Last evening, once again, I sent out an email (to an information request) in which I described how your natural immunity keeps you vital and healthy, keeping your “Meniere’s disease” away. I know every one of you has heard the term “immune system” by now. But maybe you still do not understand how it relates to your Meniere’s Disease symptoms, or condition.
So let me be bold.…
As long as you are healthy and your immune system is strong, you do not experience balance or hearing symptoms. Your body is coping nicely: that means your immune system is managing everything very well.
However, when one symptom or another shows up, it’s time to recognize that your immune system isn‘t able to cope at that particular moment because of a cause showing up.
So it’s time to take action.
What action?
- Get healthy again quickly by putting the right nutrients into your body
- Search for the cause that created this “moment”.
Let me explain the term “episode” as I understand a usual reader’s “interpretation in their request for help.
Dizziness or vertigo seem to cause the most problems, the most fear.
I completely understand.
For most people, tinnitus or hearing loss (even permanent hearing loss) are not nearly as frightening (or as problematic) as a sudden attack of vertigo.
So let’s use balance issues (dizziness and vertigo) as our examples: they seem to be easier to explore, certainly more “recognizable”.
Most people can tell me when their dizziness started. They can definitely recall when their vertigo showed up, but they can’t recall when the hearing loss was first noticed. For many people, tinnitus is a bit of a surprise as they don’t really pay much attention. I think it’s because we are used to having a lot of noise around us.
Let’s dive into the two balance symptoms. These cause so much anxiety and fear because of the uncertainty of their showing up. You hope nothing happens. You wait. You anticipate. But that anxiousness is certainly not helpful to you in any way. Incidentally, the very same thinking can be applied to ANY symptoms anywhere in your body. In fact this thinking can be applied to any condition in your body.
I have written a lot about “cause and effect”. A symptom shows up because at that moment your body isn’t healthy enough to cope, to keep you feeling well. This can last a longish time or a very short time…but the message is the same….inadequate immune system.
I want to offer you (once again) a very basic formula that I have used for many years: it goes like this.
Your body has a constant, consistent, VERY BASIC “survival” mechanism. It consists of two elements: antioxidants (AO’s) (the protector) and free radicals (the enemy). Just like in an army, the antioxidants protect you against the free radicals, the enemy. (Look up each term so you can become familiar with this process.) It follows that if you have enough antioxidants in your body, free radicals will be overruled.
Your healthy immune system is naturally loaded with antioxidants (amongst other protective elements). So once you really understand and see the connection between these two “forces”, you will do your best to always have enough antioxidants to counteract the free radicals. It’s not hard to do, but it takes the will to do it.
What I so desperately want you to get out of this simple formula, is that you do not have a long term disease!
You have balance symptoms or hearing symptoms. (That’s how you got this Meniere’s diagnostic label in the first place.) BUT these symptoms only show up when your immune system is overloaded with free radicals and it lacks enough antioxidants.
So would it not be worth searching for the reason of this overload, this cause? Your body is telling you that your immune system needs some help, that the free radicals have gotten the upper hand. So feed it with antioxidants. This is like having a “secret sauce” to help.
What to do if an episode shows up?
What would I do? I would let the episode go through its usual motions and take whatever worked in the past do it now. (For those of you who know what antioxidants to take, use them.)
Then start thinking about what you are learning here. Now you know you have some tools and resources to make some changes.
Knowledge is great if you add relevant action.
Over the last 20+ years, I have heard from thousands of people describing their symptoms. But not one person has told me that they experienced them every single day, for every week of the entire year, at the same intensity. How do I know?
I ask.
Why is this important to note? Because even the slightest change in the intensity of the symptom, shows that your immune system is at work. I suggest that your immune system has been able to adjust itself and allows the intensity or pressure to release a little bit….before the cause shows up again. I know this is a bit “picky, but I am trying to show you how to help yourself and not live in fear any longer.
I have read emails from readers who tell me that their symptoms get stronger over time. This makes perfect sense to me IF 1) your immune system isn’t as strong as it needs to be and 2) you still have not identified the cause and dealt with it.
