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Author: Ranae LaFerney

Become a donor

One way you can help further Ménière’s disease research is by registering as a donor

Studying the roots of hearing and balance problems is no simple task. The National Hearing and Balance Organ Donor Program furthers much-needed research on Ménière’s


Fiber: Your new BFF

Meet the superhero sidekick that can steady glucose and keep your Ménière’s symptoms in check

In my post, Let’s talk about blood sugar, I write about how fiber can be one of the easiest and most effective methods for


Let’s talk about blood sugar

A primer on how glucose triggers Ménière’s symptoms and what you can do about it

Those of us living with Ménière’s eventually learn—usually through a few spectacularly bad days—which foods or situations can send our symptoms into high gear. Maybe


The Perils of PPPD

When you’re waiting in line at the DMV and your brain is on a sailboat

Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness, or PPPD, sounds too plagued with p’s to be an actual thing. Au contraire, my friends, it’s all too real. I refer


Lysine: Relief from vertigo?

Nothing had the power to stop my vertigo. But then I started taking Lysine supplements

Naturally, when I first read about the amino acid l‑lysine on a chat on Menieres.org, I was skeptical. I’m a born skeptic. However, given


Fun with cochlear implants

I had been isolated and withdrawn. Then my cochlear implant reconnected me to the world

The missed syllables. The awkwardness. The slow retreat from anything resembling a social life because I couldn’t actually follow what anyone was saying. Even TV


Hearing loss and social bias

“Never mind.” And other words that make me feel like I’m not worth the effort

Losing one’s hearing is a challenge unto itself. But the real kicker is the social bias that trails along like toilet paper stuck to a


Awkward moments

Missed conversation. Confused expressions aimed in your direction. It’s all part of this wild journey

Hearing loss that accompanies Meniere’s doesn’t arrive with trumpets or a parade. It tiptoes in quietly, like a teenager sneaking in after curfew. One day


Ode to chronic illness

Life with Ménière’s disease—or any chronic illness—can feel like you’re starring in your own comedy

Chronic illness doesn’t come with a neon sign or a dramatic soundtrack. Most days, you look perfectly fine—right up until the moment you don’t. But


Not drunk. Just dizzy.

A vertigo attack changes how people look at you. And not in a good way

The vertigo that accompanies Ménière’s isn’t gentle. And it’s not like you can count on your body to cooperate. You’re not going to get a


Is it really Ménière’s?

Vestibular disorders come in various forms of mischief. So, how do I know it’s Ménière’s?

The best way to appreciate the miracle of standing upright is by having your vestibular system go on the fritz. This apparatus—tucked deep inside your


van Gogh and vertigo

For decades, people believed Vincent van Gogh had epilepsy. Modern physicians think it was Ménière’s

I keep finding myself thinking about Vincent van Gogh—usually while lying flat on the couch waiting for the latest vertigo episode to end. When


Ménière’s Disease: 10 Key Facts

Chronic conditions love drama. Here are 10 key facts you should know about Ménière’s disease

  1. It’s caused by fluid buildup in the inner ear
  • Excess endolymph disrupts signals to the brain, affecting balance and hearing.
  • The medical community often refers

What is Ménière’s Disease?

My definition? A chronic condition that knocks you down, kicks butt, and shows no mercy

Prosper Ménière strides onto the page like a 19th‑century medical detective armed with a stethoscope and unstoppable curiosity. Born in 1799, he battled epidemics, political


A Sonnet for Spinning Days

A poetic interlude that captures the emotions of today… and (maybe) the hope of tomorrow

When silence roars and steady ground betrays,
And vertigo unthreads the world I knew,
I brace against the storm that will not stay,
A tempest