Category: Meniere’s Disease Triggers & Causes

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General Information on Meniere's Disease / Syndrome Meniere's Disease Triggers & Causes

Can Meniere’s Disease be caused by Autoimmunity?

By Mike Spencer

Founder of Meniere’s Help

Researcher and author of Managing Meniere’s Disease and The Need for Balance – Dealing with the Causes of Meniere’s

Meniere’s Disease and Autoimmunity

Can Meniere’s Disease be caused by Autoimmunity? And if so what can you do about it?

In October 2014 a study paper on autoimmunity and Meniere’s was published from the University of South Florida: ‘Autoimmunity as a candidate for the epiopathogenesis of Meniere’s Disease’

The study concluded:

“The findings of this study suggest that autoimmunity could be one of the pathologic mechanisms behind Meniere’s disease. Multiple autoantibodies and antigens may be involved in the autoimmune reaction.

Specific antigens that caused immune reactions with patient’s serum in Protoarray analysis can be candidates for the diagnostic biomarkers of Meniere’s disease.

Further studies with mass screening using candidate antigen-antibody reactions are needed to identify future treatment modalities and to determine the true prevalence of autoimmune pathologic mechanisms underlying Meniere’s disease.”

For a long time autoimmunity was often overlooked as a possible cause of Meniere’s symptoms in some cases. That said, it seems in recent years there is more awareness both among treating doctors and many sufferers that this may be the case, at least in a significant number of people.

In a different study it has been claimed that 6% of patients with unilateral Meniere’s disease and 16% of patients with bilateral Meniere’s disease show signs of autoimmunity.

Are the symptoms of Meniere’s a result of an autoimmune response?

It is certainly a possibility to consider for at least some sufferers.

Have you been checked for this possibility?

If not, ask your doctor for a “Functional Immune System Evaluation” . You can present the studies linked from this blog as evidence that you need to be checked.

You may think that if only 6 – 16% of sufferers show signs of autoimmunity this doesn’t prove it is the definitive cause of your symptoms. Herein lies one of the problems in finding the causes of idiopathic conditions such as Meniere’s.

Tests and studies may focus on trying to find the causative factors when we now know without doubt that there are several root causes and it can be very different in each case. Therefore such studies will always have inconclusive results. Nevertheless these findings prove useful in creating a list of possible root causes to tackle in your own particular case.

There is no one size fits all with Meniere’s and nothing is written in stone, but with knowledge and a process of elimination you can find your cause or causes and deal with them. Autoimmune factors should be on your list of possibilities to consider.

This may well lead you to other factors that are causing autoimmunity and therefore the symptoms of Meniere’s. These causes may seem to have no obvious link to Meniere’s unless you are aware of how everything is connected and how the knock on effect can mean the resulting symptoms may, at first glance, seem far removed from the initial problem.

What causes autoimmunity in Meniere’s sufferers?

Autoimmune diseases refer to problems with the acquired immune system’s reactions. In an autoimmune reaction, antibodies and immune cells target the body’s own healthy tissues by mistake and attack them. This is part of the reason irregular T-cell activity is also a suspected cause. In both cases, this has to be a result of something else triggering this response, something else at root cause making the immune system act in such a way.

When unwelcome material or an ‘intruder’ invades your body your immune system protects you. It tries to identify, kill and eliminate these unwelcome invaders . But sometimes problems with your immune system cause it to mistake your body’s own healthy cells as invaders and then repeatedly attacks them. This is called an autoimmune disease. (‘Autoimmune’ literally means immunity against the self.)

The classic sign of an autoimmune disease is inflammation or swelling. How an autoimmune disease affects you depends on what part of the body is targeted. If your immune system is attacking your inner ear then the resulting swelling is causing the symptoms you feel.

For you the sufferer, it is a matter identifying the cause or causes in your individual case and correcting it or eliminating it from your life. (see below). It is generally accepted that it is unknown what causes autoimmune diseases.

In most cases, a combination of factors is probably at work. For example, you might have a genetic predisposition to develop a disease and then, under the right conditions, an outside invader like a virus might trigger it. Below you will read how the gut is the vital link to all of this and what you can do to correct it.

Regardless, you can re-balance your immune system naturally by getting to the root cause of the autoimmune response that is ultimately resulting in your Meniere’s symptoms. Drugs are aimed at suppressing your immune response and this can result in all kinds of side effects and more poor health.

Medical doctor and New York best seller with her book ‘The Thyroid Connection’ Amy Myers, herself a ‘former‘ sufferer of autoimmune disease, generally agrees with the above statement. She says,

“There is a huge disconnect between what actually causes autoimmunity and how conventional medicine treats it. The first thing to understand about autoimmune diseases is that they are a disease of the immune system. No matter what part of your body is under siege, the culprit is your immune system. This means that in order to treat, prevent, and reverse autoimmune disease you’ll need to get your immune system back under control.

However, under our current medical system, autoimmune diseases are not recognized as diseases of the immune system as a whole. Instead they are treated as diseases of particular organs. If you have multiple autoimmune conditions, as many people do, you will see several different specialists, each of whom will likely prescribe a different medication. And, there is a good chance that none of these specialists will look at how to strengthen and support your immune system, which leads me to my next point.

In conventional medicine, the belief is that once you have an autoimmune condition, there’s nothing you can do to reverse it, only ways to manage the symptoms. While medications can be effective at reducing some of the symptoms of the disease, since they suppress the entire immune system.

In contrast, functional medicine sees the body as a whole and works on the principle that the health of one system impacts the health and function of the others. Instead of focusing on disease symptom management, we focus on supporting and strengthening the immune system by getting to the root of why the immune system went rogue in the first place.

I have been able to successfully help hundreds of patients lower and reverse antibodies, get off their harsh medications, and become symptom free.”

