When I was first diagnosed, one of the first things I did (after the anger, crying and the googling symptoms at 2am) was search for a menieres blog. I wanted to find someone, anyone, who could tell me what this was actually going to be like. Because the printout casually handed to be at the clinic told me the facts but none of the feelings.

If you've just been told you're living with Menière's disease, you're probably sitting somewhere trying to process a diagnosis that came with more questions than answers. Maybe you Googled it in a waiting room. Maybe, like me, you read it off a printout in your car because there wasn't time to ask what it actually meant. Either way, you're here because you want to understand what's happening to you and whether there's a way through it. There is. It looks different for ev

When I was newly diagnosed, "just try a low sodium diet for Menière's disease" was the advice I heard from pretty much everyone, from my ENT consultant to strangers in Facebook groups. What nobody explained properly was how much salt, why it mattered, or what I was actually meant to eat instead. So I worked it out the hard way, and this is everything I wish someone had handed me on day one.

When I was first diagnosed, someone told me to "just relax," and I remember wanting to scream, because if it was that simple, wouldn't I have done it already? Truthfully I didn't even think that I was stressed the first time round. But when I was officially diagnosed, I don't think it would have been possible to be more stressed than I was. So, I knew there was a definite link for me.

There's something oddly comforting about discovering you're not the only one whose world has been turned upside down by vertigo attacks, ringing ears, and the constant fear of when the next episode might strike. So, let's go through who else has lived with this condition...

I bought my first pair of Loop earplugs Experience Plus back in 2023, not long after my own diagnosis. They genuinely changed how confident I felt going out. In this post I want to talk you through what they are, how many decibels they actually cut, and where they've helped me most...

Do you reach for a piece of gum without giving it a second thought? You're not alone. Billions of pieces of gum are sold every year, and for many people, it's simply a part of daily life. Gum is used as a way to freshen breath, ease stress, or keep the mouth busy between meals. But if you've been noticing jaw pain, headaches, or a clicking sensation when you open your mouth, your chewing habit could be the culprit.

If you’ve ever noticed your ears feeling blocked before a storm, worsening tinnitus on rainy days, or increased dizziness during sudden weather changes, you are not imagining it. The connection between barometric pressure and ears is very real for many people - especially those living with vestibular conditions like Ménière’s disease.

Have you ever sat staring at a holiday booking page wondering, “can you fly with meniere’s disease?”. For many people living with Meniere’s disease, just the thought of flying can feel incredibly stressful. Between cabin pressure changes, ear fullness, dizziness, tinnitus, travel fatigue and the fear of a vertigo attack mid-flight, even the idea of a short flight can feel overwhelming.

If you’ve recently been diagnosed, or just suspect something isn’t quite right with your back, you’re probably searching for things to avoid with degenerative disc disease.

One of the questions I get asked a lot, especially by people who are newly diagnosed or thinking about their family is: “Is Meniere’s disease hereditary?” And honestly, it’s not a simple yes or no.

So I decided to take the York food intolerance test again. I first took it in 2022 and found out that I am intolerant to cows milk, egg yolks and rye.

When you’re living with a chronic illness, your world can quietly shrink. Plans get cancelled. Energy becomes unpredictable. And the things you used to enjoy don’t always feel possible anymore. That’s where you may find yourself searching online for 'hobbies for chronic illness'- not as a way to “fix” anything, but as a way to gently bring joy, purpose, and calm back into your day. No pressure. No expectations. Just small moments that feel like yours again.

If you’re living with back pain, you’ve probably asked yourself this question more than once: is walking good for degenerative disc disease? I know I did. I still do. When your spine feels fragile and unpredictable, even something as simple as walking can feel like a risk. You don’t want to make things worse. But you also don’t want to stop moving completely. So let’s talk about it.

If you've found your way here you already know (just like I do) exactly what TMJ disorder is and exactly how it feels. And the foods that you’ve always eaten suddenly become your worst enemy. Finding out what you can eat without inflicting even more pain becomes a bit of a minefield. The good news? Your diet can make a real difference. Understanding which foods to avoid with TMJ disorder is one of the simplest, most immediate steps you can take to reduce pain and give yo

When I had a TMJ flare-up on my “good” side, I was devastated. I’d lived with it on my bad side (right) for so many years that it had just become part of who I was. But when it started on the side I could still rely on, it felt like reliving it all over again. When you have TMJ disorder, you get used to the crunching and cracking. I barely noticed it after so many years. I mainly chewed food on my good side, so everything felt manageable. But this sudden flare in the side o

I’ve had Meniere’s Disease for over 20 years now, but I was only diagnosed 9 years ago. Over that time, I’ve had to learn what my triggers are and in particular, which foods affect me more than others. I think that working out your diet for menieres disease is very individual. What might affect one person may not be an issue for someone else at all. That said, a low-salt diet is one of the most commonly recommended dietary strategies for managing Meniere’s Disease, and that’

The conversation around Toxic Positivity vs Optimism matters, especially when you live with chronic illness or ongoing pain. I’m the kind of person who likes to be positive where I can. I naturally look for the silver lining. Even when I can’t even try to be positive, it usually means a situation has gone far beyond my current limits. But positivity isn’t always helpful. Sometimes it can turn into something unhealthy, and that’s where the concept truly becomes important. Wh

At 15, I started working in a local chemist. What began as a Saturday job soon turned into full-time supervisor role, and I absolutely loved it. The work was physically demanding—standing all day, using heavy-duty cleaning machines, lifting stock deliveries, and constantly moving up and down stairs.

In 2001 I moved into my first home with my then-partner. If I’m being honest, I didn’t really want to, but at that age, it felt like the right thing to do. Before I knew it, I was moving in, swept along by the plan. It was the wrong decision for both of us.