniere’s disease and are looking for natural relief, why not give upper cervical chiropractic a try. This subspecialty of chiropractic is gentle, safe, and backed by studies. Many patients find that their overall well-being improved starting right from the first adjustment and continuing on as the atlas holds in place longer and longer. Schedule a consult to today to learn more.

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