Doctor Myers believes there are 5 underlying causes of autoimmune disease. All five of which can be linked to Meniere’s disease and are written about elsewhere on this website and discussed at length in the book The Need for Balance – Dealing with Causes of Meniere’s

  1. Leaky Gut      80% of your immune system originates in the gut, and you can’t have a healthy immune system without a healthy gut.  See more on gut issues and Meniere’s disease here and here
  2. Gluten            Gluten contributes to autoimmune disease in three key ways:  it is the primary cause of leaky gut, it is highly inflammatory, meaning it stresses your immune system and the gluten protein has a similar chemical structure to some of your body’s tissues (specifically your thyroid). See more on gluten and Meniere’s from the two links above.
  3. Toxins            Toxic molds (mycotoxins) and heavy metals such as mercury are the two main toxins Dr Myers sees in those with autoimmune conditions.  You will see many articles on this blog and on the main website regarding toxins and Meniere’s. Read more on mercury and Meniere’s disease here and also in an article on thyroid and Meniere’s disease here.
  4. Infections      There are now a number of infections, including Epstein Barr, Herpes Simplex 1 and 2, E. coli, that have been linked to autoimmune diseases.
  5. Stress               Dr Myers says, “Levels of stress-related illnesses are on the rise, and stress, both of the emotional and the physical variety, has been shown to trigger and intensify autoimmune disorders. Stress disrupts immune function through several distinct pathways.  Stress is the body’s response to a threat–a wound, injury, or infection. Chronic stress (the kind we face in this day and age) leads to long term inflammation that never really shuts off, creating autoimmune disease. Once the autoimmune response is in place, immediate stress only exacerbates it.” The links between stress and Meniere’s are well known and well documented on this site and in the book ‘The Need for Balance’.

All of the above are correctable.

Having spent many years hammering the fact on this website, in emails, conversations and having written two books on the subject, that getting to the root cause or causes of Meniere’s and correcting or eliminating that cause from your life can allow you to overcome this condition completely it is nice to have such a prominent health professional singing the same tune. It is all about “root causes“.

If you’re looking to calm down an overactive immune system that continually attacks healthy body tissue, then you must address the underlying causes for cellular inflammation. Ask your doctor about tests for hidden infections like yeast, viruses or Lyme disease. Have you been checked for any food allergies and heavy metal toxicity? You may be surprised at what you find.

As mentioned above when autoimmune factors are suspected, immune suppressing drugs are usually prescribed. Apart from the fact that suppressing the immune system can obviously lead to more poor health, many come with undesirable and even dangerous side effects.

The steroid Prednisone is often used in treating Meniere’s disease.

The possible known side effects of this drug is too extensive to list in this article. But among them are: dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headache and pounding in the ears. All of which would be totally counter to what the Meniere’s patient would want. A decrease in urine, another side effect, would also be the opposite of what the Meniere’s patient needs.

Other listed possible side effects of Prednisone that could be directly damaging to a Meniere’s sufferer are:

  • Decreased carbohydrate and glucose tolerance
  • Increased requirements for insulin
  • Potassium loss
  • Sodium retention with resulting edema
  • Hypertriglyceridemia
  • Hypercholesterolemia
  • Adrenal insufficiency
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Allergic reactions
  • Candidiasis
  • Sensory disturbance
  • Anxiety

Prednisone is also what is known as a glucocorticoid because of the effects on glucose metabolism.  Glucocorticoids  can cause increases in blood glucose. Long term use of these steroids can result in type 2 diabetes. See more on Meniere’s and diabetes here.

Dr Myers talks about leaky gut being one of the main root causes of autoimmune disease. In this scenario, there is inflammation of the lining of the gut. This leads to a malabsorption of nutrients such as zinc, Vitamin B12, iron and magnesium. The immune system is triggered into a response. This can lead to gastrointestinal issues and many food intolerances and then autoimmune disease.

In this scenario things like gluten, bad bacteria, undigested food particles and toxic waste can  leak from the inside of your intestinal wall into your bloodstream causing an immune reaction.

If this were to ultimately lead to Meniere’s symptoms then it could be said that the cause would be the inflammation within the gut. But beyond that, the inflammation in the gut has a root cause and that could be stress, toxins, drugs, pathogens or other organ malfunction.

The  most common causes of leaky gut are thought to be poor diet, chronic stress, toxic overload and bacterial imbalance. All of which can be linked to Meniere’s disease.

To heal a leaky gut you would need to remove foods from your diet that damage the gut, replace them with healing foods and rebalance your gut bacteria with probiotics.

What to do about it

The immune system needs to be balanced and functioning as it should for you to be healthy and for it to deal with inflammation within your ear or anywhere else in your body. Detoxing, eating the correct food and supplementing with the appropriate quality supplements can strengthen and balance your immune system so it functions properly.

You may want to get your thyroid and endocrine system  checked. These are two factors that are also often overlooked. Toxins in foods, drinks, beauty and skin care products and the environment are often major endocrine disruptors and estrogen mimickers that can play havoc with the body’s hormone system thus leading to dysfunctions and resulting in an autoimmune response.

Iodine deficiency is also a chronic problem according to many studies. All of these problems can have a knock on effect, weaken and cause imbalances in the immune system as a whole.

In May 2017 the WHO reported that, “Iodine deficiency is the world’s most prevalent, yet easily preventable, cause of brain damage. Universal salt iodization – the practice of adding iodine to salt – is the most cost effective way to tackle iodine deficiency disorders.”

There was a time when this iodine deficiency was recognized and iodine was added to table salt. Somewhere along the line iodine was inexplicably removed in the USA.

In countries such as Japan where iodine is plentiful naturally in the diet, they have much healthier citizens that enjoy the highest levels of longevity .

Iodine can be found in seaweed such as nori and kelp, pure natural unprocessed sea salt and in season, fresh organic cranberries. Supplementing with the purest form of Nascent Iodine has proved very beneficial to immune system function and overall health.

Autoimmunity is only one of several possible causes for you to get checked for and as stated above, can be a result in itself of a different root cause.

Among others, amalgam fillings that are leaking mercury into your body, TMJs, neck and spinal misaligments and metabolic problems are all things you should investigate and check off your list of possible causes.

All are fixable.

Just like Meniere’s itself, autoimmunity is another ‘health’ condition generally believed to have no known cause and no known cure. However, as you have read above this is not the case. Despite the fact that mainstream medicine is usually of this ‘opinion’, it is simply a case of awareness. The more you are aware, the more you know, the easier it becomes to seek out the right medical professionals and make the right lifestyle choices.

The book ‘Managing Meniere’s Disease – How to Live Symptom Free’ gives comprehensive details on how to suppress the symptoms through nutrition and allow your immune system to function as it should, how to avoid triggers and other factors that may be contributing to your condition. The Need for Balance – Dealing with the Cause of Meniere’s is a much more in depth look at all the possible root causes, how to identify them and eliminate them from your life, giving you the opportunity to overcome Meniere’s completely.

It is a message we repeat ad nauseam on Menieres Help: “It can be done, has been done by thousands  and is being done all time.”  Unfortunately, it may take a quantum shift in attitudes towards Meniere’s among many treating health professionals and patients alike before we see overcoming Meniere’s as the norm. For now I will have to keep hammering away and making baby steps with the undeniable truth, and that is: You CAN overcome Meniere’s and get your life back.

