Travelling with Ménière’s Disease

Key Takeaways

This article focuses on the sometimes daunting task of travelling with Ménière’s disease and how tricky it can be. We will look at:

• How to find ways to plan and eat a Ménière’s disease diet or a Ménière’s low-sodium diet while still enjoying food
• What to pack when travelling with Ménière’s disease
• Finding tools or devices to preserve hearing and reduce hearing loss
• How to keep positive despite the symptoms and sometimes life-altering elements of Ménière’s disease

 

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Ménière’s Disease Diet While Travelling
3. What to Pack While Travelling with Ménière’s Disease
4. How to Manage Tinnitus or Vertigo While Travelling
5. Advice on How to Not Let Ménière’s Disease Wear You Down
6. Conclusion

 

Introduction

Travelling with Ménière’s disease is very difficult and involves a lot of preparation and planning, not only for the Ménière’s disease diet and hearing preservation, but also in the event that you have symptoms such as vertigo while traveling. This article will talk about what tools or devices help relieve some Ménière’s disease symptoms, like hearing aids for hearing loss. 

The Ménière’s disease diet can be overwhelming and restrictive, so parts of this article will spend time on how to find restaurants that curate the menu to fit your dietary restrictions, or how to preserve home-cooked food for travelling or just cooking on the go.

We will also include ways to approach staff and chefs on what to say when it comes to the Ménière’s disease diet or a Ménière’s low-salt diet.

We will also explore the emotional aspect of travelling with Ménière’s disease by finding ways to still have a positive attitude on trips despite the constant tinnitus, and always possible vertigo attacks and/or sudden hearing loss. 

However, we are all different, so some of these travel tools and advice may not work for your Ménière’s disease or Ménière’s disease low-sodium diet.  As you travel more, you will find the rhythm that works best for you and your Ménière’s disease diet.

There is no right or wrong way to travel with Ménière’s disease, though it can be difficult.   With the right preparation, you can still have an amazing trip filled with creating memories and new experiences.

 

Ménière’s Disease Diet While Travelling

Keeping a Ménière’s disease diet or a Ménière’s low-salt diet while travelling can be hard to do while flying, driving, or just being in a new environment. As you know, the food we eat impacts how much fluid the body retains, and by extension, how much fluid builds up in the inner ear when you have Ménière’s disease. 

A Ménière’s disease diet is crucial for people with Ménière’s disease and can be a critical part of managing your aural fullness and vertigo. For example,  high sodium intake can increase the volume of fluid in the inner ear, which can worsen inner ear pressure and fullness, leading to hearing loss and vertigo attacks.   

One one the biggest tips with the Ménière’s disease diet while travelling is researching your destination ahead of time, or route (if taking a road trip), to see if there are any restaurants that are in proximity to where you are or en route to the road you will be travelling on, that cook from scratch. If there are restaurants that do cook from scratch, try to contact them and ask if they can make foods within your dietary restrictions.

Though this can sometimes prove to be rare and difficult for patients with  Ménière’s disease, as most foods at restaurants are pre-prepared and not cooked from scratch, there are some restaurants that will make the effort to accommodate dietary restrictions, including a Ménière’s low-sodium diet. 

Airport restaurants and stores are not always able to accommodate the Ménière’s disease diet or a Ménière’s low-sodium diet.  However, in some airport restaurants you can request food without added sodium, such as fries or vegetables. 

At airports and on road trips, sometimes what works best is bringing your own food or snacks that don’t require refrigeration or heating and are stable at room temperature, such as unsalted nuts, low-sodium protein bars, and fresh fruit.  In the case of road trips, you may have some more flexibility if you are able to bring a cooler.

This would allow you to bring cooked food that can be kept at a safe temperature and could be microwaved at your destination or consumed cold, depending on the food. Examples could be pasta salad,  savory muffins, boiled eggs, or mixed vegetable salads, with dressings on the side.

Once at your destination, if finding restaurants that would accommodate the Meniere’s disease diet proves to be difficult, the best option, if possible, is cooking at the place you’re residing in or at least having a fridge so you can buy Meniere’s disease diet-friendly items/snacks and have a place to safely store them.

However, if you are taking a cruise, staying at a resort, or prefer not to cook while traveling, then clear and repeated communication with the kitchen staff or chef is essential. A medical necessity letter from your dietitian that outlines your Ménière’s low-sodium diet and any other dietary needs can be helpful when eating out.

This is especially important with cruising or large resorts, because some cruise lines and specific hotels and resorts will not take a Ménière’s low-sodium diet seriously until you supply a medical necessity letter.     

