Natural Health Advisory

If you suffer from Meniere’s disease, you know how debilitating, frustrating, and worrisome the condition can be. But you don’t have to suffer, and you don’t have to take medications with unpleasant side effects or get surgery to find relief. A variety of natural remedies, like avoiding allergens, eating less salt, and reducing stress, can help you reduce your symptoms.

What is Meniere’s disease?

Meniere’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear that leads to abnormal sensory processing related to hearing and balance. People with Meniere’s disease experience recurrent episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and feelings of pressure in the ear. For many people, these symptoms can be very traumatic and frightening. Episodes tend to come and go, with acute episodes occurring in between periods of remission that may last several months.

Most people with Meniere’s are between the ages of 40 and 60 years old, but younger people can also have the condition.[1] No one knows what exactly causes the disorder, except that episodes occur when fluid builds up in the inner ear.

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Meniere’s disease diet recommendations

The proper Meniere’s disease diet will follow these important guidelines:

1. Limit salt intake. People with Meniere’s are advised to limit their salt intake. This is because salt levels regulate fluid balance, and it is believe that lowering salt intake can lower pressure in the inner ear, helping to relieve symptoms.[2]

2. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Other dietary modifications that are known to help improve symptoms are limiting caffeine and alcohol intake. People who follow through with recommendations to restrict caffeine, for example, have significantly fewer Meniere’s disease spells and report higher levels of functioning compared to people who don’t limit their caffeine.[3]

3. Identify and address allergies. Allergies may also be associated with Meniere’s disease, and limiting your exposure to allergens can help you to limit your episodes. Researchers believe that symptoms of Meniere’s disease, which seem to be partly inflammatory in nature, may actually be related to allergic reactions in many cases.[4] In fact, some researchers estimate that allergic inflammation may be the root cause of symptoms in about a third of patients.[5]

Many patients with Meniere’s disease also have confirmed allergies.[6] One team of researchers found that 82.7% of Meniere’s disease patients tested positive to skin prick tests for at least one allergen.[7]

Addressing allergies, through avoidance of the allergen itself or through immunotherapy, can help improve symptoms. In one study, 82.6% of people with Meniere’s who were treated for their allergies said that they felt better after the treatment. They had fewer vertigo spells per month and used significantly less medication to control symptoms. These improvements were not seen in the control group that did not receive allergy treatment.[4] Find an allergy specialist near you using our NHA Practitioner Search tool to get started.

Stress reduction for Meniere’s disease treatment

If you suffer from Meniere’s disease symptoms, addressing your stress levels should be one of your top priorities. It seems that there is a vicious cycle relating stress to Meniere’s disease. Anxiety and stress can make symptoms worse and last longer.[8] In turn, exacerbations of symptoms can cause even more stress, and so on.[8,9] Stress management techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy or mindfulness-based stress reduction are well worth your time, as they can help you to reduce your symptoms and improve your well-being.

Other remedies to try

There is some evidence that pycnogenol, a natural extract from French maritime pine bark, may help to control symptoms. In one study, 87.3% of people taking 150 mg/day were symptom free after six months, compared to only 34.6% of the control group.[10] Gingko biloba may also help vertigo symptoms (read more about it here).

If you feel at the whim of your Meniere’s disease symptoms, it is time to take back control. Make the three dietary changes suggested above, make an effort to reduce your stress levels, and try taking 150 mg of pycnogenol per day. These simple lifestyle changes could make a big difference in helping keep your symptoms at bay.

Share your experience

Do you have any Meniere’s disease diet tips? What other strategies do you use to control symptoms? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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[1] BMJ Clin Evid. 2007 Mar 1;2007. pii: 0505.

[2] Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2015 Apr;17(4):341.

[3] Otol Neurotol. 2013 Oct;34(8):1438-43.

[4] Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2000 Feb;122(2):174-82.

[5] Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2010 Jun;18(3):195-9.

[6] Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2011 Jun;44(3):655-66.

[7] Laryngoscope. 2012 Mar;122(3):700-2.

[8] Psychol Health Med. 2008 May;13(3):257-73.

[9] Ann Med Health Sci Res. 2014 Jan;4(1):3-7.

[10] Minerva Med. 2014 Jun;105(3):245-54.

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