Living Well With Meniere's Disease | Natural Ways To Reduce Your Symptoms
Like many inner ear problems, Meniere's disease can disrupt your life by causing hearing loss, balance issues, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). In the case of Meniere's disease, these symptoms are caused by fluid buildup. Fortunately, there are natural ways to reduce your symptoms and live well with Meniere's disease.
Reduce Your Salt Intake
Because Meniere's disease is caused by fluid buildup, you'll want to reduce fluid retention to decrease your symptoms. One of the easiest ways to do this is by reducing your salt intake.
Sodium causes fluid retention, so alter your diet to include less salt. Avoid these sodium-laden foods:
- Sausage, bacon, canned meat, and other processed meats
- Canned soups, instant noodles, frozen dinners, and other prepackaged foods
- Chips, salted pretzels, chocolate, candies, and other unhealthy snacks
- Ketchup, hot sauce, salsa, soy sauce, mayo, ranch dressing, steak rubs, and other high-sodium seasonings
- Fast food, chain restaurant food, pizza, and food truck meals
The FDA recommends 1,500mg or less of sodium per day for individuals sensitive to sodium. This is a general guideline to follow; however, always speak with your doctor to determine the right amount of sodium for you.
Eat More Healthy, Unprocessed Foods
After removing all of the unhealthy, processed foods from your diet, you'll want to replace those calories with healthier options. Base your diet on natural, unprocessed foods:
- Fresh fruit and vegetables
- Salads (without sodium-rich dressings)
- Lean, unsalted meats and fish
- Dried beans and unsalted brown rice
- Low-fat milk and cheese
- Unsalted potatoes, popcorn, raisins, and other dried fruit
By eating these natural, unprocessed foods, you will reduce your sodium intake—which will help to decrease the severity and frequency of the symptoms caused by Meniere's disease.
Reduce Your Stress
If you've been suffering from Meniere's disease for a long time, you may have noticed that stress often worsens the symptoms. This is common. According to a case-crossover study with 46 patients with this disease, emotional stress increased attacks of Meniere's disease for up to 3 hours. Consequently, you'll want to reduce your exposure to stressful situations as much as possible—and you may also want to take up a stress-reducing hobby, such as yoga, meditation, or even gardening.
Follow the above tips to reduce the symptoms of Meniere's disease and improve the quality of your life. If your symptoms worsen, ask professionals like The Hearing Clinic about the benefits of having surgery performed to treat the disease.