A good general tip when dining out, whether out of town or just at home, is to avoid items marked as “smoked,” “cured,” “blackened,” or “pickled”. Another good tip in restaurants is to ask for sauces, dressings, and gravies to be put on the side.

 

What to Pack While Travelling with Ménière’s Disease

While the Ménière’s Disease diet is important when travelling, what you pack is important too. Three important items that are extremely helpful would be devices for hearing and hearing preservation, medications, and a water bottle. One of the biggest noise relievers/dampeners for Ménière’s disease patients is earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones. 

These can quiet the loud noises in the airport, airplane, crowded areas, restaurants, etc. Earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones provide hearing protection and help to preserve your hearing. In other areas, when you may have trouble hearing your travel companions, your hearing aids can be helpful to allow you to communicate with those around you effectively. 

Medication is also a major item to pack, especially to relieve nausea or vertigo. Verify you have an adequate supply of your Meniere’s-related medications, including rescue medications if they have been prescribed  (e.g., meclizine, diazepam, or your prescribed diuretic).

Also, if you have travel companions, communicating with them, if you are comfortable doing so, can help you formulate a plan for if you do have a sudden vertigo attack.

Knowing you have these ready if needed, can give you a sense of ease, because you are prepared and have a plan if you have a vertigo attack. A generally good travel tip is to carry these and all medications in your carry-on luggage in case your checked luggage is delayed or missing. 

Another important part about travelling with Ménière’s is maintaining a steady fluid level and staying hydrated, as it is a major component of Ménière’s management.

Packing a vacuum-insulated water bottle can be helpful and is an easy way to avoid dehydration, while not having to buy expensive water at airports. It also gives you easy access should you need to take any medications. 

It is also vital to pack for emergency situations, so always keep your identification, or a small card in a wallet or purse that has a brief summary explaining your condition.

This can help people around you or medical personnel understand if you experience sudden vertigo or tinnitus, so they do not mistake it for something else.

 

How to Manage Tinnitus or Vertigo While Travelling

To relieve vertigo on long trips, it is crucial to use the emergency items packed, like your prescribed rescue Meniere’s medications or Dramamine. Staying hydrated and having lots of fluids also helps manage vertigo. 

However, using earplugs to try to silence your tinnitus can worsen it, as wearing total-blocking plugs in quiet environments can sometimes make tinnitus feel louder by removing natural background sounds. Other things to avoid are caffeine, smoking and alcohol, as they can cause or worsen tinnitus and vertigo.

Sleep deprivation can also cause tinnitus and vertigo, so be sure to get a good night’s sleep before travelling or doing strenuous activities while travelling. 

Using filtered earplugs is recommended, as it uses acoustic filters to lower harmful decibel levels while ensuring sound clarity. This precludes noise-blocking and sound-triggered spikes, making them excellent for activities while travelling like concerts or work environments.

 

Advice on How to Not Let Ménière’s Disease Wear You Down

I know from experience that travelling with Ménière’s disease can be extremely difficult and sometimes restrictive, but it can be done, and following these tips allows for a healthier travel experience. Sometimes the hardest part is the anxiety that can come with being outside your normal environment and routine.

This may be easier said than done, but being flexible and keeping your expectations realistic can help set you up for a happier travel experience.

Knowing which activities you may be able to enjoy or those you may have to forgo or alter. For example, maybe you do snorkeling instead of scuba diving or sacrifice going to a concert for a comedy club instead.

Preparing for these changes ahead of time would be helpful for mental health management. 

Communication with whomever you are travelling with is also vital, especially if you are not feeling well or are feeling overwhelmed.

When staying with relatives, it is crucial to communicate with them ahead of time, with whatever information you are comfortable sharing.

Sometimes without communication, family or friends can become frustrated or surprised by all the food restrictions. This way expectations are managed, and there isn’t extra stress about food or why you are not eating certain items. 

It is also important to focus on what you can do and enjoy and not let Ménière’s disease define you as a person. 

Let your Ménière’s teach you how to approach adversity and adapt to new and different things that you may not have tried or experienced before.

 

Conclusion

Traveling with Ménière’s can be a lot – a lot to pack, a lot to research, a lot of preparation, and a lot of emotional ups and downs. However, it is definitely possible, with some planning and communication. There is so much to experience in the world; your disease does not dictate every move you make. I am always here to walk this journey with you if you need extra tips and guidance. 

I hope this article helped you to feel more comfortable with travelling and understand more of what to expect when travelling, whether with family members or by yourself.  

Remember, we are walking this journey together, and you are not alone. I will be with you every step towards your next destination!