I don’t recall anyone asking for my information who has not sought conventional medical help first. We are all programmed to go to someone who we think knows more than we do. However, we tend to ask for help from the people who want to help by “treating” symptoms, not getting rid of them.
That’s not where the problem lies.
It’s actually two problems:
- an inadequate immune system
- an unknown cause.
If you apply my “basic formula” idea (antioxidants vs. free radicals), it’s an overload of free radicals and not enough antioxidants. Is this starting to sound more helpful?
If your immune system is in good shape, and you experience balance symptoms, you need to recognize that for just a moment, it isn’t strong enough.
I hear from lots of people who think they are very healthy. Overall that can be true. But it can’t be at that moment. However the good news is for those people they only need to make a strong effort to search for the underlying cause and fix that. Often it’s as easy as eating more salt!
Yes! SALT!
Oh my goodness…SALT!!!! Do we get mixed and incorrect, unscientific messages about sodium and salt intake….please start thinking for yourself and do not rely on outdated advice. I am forever sending out articles on the salt content of foods, or the need for the body to have decent salt intake…or information that lacking enough salt can cause dizziness. Check out hyponatremia.
Now that you have read this far, I want to include a quick refresher on what your body is programmed automatically, and it fits right in with a serious salt discussion you need to have with yourself..
You can count on your body to:
- protect you,
- heal you,
- detoxify all your body systems,
- rebalance all its organs, etc. to keep you healthy.
Be very grateful for your natural health and healing “center”.
If your overall health is generally good, you can expect the body to react in a positive way. Isn’t that why you instinctively work hard to maintain this level of health? So a short balance episode isn’t a “big deal” and passes soon. Don’t panic. Start thinking as to what could have caused this incident.
Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, some people are not as healthy as they wish to be. We have all been programed over many generations to take drugs as “prevention” or told that a certain products would “help this condition”. If you had taken the time to look up what a “free radical” is, you would realize that a lot of these “helpful” products are just that, free radicals. Are you starting to see what free radicals can be? That they can take over your immune system, your overall health?
One quick, but very important reminder: only nutrients can feed your body: drugs and chemicals cannot.
Once you become aware of a lot of this, you start looking at everything more closely.
From all I hear, everyone is gently led to look at their diets as the main problem, but I disagree. That MIGHT be one of the sources. But that perspective misses out a lot of other possibilities. The chemicals you put into your body such as drugs and “less than desirable foods” simply add to the free radical “undesirable element” load. But never forget all the other chemicals, organics, botanicals, etc. that you put onto your body in other forms. It’s different for every person, but once again, these things impact your immune system.
So you have choices and that is wonderful!
I don’t want to belabour the point, but once you recognize the value of a strong immune system and how it connects to your Meniere’s disease symptoms, you are in control of “yourself”…..now you can make an informed decision regarding proposed changes.
- You can strengthen your immune system. You may need to add more antioxidants on top of the other 39 required nutrients. (The system we talk about has all these nutrients.)
Or
- You can search for the cause of this episode (free radicals taking over momentarily) and getting rid of it…and then allowing your body to adjust itself.
Or
- You can do both
But at least think about the things you can do to help yourself. This is your body: no one else cares about its health as you do.
As always, I offer my help if you get stuck searching. If you are unsure of the next step, contact me for my ideas. I know what I am letting myself in for, but it’s worth it to hear the relief and excitement of someone finding their cause and being willing to fix it.
You have to have the intention, the desire, the hope that things can change. They will change if you simply change your present negative belief, your present attitude of not believing it can be done.
Give this a try. It can be done. Use the natural healing “till you die” intention of your body to help.
I am happy to help.
Karin Henderson
- If you would like a copy of our Meniere’s Disease Study Guide, please click here. This guide is a step by step journey exploring your symptoms and what may be causing them.
- If you would like more information on the system that David, and numerous others, have used, please click here; What Finally Worked.
- If you have any health questions or concerns, please feel free to Contact Us and we will be happy to share our knowledge and ideas with you.
Karin Henderson, Retired Nurse
(604) 463-8666 – Pacific Standard Time