Is Sauna Good For Meniere's Disease?

If you’ve ever wondered whether a sauna or a cold plunge is better for dizziness, the answer is, it depends. Both are powerful tools, but when it comes to conditions like Meniere’s disease and chronic dizziness, the right choice might actually be a bit of both

What you will learn.

If you’re wondering is sauna good for Meniere’s? this article breaks down the pros and cons of sauna, cold plunges, and offers a more effective approach.

The Sauna

Increases circulation and promotes detoxification, but may worsen symptoms from heat rising.

The Cold Plunge

Triggers adrenaline and reduce inflammation, but can overstimulate the nervous system.

The Hydrotherapy Solution

A safer approach is applying cold to the face and heat to the feet.

The best solution for dizziness

Watch me explain how, and why it works.

Hydrotherapy with hot foot soaks and cold face compresses offers a more balanced therapy that combines the best of both worlds. 

Rooted in both modern science and Traditional Chinese Medicine, this technique regulates your nervous system and relieves your worst symptoms.

 

Sauna vs. Cold Plunge

Where Does the Blood Go? Before we dive into Meniere's specific recommendations, let’s understand what each practice does to the body.

The Sauna

When you enter a sauna, your blood rushes to the skin and extremities. This outward flow increases circulation, promotes sweating, and benefits both heart and brain health.

People who rarely sweat—often older adults or those with poor circulation—can find significant benefits from sauna therapy. It gently encourages detoxification and stimulates blood flow to areas that are typically cooler or more stagnant.

The Cold Plunge

When you submerge in cold water, your body reacts dramatically. Blood rushes inward, your sympathetic nervous system spikes, and you get a jolt of adrenaline and endorphins.

This makes cold plunges a favorite for athletes dealing with soreness, or for those navigating depression and brain fog. It can provide a sharp mental reset and reduce inflammation in the body.

The Hydrotherapy Solution

Instead of engaging the full body in temperature shocks, we focus on targeted hydrotherapy.

But What About Meniere's or Chronic Dizziness?

That’s where things get more nuanced. People with Ménière’s or chronic dizziness often exhibit a common pattern: heat above, cold below.

Symptoms such as migraines, tinnitus, and dizziness indicate a rising yang in Traditional Chinese Medicine, or inflammation in the head. At the same time, cold feet and hands signal stress and poor circulation.

In both Western and Chinese medicine, this “inverted circulation” can actually worsen dizziness and throw off your internal balance. That means a sauna may make head pressure worse, and a cold plunge could overstimulate your nervous system, triggering vertigo or anxiety.

Cool Head and Warm Feet

Instead of engaging the full-body in temperature shocks, we focus on targeted hydrotherapy:

  • Cold on the face and neck
  • Warm water on the feet

In a healthy state, qi and blood circulate freely, allowing excess heat to be drawn downward, where it can be dispersed through the legs and feet. At the same time, the natural coolness of the lower body rises upward, keeping the head clear and the senses sharp. This continuous dynamic—heat descending, coolness ascending—is what keeps the body’s internal climate regulated.

Why Cold on the Face Helps

Applying cold to the face activates the dive reflex, slowing your heart rate, calming your breath, and reducing sympathetic overdrive. It also vasoconstricts the blood vessels in the head, reducing inflammation and pressure in the ears and eyes.

Studies show this technique can help reduce migraines, anxiety, and even improves inner ear function.

Why Hot on the Feet Helps

Soaking the feet in hot water pulls energy downward, increases peripheral circulation, and soothes the nervous system.

It improves sleep, reduces dizziness, and helps reverse the body’s pattern of cold extremities and hot heads.

How to Do Hydrotherapy at Home

You’ll need just a few simple supplies

  • A basin large enough for both feet (electric heated or collapsible recommended)
  • Ice packs, a migraine cold cap, or a cold cloth
  • A towel and a comfortable chair

Instructions

  1. Fill the basin with hot water (100–104°F) and soak your feet up to the ankles.
  2. Place an ice pack or cold cloth on the forehead, neck, or behind the ears.
  3. Wrap yourself in a blanket and sit quietly for 10–20 minutes, breathing slowly and deeply.
  4. Remove your feet, dry them, and relax.

Don’t use ice directly on the skin—wrap it in a cloth to avoid frostbite.

Ease your feet into hot water gradually. It’s okay to dip in and out at first.

Focus on cooling the ears and neck more than the forehead, which can trigger “brain freeze” in sensitive people.

Bai Zhu Balance

Bai Zhu Balance is one of the only supplements specifically designed to support the gut microbiome while targeting symptoms of Meniere’s disease. 

If you’ve tried everything and still struggle with flare-ups, Bai Zhu Balance offers a natural, gut-focused solution created with your inner ear health in mind

Who Can Help?

Willard Sheppy

If you’re struggling with vertigo, dizziness, or Meniere’s Disease, you understand how frustrating it can be when your symptoms are misunderstood or dismissed by healthcare providers, leaving you without a clear path to relief.

Willard Sheppy, a licensed acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist, knows exactly how you feel because he himself lives with Meniere’s Disease and has successfully managed his condition through acupuncture, herbal medicine, and lifestyle strategies.

With firsthand experience and deep expertise, Will provides personalized care aimed at addressing the underlying causes of vertigo, reducing symptoms, and restoring balance to your life.

Willard Sheppy holds a Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine and is a Diplomate of Oriental Medicine certified by the NCCAOM.