If you found this article useful Click here to support Meniere’s Help paypal.me/menieres

Related articles:

Hypoglycemia and Meniere’s disease
Meniere’s Disease and Thyroid Dysfunction
Meniere’s Disease – Amalgam and Mercury

Help other Meniere’s sufferers. Have you been told your Meniere’s is due to autoimmune disorder?  email Mike at meniereshelp@gmail.com or tell us all about it in the comment boxes below

References/Further reading:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28784462/

Categories
General Information on Meniere's Disease / Syndrome Meniere's Disease and Nutrition Meniere's Disease Triggers & Causes

Diabetes and Meniere’s Disease

Diabetes and Meniere’s Disease – what are the links?

What are the links between diabetes and Meniere’s disease?

Are the two connected at all, is it all coincidence or are the two a result of the same root cause in some people?

A sizable number of Meniere’s sufferers who contact Meniere’s Help also suffer from Diabetes. Glucose metabolism, and insulin irregularities have both been linked to Meniere’s in some way or another.

The biggest problem with trying to link diabetes and Meniere’s is that the huge number of people suffering from diabetes means that by law of averages there will naturally be a sizable number of people suffering from both conditions.

According to the WHO:  422 million adults worldwide have diabetes. That is 1 person in 11. While type 1 is thought of as genetic, 90% of sufferers are actually type 2.  These statistics are predicted to double over the next 2 years. Since 1980 the number of adults living with diabetes has almost quadrupled.

In the USA 2012 figures show us that at least 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population, had diabetes. 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year. In 2012, 86 million Americans age 20 and older had prediabetes; this was up from 79 million in 2010. These statistics are staggering; clearly this is not going away soon.

Although the main focus on the tackling of this rise of diabetes is aimed at the obesity epidemic, and rightly so, it has to be taken into account that diabetes is on the rise in places like Asia where obesity isn’t so prevalent. The rise of forced farming practices in recent years practically runs parallel with the increase of diabetes and many other avoidable diseases.

In the 2016 WHO ‘Global Report on Diabetes’ the director general of the WHO points out that diabetes is, “No longer a disease of predominantly rich nations, the prevalence of diabetes is steadily increasing everywhere, most markedly in the world’s middle-income countries.”

The globalization of fast food chains, growing global demand for wheat grown on soils depleted of its mineral content through the overuse of NPK artificial fertilizers and the demand for overly polished rice must all play its part.

White bread can turn to glucose inside the body faster than sugar! White, polished rice can turn to glucose very quickly also if not balanced with fats or proteins. Add to this the empty carbohydrates being proudly stuffed down kids throats throughout Asia where it is a sign of wealth to go to the most unhealthy fast food chains simply because they symbolize the monetary richness of the west.

Sugary sodas, alcohol, candies and the prevalence of processed foods are all contributing greatly to this problem. This bombardment of sugars strains the pancreas so much that it cannot keep up with the demand for insulin to regulate blood sugar levels.

There are several aspects that link all of this to Meniere’s without looking at the diabetes connection itself. Firstly the pancreas is part of the endocrine system. Endocrine dysfunctions have been linked to Meniere’s. The thyroid is part of the endocrine system and has been linked to Meniere’s. T-cell regulation has been linked to Meniere’s. T-cells are regulated by the thymus which in turn is regulated by the thyroid. Metabolism has been linked to Meniere’s. High triglyceride and cholesterol levels have been linked to Meniere’s.

Are you seeing a pattern here?

Diabetes and Meniere’s Disease – studies

A multitude of studies can be found on each of the individual links stated above but not enough focus on the obvious solution to most of this. Diet. It really is that simple.

What you eat and do not eat makes all the difference in every case, and of course the same is true of diabetes.

Both hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) have been linked to and investigated in Meniere’s and vestibular diseases. This suggests that any alterations in insulin can cause issues. Insulin regulates both sodium and potassium retention, something very relevant in the functioning of the inner ear.

A 2009 study in the Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology, ‘Blood glucose and insulin levels in patients with peripheral vestibular disease‘  found that:

“The four-hour glucose-insulin index showed 87.7% of patients with dizziness and suspicion of peripheral vestibular dysfunction having glucose and insulin metabolism alterations.”

The International Tinnitus Journal published a study in 2005, ‘Glucose and insulin profiles and their correlations in Ménière’s disease.’ It stated that:

“Changes in carbohydrate metabolism, admittedly one of the most prevalent etiologies of Ménière’s syndrome, can be diagnosed early by 5-hour glucose and insulin curves with a 100-g glucose load, a test more sensitive than those traditionally used in investigating impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes mellitus. This study investigated carbohydrate metabolism characteristics in 64 patients with typical Ménière’s disease. We demonstrated that 72% of them had some variable degree of hyperinsulinemia as shown by their plasma insulin curves, whereas alterations on the glucose curve (reactive hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia) were found for only 21%.”

It concluded that:

“These findings confirm the need to include 5-hour glucose and insulin curves in the diagnostic routine when investigating Ménière’s disease. In that way, an early diagnosis of hyperinsulinemia, the metabolic change most often involved in the pathogenesis of cochleovestibular disorders, can be made.”

An earlier study published in Acta Otolaryngologica in 1984, ‘Blood levels of glucose and insulin in Meniere’s disease‘ stated the following:

“It has been reported that a very commonly overlooked cause of vertigo is disorder of glucose metabolism. This may not be reflected in the glucose tolerance test alone, but becomes obvious when the insulin levels in blood are evaluated simultaneously.

Thirty-one patients with Meniere’s disease underwent a 5-hour glucose tolerance test with radioimmune assay of insulin. It was found that 67.7% of our patients showed some abnormality in the relationship between the blood levels of glucose and insulin.”

The studies above, in addition to several others connecting insulin and glucose to Meniere’s are all cited on PubMed.

More specific to diabetes is the 2013 study published on Science Direct from the Journal of Otology, ‘Effects of Diabetes on Hearing and Cochlear Structures’.

“Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic systemic disease characterized by hyperglycemia, with various pathogenic mechanisms. From absolute or relative insulin deficiency, patients with DM often demonstrate various levels of metabolic disorders. Major clinical manifestations of DM include metabolic disorders, vascular lesions, circulatory disturbances and neurologic complications. Along with advances in DM research, reports of DM related tinnitus and hearing impairment have increased continuously.

DM is closely linked to hearing damage. Both large and microscopic size blood vessels are affected in DM. Metabolic disorders, atherosclerotic changes and micro vessel diseases result in ischemia and hypoxia in neural tissues, leading to nerve damage. When such pathological changes involve the cochlea and auditory nerve, cochlear and/or neural hearing loss follows.”

