As I mentioned in my last article about how to look at your Meniere’s Disease symptoms yourself, I wanted to share how I answered some emails that I receive from Meniere’s Disease sufferers. Here is one such email: I will call him Tom. Please read it slowly and carefully. Don’t make any judgements, but see what he is suggesting when he says that no Meniere’s Disease specialist would listen to him. Please read my response with the idea of researching your own situation.
Your Menieres Disease Questions;
Tom wrote: Pretty sure it’s a virus that causing all my intermittent and episodic symptoms that start in my ear. May or may not cause Meniere’s Disease symptoms but goes into my brain, similar to meningitis. No Meniere’s Disease specialist listening to me and my symptoms that don’t line up with text book findings. Doing A LOT of supplements.
Here is my response. This created some email correspondence.
As I usually do, I sent Tom the nutritional system information that he had requested. Then I proceeded to point out the things that he might want to explore.
Tom has been a reader of our website and newsletter for a while. He already knew supplements and nutrients would be part of any discussion.
Why is this so important? A healthy body has lots of “built-in protection”, so the cause of any Meniere’s Disease symptoms will have less impact than on one with questionable health. It is your body’s protective system that decides how it reacts. So being as healthy as possible is a real advantage.
That also means that it is so important to find and get rid of the cause, so it doesn’t wear down your body’s immune system. That is called oxidative stress.
I didn’t discuss the virus idea because that idea could wait until he had done a lot more research. The problem with thinking that it’s a virus is that most people think there is nothing to be done for them and that is false. I want people to consider everything, not to give up.
What was important to recognize was that Tom wasn’t getting any help from a Meniere’s Disease specialist or the medical profession (otherwise he wouldn’t be emailing us). Doctors have a set criteria and routines: Tom didn’t fit these the “textbook findings”. So that was the end of his “treatment”. Can you hear his frustration? He doesn’t line up with “textbook findings”.
This is not an isolated incident: it’s common, and it’s why we spend so much time sharing what we have learned. Please always keep this in mind: I don‘t care who says that this is an incurable disease. They are wrong. It is NOT a disease. There is a lot you can do.
Cause and effect are the basics of science. So if you find and fix the cause, the effects (the symptoms) are gone. That should be your goal.
I have no idea what tests he had already done to this point. But when someone mentions the brain to me, I encourage them to do more testing. But that‘s a medical decision.
He mentioned that his symptoms were “episodic” and I suspect, very uncomfortable. That says to me that he has already had some episodes and he was most likely expecting more.
So…then the next question would be “when would the next episode occur” and “what could he do to manage them?” Equally important is “what symptoms” was he anticipating that would show up? Hearing loss or vertigo? Hearing or balance symptoms?
My goal was to show Tom how he could look at all this very differently and then perhaps find one cause or maybe even more…
He instinctively knew something more could be done. This is so true for so many people! But even for people who do line up with “text book findings”, they are still not helped by the everyday medical community. They get a label slapped on them, given a low salt diet, a diuretic, and an antihistamine… and then told there is nothing to be done. WRONG! Or they read all this misleading information on the Internet AND medical sites!
I get emails telling me that I don’t like doctors. Not true. There are many good ones, but for Meniere’s Disease, they have a protocol to follow. Tom didn’t fit their protocol (He doesn’t line up with “textbook findings”). So no further help. That is not practicing good medicine.
The fact is that some “thing” is, or some things are, causing his intermittent and episodic events.
So where did I get Tom to start his search? What did I tell him to look for?
A CHANGE!
A change from NO symptoms to a time OF SYMPTOMS BEING PRESENT.
If you have ever sent me an email with your experience, the following is the process I would have gone through this same process with you.
So….
So for Tom (and for you), I suggested he go back to the latest episode.
Note the;
- date,
- time,
- location.
Date: This part is very important. I told him he was fine at one point (asymptomatic, meaning “nosymptoms”), but now he had these symptoms.
What changed? He needed to know what is going on.
- What date was it? (It’s handy to make a note on your calendar or phone just in case it shows up again.)
- Did the episode include both balance (vertigo / dizziness) and hearing (loss or tinnitus) symptoms? For most people it doesn’t include both sets of nerve irritation.
What symptoms show up? Let’s work with hearing symptoms.
For many people, the hearing (loss) has already been lessened (but was most likely never measured). So its loss was taken for granted. Please understand that you could have had hearing loss that started years ago from a chemical in the form of a drug, a vaccination. A chemical is the most common cause: other causes could be trauma, physical damage.
The presence of the tinnitus (noise) (with intensity) is very bothersome for many. Many people do not realize that tinnitus is part of the hearing nerve. So I get people to track when the tinnitus shows up. For many, it sneaks up on them until suddenly they are aware.
Recognizing hearing distortion is very important. It’s very encouraging. It lets you know that the hearing is hiding, but still present so is comes and goes for a time. It shows up, then disappears. But it is present. The hearing isn’t lost, just “hidden” (muffled) by inflammation. This requires optimism and exploration. This is one of my favourite situations to help with!
Location: Where they were when this symptom (balance or hearing) showed up? Why does this matter? Because if Tom was fine in his home with no tinnitus or hearing distortion, then he should suspect that the cause could be outside the home. Could it be in an office? Or a mall? Or close to a big plant? Dogs barking? Kids shouting? Loud music? I recall working with an employee in Sweden about this and it turned out to be the carpet glue!
What time of the day did this occur? From all I have been able to learn, tinnitus is often caused by a chemical or low blood pressure. Sometimes even low blood sugar. So knowing when it shows up, allows you to think of possible causes. And then do something about them.
I repeated the process with the balance symptoms: i.e., dizziness and vertigo.
So, once again, explore;
- date,
- time,
- location.
Many people find it hard to identify the start of the tinnitus, but not the start of dizziness and especially vertigo! What’s done is done: let’s see what caused this.
My challenge is to have people convinced that it’s far more important to find when they started their vertigo, than to hear how long they lay on the bathroom floor (usually hours). I’ll tell you one very important thing about vomiting. It has absolutely nothing to do with any disease, but it has everything to do with your body trying to protect you from some toxin that has just gotten into it. So please pay attention and explore what you did in the previous few minutes or a few hours, not days. There’s that date/time crucial indicator.
What was Tom’s actual cause? I don’t know. He asked for my Study Guide and that was the last I heard. (Let me know if you would like a copy). Maybe he discovered his cause as he read the Guide. Many people do and it’s exciting to hear what they found. More importantly, they now live more confidently, knowing they do not have a disease.
Can you see why I want to help people look at all of this so differently?
Remember….THE CAUSE ALWAYS PRECEDES THE SYMPTOMS. Count on it. Use this knowledge to help yourself as you explore what you are experiencing.
I have a favour to ask. I had a call from someone whose Meniett device no longer works. If you know of a source or what he can do to fix his, please contact me.
Get well and then stay healthy. It is your best protection.
Karin
- 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