MENIERE’S SYNDROME

MENIERE’S SYNDROME is a perplexing problem that usually has no known cause. It usually appears in attacks that are characterized by ringing in the ears, extreme dizziness, hearing loss, a sense of pressure in the ears, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. Attacks can come and go and their severity can vary, but sometimes they can become so frequent and so intense that the victim is virtually incapacitated.

It’s always frustrating to deal with a syndrome for which there is no known cause: You just don’t know precisely what you’re trying to change to bring about a cure and you’re left with treating the symptoms. But there is some good news: Recent research indicates that there’s a connection between blood-sugar levels and Meniere’s syndrome. One study found that 42 percent of patients with Meniere’s syndrome showed evidence of hypoglycemia in the course of a five-hour glucose tolerance test. This is compared with only 15 percent of patients with other diseases.

Some doctors have been recommending high-protein, low refined carbohydrate diets for people with the syndrome because they’ve found that their patients have high insulin levels, insulin being the hormone that controls blood sugar. We now speculate that it’s not only the high insulin levels that are causing the problem but also the impaired circulation that occurs as a result of the high insulin levels combined with other factors such as overweight, poor diet, smoking, drinking, and high cholesterol levels.

The best way to control blood sugar is to adjust your diet: Eat a low refined-carbohydrate diet, adequate protein, regular meals at regular times, and, most important, avoid sugar. Eating sugar in the form of candy, cakes, cookies, ice cream, and dried fruits will initially boost your blood sugar and then cause it to fall precipitously. This is a cycle that is hard to break unless you avoid sugar entirely. (See Hypoglycemia.)

Another factor in controlling blood sugar is maintaining a proper weight. If you’re overweight, diet. I know this is easier said than done, but it’s important if you want to be able to control your blood-sugar levels.

A nutritional aid to controlling blood sugar is the mineral chromium. I have been using chromium for years with patients who need help regulating blood-sugar levels, and it’s been very effective. I suggest that patients take tire trivalent form of chromium.

Alcohol, smoking, and caffeine can send blood-sugar levels soaring, only to subsequently crash. If you want to maintain a stable blood-sugar level, it’s important that you avoid alcohol, quit smoking, and cut down on your caffeine intake. I don’t think it’s essential to completely eliminate caffeine; one cup of coffee or tea a day is not going to be a problem. But if you habitually drink caffeine throughout the day you need to cut way down. (See Hypoglycemia)

If efforts at controlling insulin levels are not helping your symptoms, consider food allergies, which can cause symptoms that mimic Meniere’s syndrome (see Foot Allergy).

NATURAL PRESCRIPTION FOR MENIERE’S SYNDROME:

• Low refined-carbohydrate diet (with an emphasis on complex carbohydrates including whole grains, fresh vegetables, and so on) with adequate protein, being sure to eat regular meals at regular times.
• Eliminate sugar from your diet. This includes candy, ice cream, cakes, cookies, frozen yogurt, sodas, honey, chocolate, and dried fruit.
• If you are overweight, lose weight.
• Take 100 mcg of the trivalent form of chromium three times a day before meals
• Eliminate alcohol,, smoking, and caffeine (except for an optional single cup of coffee or tea daily) from your life.
• See Hypoglycemia, for more information on controlling blood sugar.
• Check for hidden food allergies to be sure that they’re not what’s causing your symptoms (see Food Allergy).

IN ADDITION: Recent studies have shown that in addition to your daily basic vitamin/mineral supplements, the following have been helpful: fish oils (1,000 mg. three times daily) and ginkgo biloba (40 mg. three times daily).