Although this study does not mention ‘Meniere’s disease’ it shows us how blood flow, insulin and metabolic disorders can affect ear function.

It is a fact that Meniere’s help has received many emails from people who suffer from both Meniere’s disease and diabetes. In some cases diabetes preceded the symptoms of Meniere’s, while with others it was the other way round. So proving a link between Meniere’s and diabetes itself is hard to do. However, several of the factors that lead to diabetes can also be linked to Meniere’s.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to what you eat and do not eat. If the onset of Meniere’s is related to metabolism, endocrine disorders or thyroid dysfunction for example then the same reasons these problems occur could be the same reasons at root cause that Meniere’s symptoms manifest. Poor diet and lifestyle causes dysfunctions throughout the body that can lead to various conditions including both Meniere’s and diabetes.

We have received updates from Meniere’s sufferers in the past where, when they changed their diet, lifestyle and in many cases used a specific supplement regimen they not only reduced or eliminated their Meniere’s symptoms but also improved their condition related to diabetes.

This underscores the importance of the right nutrition. No remedy or drug can compensate for a poor diet. However a good healthy whole food (organic where possible) diet supported by quality supplementation can reduce the symptoms of, reverse or eliminate many conditions, Meniere’s and diabetes among them.

At precisely the same time I was writing this article The Express news paper online published a report, ‘Removing bread and pasta from diets ‘can reverse Type 2 diabetes’

Diabetes.co.uk, the world’s largest community of sufferers revealed that 7,000 Type 2 patients using a low refined carbohydrate dietary program saved £6.9 million on medication in a year. They claimed that,

“Slashing consumption of rice, potatoes and sugar has the potential to halt one of Britain’s biggest health epidemics. Switching to a healthier lifestyle could save the cash-strapped NHS £10 billion a year – the amount spent treating the condition – and change people’s lives in just 12 months.”

Co-author of the book this study is published in, Dr Aseem Malhotra said,

“The good news is it’s entirely preventable – but also reversible – and simple dietary changes through cutting refined carbohydrates can at the very least help patients come off medications. Simple diet changes have rapid and substantial benefits not just for patients with Type 2 but for high blood pressure and heart disease too.”

Charlotte Summers, of Diabetes.co.uk said,

“We are seeing phenomenal results from people taking a lifestyle first approach on the low carb program which is saving NHS budgets and lives.”

Type in “diabetes diet” or something similar into your search engine and you will find a plethora of diet plans online for diabetics.

Can type 2 diabetes be reversed?

In a simple 12-minute presentation to the U.K. Parliament, Zoe Harcombe, Ph.D., who spent years researching dietary guidelines as they relate to nutrition and obesity, succinctly demonstrates how bad science supports rising rates of diabetes and other nutritionally triggered diseases.

For Meniere’s the right diet and supplementation can help the immune system deal with the inflammation causing the symptoms. Dealing with the cause of the inflammation on the other hand often needs more than simply the correct diet. This depends on the root of the problem and there are several for you to consider.

Finding the root cause or causes of Meniere’s in your own individual case can be done though. If you find your root cause, you have found the key to your cure or solution, whichever words you choose to use. Eliminate or correct the root cause and you can overcome Meniere’s completely. This is something we have constantly seen among sufferers over the past 13 years of support work.

Finally, it is important that if you are both a diabetic and have Meniere’s you should be careful using steroids as a treatment for your Meniere’s.  Increases in blood glucose are common among people taking prednisone and other steroids. These steroids are referred to as ‘glucocorticoids’. Perhaps of even more significance is the fact that long term use of these steroids can produce “Steroid induced diabetes” and a host of other very serious conditions.

According to a study  ‘Steroid-induced diabetes‘ cited on PubMed.gov in 2014,  “Glucocorticoids have various common metabolic side effects including hypertension, osteoporosis and diabetes. As the therapeutic benefits of glucocorticoids continue to expand across medical specialties, the incidence of steroid-induced or steroid-exacerbated diabetes will continue to rise.”

There are plenty of ways to reduce inflammation naturally to tackle your Meniere’s symptoms. If you have the choice of steroids or the right foods, which will you choose?

If you found this article useful Click here to support Meniere’s Help paypal.me/menieres

Related articles:

Hypoglycemia and Meniere’s disease
Metabolism and Meniere’s Disease
Cholesterol and Meniere’s Disease

By Mike Spencer

Founder of Meniere’s Help

Researcher and author of Managing Meniere’s Disease and The Need for Balance – Dealing with the Causes of Meniere’s

Help other Meniere’s sufferers. Do have experience with Meniere’s and diabetes? Tell us all about it in the comments boxes below or email Mike at meniereshelp@gmail.com

Reference/Further reading: Possible effect of diabetes and hypertension on the quality of life of patients suffering from Ménière’s disease

Categories
General Information on Meniere's Disease / Syndrome Meniere's Disease Success Stories Meniere's Disease Triggers & Causes

Can Chiropractics cure Meniere’s disease?

Can Chiropractics cure Meniere’s disease? Two real accounts from sufferers

Can chiropractics cure Meniere’s disease?  For many sufferering the symptoms of Meniere’s, it does seem to be a solution. 

After being told by three separate doctors that she had Meniere’s disease and being given the usual mix of diuretics and Serc (betahistine), nobody mentioned to Ana how she could actually free herself of Meniere’s completely, only treat it. Which of course they very rarely do.

Options such as Chiropractics, that can actually help you overcome Meniere’s completely, are not usually on the radar of the average ENT’s or audiologist. And not all chiropractors are able to help the symptoms of dizziness/vertigo, deafness and tinnitus. 

Each individual case of Meniere’s disease may be slightly different, sometimes very different in its overall pathology or root cause. The need soon becomes very apparent for the sufferer to identify their own cause and deal with it accordingly.

If you have been told, “There is nothing more to be done, take the drugs and learn to live with it” then of course it is down to you to take things into your own hands.

Learn how to do this by reading: The Need for Balance – Dealing with the Causes of Meniere’s

Ana’s case

In Ana’s case, she was lucky enough to find her root cause within months and now says she feels ‘cured‘.

Here below is her first email (used with permission):

In Ana’s case she found her cause to be related to neck issues. Excerpt from Ana’s mail:

“I want to share my experience. I am a Mexican 40 years old mother of two kids. I was diagnosed with Menieres early April, I had a very strong vertigo episode, lost 30% of hearing and had this noise on my left ear. I was with the medicine for almost three months (Serc, and a diuretic), of course no sodium, no alcohol, very little caffeine.

