If this is the case, my family is pretty worthless! Jokes! Only jokes!
A few years ago my hubby found out he has Ménière’s Disease. If you don’t know about it, look it up. He has episodes of vertigo, balance issues, and constant ringing in his ears as well as hyperacusis. And to rub a little salt in the wound (pun absolutely intended) he happens to be a musician.
The one tried and true way to keep this asshole of a condition quiet is to watch the sodium intake and eat as clean as possible. STAY AWAY FROM FAKE FOODS!!! I can’t stress that enough. Preservatives are the devil and Ménière’s disease makes them extra vicious to your system.
When we started this journey we couldn’t find many resources. Now there is great info on the Internet and so many helpful blogs. I’m starting this one to document the foods I find and come across. There is a lot out there if you are willing to look for it.
Here we have two of our favorites. I hope you’re lucky enough to have a Trader Joe’s in your town. They have been a necessity during this whole thing and they stock some convenience foods that make life so much easier. Chips and salsa are a go to snack in this house! And look at these!! ZERO in the chips and 20 grams in the salsa (for 2 tablespoons). That’s a treat!! #lowsodium #lowsalt #menieresdisease #saltfree #sodiumfree #cleaneating
agrainofsaltsite 
Great post! We have a friend with hyperacusis. I’d never heard of it before. It makes her life miserable. Now off to check out what other healthy tidbits I’ve missed.
Trisha Faye
http://www.herbthyme.wordpress.com
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Thanks!! Hyperacusis is the worst. Luckily, my hubby was able to get a hearing aide that creates “pink” or “white” noise. Helps bunches! Especially if we are in a crowded situation or restaurant. Maybe she could look into one? There have been many days where I can’t even turn the faucet on because it’s so painful to him.
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She does have one that helps somewhat.
This health problem affects the whole family, not just your husband.
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I hope the low salt diet helps your husband control the Meniere’s.
I’ve been following one for so long now that salty things taste way tooooo salty.
Many people can get things under control with life style changes.
I’m not one.
Hyperacusis is horrible, I rarely have it, thankfully, but when I do now I can just take off my cochlear implant and live in silence.
Good luck to you and hubby.
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I’m sorry to hear that. I know how much it can put a damper on things you normally love. Truth be told, low sodium just keeps the symptoms of ringing, balance, and spinning at a level he can tolerate- but they are never ever gone.
I guess when it’s that bad we’ll take any small step. Custom earplugs, hearing aid, and sadly Valium for the worst days. I’m sure you understand this all too well.
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Hopefully it will never get that bad for him.
I’m a rare case. I accelerated very fast after I went bilateral, and going bilateral happened later than normal.
They think my Meniere’s is autoimmune, that would explain why I lost my hearing so fast, and still have so many symptoms.
Oh, I’m very used to taking Valium for this, Phenergan too. Don’t be too scared of Valium, it can stop an attack if taken soon enough. We’d have to take it every day in higher doses to get addicted. Most days we don’t take any, on bad days I might take 3 or 4. (A lot of people would be asleep by then, it takes a lot to make me sleepy.
If you ever need an ear, feel free to contact me.
Good luck.
Oh about salt. Watch out for celery. It has about 100mg in one stalk. I like to add smokey flavors to a lot of things, I don’t miss the salt so much then.
If he happens to get a little too much sodium I a meal, have him drink a lot of water, it will help flush it out.
I don’t find a low salt diet helps me much, but I’m used to it. Plus most people eat 2 or 3 times the recommended allowance.
Again, good luck.
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Strange how it’s so different for everyone. We actually love how fast the valium works for him. He can’t do diuretics, so he sweats on purpose a lot, and the low sodium helps to some degree but it has to be clean eating. In the beginning we made the mistake of using salt subs or things that say “Low sodium” but they contained preservatives that were sooooo bad!! Thanks for responding. The varying level of this beast is fascinating and it sounds like the key is to not let it win. You sound like you’re doing a good job of that! 👊
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Thank you for all the information on low-sodium. I almost died twice from low-sodium, sodium is badly needed in the balance of body chemicals. Doctors put me on low-sodium for high blood pressure, so I cut back.Twice I ended up with sodium so low I almost died. We need to have some sodium in the blood or the body will go into seizures, before it starts to shut down, a very scary ordeal, indeed.
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Wow! How scary for you! We have a mixed bag in our house. My husband can’t have salt and my daughter needs extra! We have found that the pink himalayan salt seems like the safest bet. I know how hard it is. My husbands’s sodium recommendation is even lower than someone’s for heart related issues. We make sure he has safe sources of electrolytes and eats all of the recommended sodium for the day.
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We’re also huge fans of chips and salsa. I occasionally make homemade salsa by cubing some tomato and mixing it with ground pepper, red pepper flakes, torn up basil leaves, and a tiny bit of salt. Like the tomato for the taco recipe you commented on a while back (sorry, I didn’t get a notification for some reason) but I think that as salsa, it needs a couple of salt shakes and to sit out for a little while, maybe even just half an hour, to allow all of the flavors to combine. The prep part is a pinch and mine even holds up well in the fridge for a couple of days. It tastes very different from store-bought salsa, though, so it’s kind of an acquired taste, but maybe worth a try.
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Sorry, I have been neglecting my site, but thank you for sharing. I am so going to try this!!
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