I read your page in April and saw all the alternative medicine but I am a University teacher so I had to wait until the semester was over to have some time and go visit the chiropractic. And as soon as I went to the first visit I felt the change, I stop taking the medicines and I eat normal, no sodium restriction, I have not exaggerated but eat normal food and feel great.

My ears are perfect, I am back to me.

I would not had visited the chiropractic if it wasn’t for your information so Thank you very very much! You guys gave me back my life. I wish more people would know about this, because I visited three doctors and they didn’t tell me anything about this possibility and I know they didn’t know because two of them were my relatives.

Thanks a lot!”

I asked Ana if I could use her story on this blog to encourage other sufferers. Below is her response:

“Hi Mike,

Sure please do so. And send a huge hug to the person that wrote about the chiropractic….I didn’t find it anywhere else.
I have a PhD in biotechnology so I am used to read scientific literature, but when it is about myself it is kind of depressing read stuff about Meniere, so I was reading slowly to try no to be overwhelmed. I still can’t believe that none of the three doctors that I visited (and gave me the same Meniere diagnosis) told me about the possibility of having a problem in the cervical vertebrae and that it was possible to fix it. One told me it was probably because I ate too much salt, the other because of too much stress, and the other one it was probably autoimmune, and I believed that it was probably caused because of a medicine (domperidone) that I took and there are two cases that relate it to menieres in the FDA . But I read you article which was straight to the point and started to do a check list on the alternative medicines. Not just mentioning “life style modifications” which I found in other articles and wonder…. WHAT life style modifications. So thank you thank you!

I wish more people knew about the chiropractic and find that solution. Probably that is not the case for all… but it is worth to try it, and of course to go with someone that knows how to treat it, probably not all chiropractics would know how to treat it but this guy is very good.

Million thanks!

Ana Leal”

The point of posting Ana’s story is to encourage you the sufferer to understand Meniere’s is not as hopeless as you may have been led to believe. On the contrary, you CAN overcome this condition completely.

Cervical spine misalignment may or may not be relative to your own condition. If it is, it is important that you get checked by a reputable cervical certified chiropractor or osteopath. This can be fixed. Ana’s story is not uncommon. In fact it is one of the more common themes we have come across over many years. We often get mails from sufferers who have found this to be their root cause, fixed it and overcome Meniere’s.

Kelly’s case

Kelly from US emailed Meniere’s Help with a similar story a few months ago.

Kelly read both of my books Managing Meniere’s Disease and The Need for Balance and we had also corresponded before I received an email from her with her story:

During our correspondence it was clear that Kelly was aware she had both allergies and neck issues.  Kelly dealt both with her allergies and neck issues to free herself of Meniere’s symptoms. She wrote,

“I did some research on Meniere’s & found you (Thank God). I made an appointment with an Allergist & an Atlas Orthogonist. They have both helped me tremendously. I found out I am allergic to dust mites, feathers, cats, dogs, ragweed, weeds, grass pollen, cockroach, molds, tree pollen and pine. The Dr put me on allergy medicine and a nasal spray. I haven’t felt dizzy or had a headache since“

In regards to her neck issues, she was shown on her MRI where the nerve was being pinched & the blood flow was being cut off.  She went on to say,

“When I went to the back doctor she discovered I have C1/C2 misalignment, loss of cervical curve, herniated discs in cervical spine. In her words, “You’re one twisted girl”. My x-rays show how tilted my head is. It’s leaning to the right. You can also see on my MRI where the nerve is being pinched & the blood flow is being cut off. I’m on a 3 month treatment plan which includes cervical decompression & cold laser therapy. So far so good. This is the best I’ve felt in a year. Thank you so much for pointing me in the right direction.”

Neck and spinal issues are very common in Meniere’s sufferers, especially C1 and C2 but often further down the spine too. Kelly’s atlas bone being out of alignment and her shoulder being pulled down was very similar to my own case. Although I had lived for 10 years 95% symptom free through dietary changes and supplementation ( I still had slight tinnitus and deafness), it wasn’t until I saw an excellent chiropractor in Japan in 2012 and had my neck misalignment corrected that I was totally freed of Meniere’s and finally regained much of my hearing. 

Kelly’ most recent email to me read:

“Mike, I would love for you to share my story. If it can help just one person that would be awesome. I still cannot believe how great I feel. I feel like my old self again. Which I thought that person was gone forever. I just can’t thank you enough. (My husband thanks you too). So yes, you have my permission to share my story.”

Do not let lack of knowledge or lack of belief cause you to suffer one day more. You too can soon be saying “I am back to me and feel great” or ” I feel like my old self“.

Can Chiropractics cure the symptoms of Meniere’s disease?

It certainly seems a solution for many sufferers. Cervical spine issues can lead to tinnitus, deafness and vertigo/dizziness, so the neck and spine are very relevant to many with Meniere’s disease.

Cervical spine issues may or may not be relevant to your own individual Meniere’s case. If this is not the case with you then there are several other possibilities for you to consider, make a check list and get checked for.

Once you have identified what is relevant to you, you have the keys to your ‘solution’. Knowledge is useless though unless you, yourself, take the appropriate action.

If you found this article useful Click here to support Meniere’s Help paypal.me/menieres

Related articles:

Chiropractics for Meniere’s disease
Mike’s Meniere’s Story
Meniere’s Disease and Cervical Spine

By Mike Spencer

Founder of Meniere’s Help

Researcher and author of Managing Meniere’s Disease and The Need for Balance – Dealing with the Causes of Meniere’s

Help other Meniere’s sufferers: Have you successfully overcome Meniere’s or do you have experience with Meniere’s and cervical spine? Tell us all about it in the comments boxes below or email Mike at meniereshelp@gmail.com

References/Further reading:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21629395/

Categories
Meniere's Disease Triggers & Causes Meniere's Disease and Nutrition

Cholesterol and Meniere’s Disease

Cholesterol, Triglycerides and Meniere’s Disease

It is said that If you eat a high fat, high carbohydrate and/or a sugary diet cholesterol could be depositing plaque on your blood vessel walls. If this is the case, then your blood flow could be restricted. Poor blood flow in and around the ear is the very opposite to what you want. The ear needs a smooth flow of blood in and out of the ear or complications can occur. If you suffer from Meniere’s disease, could high cholesterol be making things a lot worse for you?

It must be remembered that not all cholesterol is bad. The brain is the most cholesterol dense organ in the body. Your brain accounts for 2% of your body weight yet contains 20% of your body weight. Moreover, there is no conclusive evidence that proves dietary cholesterol through dairy products changes the amount of cholesterol in the blood stream.

Triglycerides

High triglyceride counts may be significant for the same reason as cholesterol. Large numbers of people suffering from Meniere’s are found to have elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels.  The deeper significance of this as a causal factor may be misleading in that the average diet and lifestyle in most industrialized countries now produces a population that may often have these elevated levels but not everyone suffers from Meniere’s.

In addition to this, most Meniere’s patients will be on diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide. One side effect of these drugs can be an increase in triglycerides and low density lipoprotein (LDL) or ‘bad’ cholesterol.

On the other hand, as you will read in the last section of this article, high triglycerides may be a sign of other dysfunctions within the body that can indeed impact on the condition of a Meniere’s sufferer.

For 50 years doctors have been telling patients that eggs increased cholesterol, but an extensive study published in JAMA ( Journal for the American medical association) in 2014 showed that it turns out that advice was wrong and that excess sugar in fact is much worse for cholesterol. The study highlighted soda as one of the biggest culprits.

Regardless, if there is plaque buildup, this can affect blood flow. Blood flow is very important. While build up of cholesterol can also trigger the immune system into an inflammatory response. Inflammation is a major reason for Meniere’s symptoms.

The right nutrition to help the immune system fight inflammation and promote blood flow has produced the best results in reducing symptoms of Meniere’s that we have seen. We have constantly seen all the evidence of this for 13 years. While the two most recent drugs to be lauded as treatments for Meniere’s, OTO-104 and SPI-1005  are aimed at reducing inflammation.

In addition to this, researchers at the University of Colorado claim they may have a plan to “disable” Meniere’s Disease through improving blood flow.

So you have the choice of reducing inflammation and increasing blood flow naturally or by using drugs. Either way, whether you have Meniere’s or not, it is acknowledged by almost everyone now that reducing ‘bad’ cholesterol is a wise choice for your general health. How we do that is the debate.

Is Cholesterol relevant in Meniere’s Disease?

PLAQUE

Plaque is a collection of excess cholesterol covered by a scar that is deposited on artery walls. In most cases, this buildup results after years of having high cholesterol. The largest buildups are most likely to cause angina. Small buildups of this substance are thought to be unstable and more likely to rupture, releasing their contents into the bloodstream, possibly causing a blood clot that may trigger a heart attack.

What Is Plaque?
When talking about cholesterol, it is helpful to understand plaque. The effect of plaque buildup in the arteries is the main cause of heart disease, heart attacks in people with high cholesterol and many other ‘health’ conditions.

How Does It Develop?

Cholesterol is a major ingredient in the plaque that builds up in the arteries.

Excess cholesterol is deposited on the artery walls as it travels through the bloodstream. Then, special cells in the artery wall gobble up this excess cholesterol, creating a “bump” in the artery wall. This cholesterol-rich “bump” then is covered by a scar that produces a hard coat or shell over the cholesterol and cell mixture. It is this collection of cholesterol covered by a scar that is called plaque. The buildup of plaque is known as atherosclerosis

Impact of Plaque

The plaque buildup narrows the space in the coronary arteries through which blood can flow, decreasing the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the heart. If not enough oxygen-carrying blood can pass through the narrowed arteries to reach the heart muscle, the heart may respond with a pain called angina. The pain is often felt during exercise, when the heart needs more oxygen. It is typically felt in the chest or sometimes in other places, like the left arm and shoulder. This same inadequate blood supply, however, may cause no symptoms.

This plaque buildup does not occur over days, weeks, or months. Plaque buildup, in most cases, occurs over many years. If the heart is not receiving oxygen and nutrients, therefore not functioning as it should, then blood flow throughout the body will not be as it should. If there is a constriction in the veins and capillaries in and around the ear for some other reason then the added burden of plaque both in the coronary arteries and elsewhere will only compound the problem.

Reducing Plaque Buildup

Lowering cholesterol levels can slow, stop, or even reverse the buildup of plaque. This can reduce your risk of a heart attack by lowering the cholesterol content in unstable plaque, making it more stable and less prone to rupture. This is why lowering your LDL cholesterol is such an important part of reducing your risk of a heart attack. In the bigger picture, the same may go for reducing the risk of increased Menieres symptoms or even eliminating your symptoms, depending on your root cause.

Reducing triglycerides

To reduce your triglyceride levels, limit high starch foods, reduce or cut bad fats, reduce sugar intake, limit alcohol intake, limit fructose, eat omega 3 rich foods such as fish and nuts and limit refined carbohydrates such as white bread.

In fact one of the most commonly overlooked causes of high triglyceride levels is too many carbohydrates, especially in heavily refined foods. If your triglyceride levels are elevated, it can likely represent a severe abnormality of insulin balance in your body.

This is important in more ways than one. It is known that insulin in diabetics creates a sodium retaining effect. Insulin is involved in the regulation of both sodium and potassium. Both relevant to inner ear function.

So this takes us way beyond simply worrying about cholesterol. Now we are concerned with metabolism, glucose and insulin. A study published in The International Tinnitus Journal and PubMed in 2005 ‘Glucose and insulin profiles and their correlations in Ménière’s disease.’  highlighted this fact.

Quote:

“This study investigated carbohydrate metabolism characteristics in 64 patients with typical Ménière’s disease. We demonstrated that 72% of them had some variable degree of hyperinsulinemia as shown by their plasma insulin curves, whereas alterations on the glucose curve (reactive hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia) were found for only 21%. More advanced hyperinsulinemic conditions (i.e., glucose intolerance or diabetes mellitus) were usually associated with changes in lipid profiles and with a central pattern of fat distribution and systemic hypertension.”

In an earlier study it was found that:

“67.7% of our patients showed some abnormality in the relationship between the blood levels of glucose and insulin.”

You can read about Metabolism and Meniere’s here

Sugars not metabolized into energy within the body are stored as fats. Unused fats are stored as fats. Carbohydrates turn to sugars, the sugar not used is stored as fat. Highly refined carbohydrates give a sugar rush to the body and cause insulin irregularities. Insulin irregularities can cause sodium and potassium level irregularities.

You can see how everything is connected within the body and how seemingly unrelated issues may either result in Meniere’s symptoms or at least influence in some way what is happening within your ear.

Good blood flow is important to prevent Meniere’s symptoms. Anything affecting this is most likely affecting your Meniere’s condition. Anything that triggers inflammation is most likely affecting your Meniere’s condition and anything that is causing imbalances in the regulation of the electrolytes sodium and potassium and metabolism is most likely affecting your Meniere’s condition.

The root causes and triggers of any health condition can often be found not in the actual organ affected but rather elsewhere in the body.

What can you take away from this? Quite simply a good balanced diet, high in nutritious whole foods and very low on health damaging processed foods is not just some fanciful idea or a passing fad. It is essential for both overall health and can be life changing to the Meniere’s sufferer.

If you found this article useful Click here to support Meniere’s Help paypal.me/menieres

Related articles:

Hypoglycemia and Meniere’s disease
Diabetes and Meniere’s Disease
Mike’s Meniere’s Story

By Mike Spencer

Founder of Menieres Help

Researcher and author of Managing Meniere’s Disease and The Need for Balance – Dealing with the Causes of Meniere’s

Help other Meniere’s sufferers. Tell us all about your experiences with cholesterol and Meniere’s. Use the comments boxes below or email Mike at meniereshelp@gmail.com

References/Further reading:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5943955/

Categories
General Information on Meniere's Disease / Syndrome Meniere's Disease and Nutrition Meniere's Disease Triggers & Causes

Fasting with Meniere’s Disease

How does fasting affect your condition when you suffer with Meniere’s Disease?

Fasting with Meniere’s disease, is it a good idea? Can it help or can it make things worse?

What you eat and do not eat, the regularity and size of your meals can make a difference both positively and negatively if you are a Meniere’s sufferer. 

Dietary considerations are important for the Meniere’s sufferer and there are many posts and articles on this blog and the main site (Menieres-Help.Com) related to this. (see bottom of page for links)

I recently received two emails that both mentioned fasting, one suggesting it produced good results while the other suggested it might have affected her condition in a negative way.

Fasting with Meniere’s disease – the Pros and Cons

Positive:

Hey Michael,
I’m doing pretty good. I’m taking more of the grape seed extract to stop dizziness. And thankfully it does help me. I have cut salt out of diet even with prepared foods. Sodium is so my enemy. I fasted for 3 days recently and had no dizziness at all. So I know it is food. I continue to be careful. God I miss potato chips.
I recently realized that I may be harboring candida yeast in my body–saliva test positive…….
Thanks very much for asking after me. I do appreciate your emails.

Negative:

Mike,

Thanks for answering. I kept telling the doctor this thing started out in my digestive system. I had very minor symptoms at the time in regards to hearing, and then the vertigo was so slight as to be interesting is all. But the GI system was definitely an issue, but I tended to dismiss it in hopes it would pass.
I noticed the diet link from the outset, and remember telling the doctor I felt fine when I fasted and/or went longer periods in between meals. Unfortunately that has changed a bit now, and fasting became a bit of a problem in that it induces the menieres. that nausea and such was he precursor to any vertigo/dizziness, and not the result of it. I had neck tension that accompanied it, and at one point the tension and vertigo hit simultaneously or in concert, and the tension so powerful that it virtually strangled blood supply to the back of the head. You could tell by when it wore off, the tingling of circulation resuming. that cycle has stopped for now, but I’ve noticed a hint of it again, and the associated GI issues are popping up again. I’ve been keeping a log of sorts as to my diet and symptoms for a little short of 6 weeks now. Although I’ve detected some interesting information, I still haven’t got a definitive culprit yet.

On the one hand, if toxicity were an issue, gut problems or food allergies were present it would seem logical that fasting could help detox and as a result help the symptoms of Meniere’s. On the other hand, it is recommended that Meniere’s sufferers keep to regular eating times and not overindulge.

In terms of clinical studies I only found one listed that was any way related to fasting and Meniere’s on PubMed.gov dated 2006:

‘The effect on health of alternate day calorie restriction: eating less and more than needed on alternate days prolongs life.’

In the study it was stated that,

“Restricting caloric intake to 60-70% of normal adult weight maintenance requirement prolongs lifespan 30-50% and confers near perfect health across a broad range of species.”

It went on to state,

Since May 2003 we have experimented with alternate day calorie restriction, one day consuming 20-50% of estimated daily caloric requirement and the next day ad lib eating, and have observed health benefits starting in as little as two weeks, in insulin resistance, asthma, seasonal allergies, infectious diseases of viral, bacterial and fungal origin (viral URI, recurrent bacterial tonsillitis, chronic sinusitis, periodontal disease), autoimmune disorder (rheumatoid arthritis), osteoarthritis, symptoms due to CNS inflammatory lesions (Tourette’s, Meniere’s) cardiac arrhythmias (PVCs, atrial fibrillation), menopause related hot flashes.

This may be of greater significance than realized at first glance as, although Meniere’s is mentioned directly, it also mentions conditions that have been linked to Meniere’s: seasonal allergies, viral, fungal and bacterial infections, sinusitis and autoimmune disorders.

Regular fasting in general is believed to be very beneficial to human health.

Dr  Ed Group of the Global Healing Center explains the benefits of fasting for health in general, while some points can be directly related to Meniere’s. (see the emboldened below)

“Therapeutic fasting dates back to Hippocrates, who prescribed it for many ailments. At the time, it was the only successful way to reduce seizures in epileptic children and remained so until the 20th century.

Many people find that fasting sharpens their mind and provides mental clarity. Interestingly, many of the benefits of fasting don’t result directly from fasting itself, but from the effects of reduced calorie intake, decreased fat composition, better sleep, less diet-related inflammation, and lower intake of salt.

Blood pressure tends to fall during the fasting state, primarily during the first week of fasting. This effect seems to result from a lower salt intake and a detoxification of accumulated salt through the urine. Since excess sodium causes your body to retain water, lower sodium levels lead to better fluid balance in your tissues.

Fasting and calorie restriction inhibits the production of free radicals and irritating proteins like inflammatory cytokines.

Fasting triggers the recycling of old white blood cells—the cells that comprise much of your immune system. Recycling these immune cells leads to a more competent immune system. It works by triggering the regeneration of the stem cells that become your platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells when you begin eating again.

Researchers found that the effects of fasting on blood sugar and insulin levels also improves the brain’s response to mental stress and protects it from stress-related damage.”

Fasting is not starvation and there are many types of fasting depending your required results or reason for doing so.

The obvious problem for some with Meniere’s may be the need to eat at regular intervals. I did not find much in terms of fasting from the 9000 odd emails to Meniere’s Help from sufferers, so I posed a simple question in three online Meniere’s groups on FB.

The responses were an interesting mix of positive and negative experiences with some somewhat neutral, though not all were from experiences of what you might call true fasting, and not fasting related to Meniere’s, they were revealing none the less:

Question posted: “Has anybody tried fasting? What were your experiences, positive or negative?”

Positive comments:

“I don’t eat a lot as it is and I have never had a problem with fasting.”

“It definitely helps me, however I haven’t found any food triggers. It’s mainly stress and poor sleep that affect me.”

“If the MD in you has an autoimmune component, it should help. If it helps, then when you reintroduce the trigger foods, the MD will rear its ugly head again. Keep a food dairy. That will help you identify the food triggers.”

“I only eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and meat. Mostly chicken and turkey. I do not eat processed foods, fast foods, carbs, sugar and limit sodium intake and caffeine. I drink a gallon and a half of water every day. I exercise riding a stationary bike and lifting weights. With this and the meds I am taking…I am attack and dizzy free now for going on 3 weeks. Was having 1-2 attacks everyday for a month.”

“I do an intermittent fast once in a while. About 500 calories for the day. However, I try to maintain my sodium levels throughout the day for consistency. I drink an electrolyte drink to help with this. I’m doing well with it!”

“I do a fasting diet and it is ok if I’m careful and plan my food and day well. If I take some time off the diet I struggle for the first week back on it so have to do it gradually, e.g. instead of going straight back to a 500 calories day I’ll do some 800 calories days first

(It’s the 5:2 diet, 500 calories 2 days a week and eat normally the rest of the time)”

“I had to fast last week for a medical procedure. Clear liquid diet for 24 hours. I got a headache but no other problems at all.”

“I do fast with MD. Key is to Drink lots of water with electrolytes. If you are going to fast for more than 24 hours, break your fast every 12 with a snack. It’s not recommended to fast more than three days for even a healthy person. This is a true fast. I do this once a month for religious purposes. Of course, there are times, when it’s just not possible.”

“I have an attack… I cut way back on my foot intake only eating very low sodium and next to nothing in general. This seems to make my hearing and symptoms better.”

Negative Comments:

“If I don’t eat something, it seems to make my Menieres worse”

“I used to fast but since menieres do not anymore. Body just doesn’t cope I get very dizzy etc”

“I would be extremely sick were I to fast.”

“I get dizzy if I miss lunch x”

“I wouldn’t try it x”

“I have bad eating habits. Low blood sugar triggered me.”

“I used to be able to fast when I was initially diagnosed about 8 years ago but in the last 3 years or so I can’t fast. I take Serc three times daily and found that I must keep hydrated and eat timelously otherwise my symptoms increase e.g. Pressure in my ears”.

“I can’t fast, I get so dizzy and nausea”

“Very bad”

“I eat as soon as I get up, & take my meds. Or I will……”

“I have to eat regularly, otherwise I feel quite poorly”

“I can’t. If I go too long between meals I will get a vertigo attack.”

reply to above: “Same for me”

“I have to do this on Thursday…. I am concerned. I always get the spins from not eating”

“I have tried twice to have a colonoscopy, but the prep from it – liquids only – made me so sick with vertigo that I won’t be able to have it done. I, too, start feeling off if I haven’t eaten for a long time.”

Neutral Comments:

“I haven’t fasted since MD started.”

“No haven’t tried fasting. Like food too much, but what I eat affects me and if I eat too much with indigestion I become off balance and very sick with lots of burping and then I pee a lot. Body trying to eliminate. Probably need a diuretic bit I feel totally drained and exhausted when I take them bit when I get attack I pee every 5 minutes. It’s the body’s way of telling me you have excess fluid.”

“I am on a very low calorie diet and sometimes I get quite dizzy.”

“I had to when the doctors where trying to figure out why I was so fatigued. It didn’t really effect me. The only problem I had was migraines from detoxing from caffeine. If you do it under doctor’s order it should effect you but everyone is different.”

“It affects all of us differently. If you choose to fast take it easy, increase water intake and decrease sodium.”

“I tried fasting to see if food made me feel worse in the afternoons. It didn’t affect my symptoms one way or the other. But it was only one day.”

“Patients are recommended to eat small meals several times per day. I think blood sugar levels can bring on attacks.”

“I have to eat rite away fasting is done otherwise I’m not in good shape”

“Several small meals seems to be the best for me. Not eating frequently enough is a trigger and heavy meals make me very tired. I have been tested numerous times for diabetes including testing at home but blood sugar is OK.”

What can be taken away from this?

Well it is known already that diet can be vitally important with Meniere’s and gut issues and food allergies can play a role in some people. We have long established that everyone is different, with differing general health states, fitness levels, contributing conditions, environments and mental states. Hence the mixed bag of comments above.

Fasting as a means of improving your condition would depend on many other aspects in your life, not just the fact you have Meniere’s.  The possibility should be considered that if true fasting were to take place over a 3 day period for example, it may be that symptoms could get worse before getting better.

I think it is safe to say that always keeping hydrated is very important.

The advice given in one comment above is sound, and that is it should be done under professional supervision or with at least a good knowledge of what you are doing.

Types of Fasting

There are several types of fasting.

Diagnostic Fast: On the advice of a doctor before surgery or blood test etc.

Dry Fast: dry fasting involves not eating or drinking anything during the fasting period. Considering the need to stay hydrated for the Meniere’s sufferer, this would seem not advisable.

Liquid Fast or Water Fast: only drink fluids and avoid eating solid foods.

Juice Fast: Juice cleansing, is a type of liquid fast lasting 3-5 days. It’s usually conducted with detoxification or weight loss in mind. Juice fasts include organic, cleansing fruit and vegetable juices.

Partial Fast: The two kinds of partial fasting are: 1. similar to liquid fasting except you may eat small amounts of solid food. 2. excludes certain foods for an extended period. Many people give up carbohydrates, alcohol, or red meat during this fast.

Intermittent Fast: Alternating periods of fasting and eating. There are many ways to conduct an intermittent fast.

Alternate-day Fast: fast for at least 24 hours. Some people choose to extend alternate-day fasts up to 36 hours. Make sure to drink plenty of water or healthy fluids in an alternate-day fast.

Extended Fasting: Extended fasts are usually 48 hours without eating, but they can last up to a week or longer.

Ketogenic Fast: Ketogenic fasts push your body into the fat burning state known as ketosis. A ketogenic fast is similar to a partial fast in that it includes a small amount of food. The two differ in the types of food consumed. On a ketogenic fast, you only consume fatty foods to shift your body into ketosis.

Fasting for Meniere’s disease – video

If you found this article useful Click here to support Meniere’s Help paypal.me/menieres

Related articles:

Candida Albicans and Meniere’s Disease
Menieres disease and food allergies
Gluten and Meniere’s Disease

By Mike Spencer

Founder of Menieres-Help.Com

Researcher and author of Managing Meniere’s Disease and The Need for Balance – Dealing with the Causes of Meniere’s

Help Other Meniere’s sufferers. Do you have experience with fasting and Meniere’s disease? Tell us all about it in the comments box below or email Mike at meniereshelp@gmail.com

References/Further reading:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/316014/

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