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Vertigo is the sensation of feeling off balance. It’s similar to dizziness and can feel like you are spinning or your surroundings are spinning.
Other symptoms of vertigo include:
Vertigo and alcohol intake are related since drinking alcohol can cause and/or exacerbate vertigo episodes.
Alcohol can also trigger vertigo, even when there are no previous symptoms of the latter. This is due to alcohol causing dehydration, which affects fluid levels in the ears. It also impacts brain signals and impairs the drinker’s balance and hearing.
Long-term excessive alcohol consumption causes chronic dehydration and anemia, both of which cause problems with balance. Additionally, drinking can cause a B1 vitamin deficiency, which is linked to issues with vertigo.
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Drinking alcohol affects your inner ear and the brain, which can cause balance issues from severe dizziness.
Hair cells are responsible for translating external sounds into nerve impulses. Drinking too much alcohol damages the small hair cells in your inner ear. This changes the volume and composition of inner ear fluid.
If too much alcohol accumulates in the ear, it can pool and become toxic. This is what damages the hair cells. Damage to these cells causes hearing loss.
In a study to determine alcohol’s influence on the inner ear, researchers found that more than 67% of the study’s participants showed hearing abnormalities after drinking alcohol. Additionally, researchers determined that drinking alcohol interferes with your hearing and balance.1
Alcohol affects your brain’s communication pathways. It also affects how your brain works, as well as its appearance. This means when you drink, it’s harder for your brain to do its usual tasks, such as controlling:
When something interferes with these pathways, you have a higher likelihood of injury and other negative consequences. Chronic over-drinking causes permanent changes in your brain’s neurons.2
Symptoms of alcohol-induced vertigo include:
Alcohol-induced vertigo tends to resolve as you sober up. If this is not the case, especially after a day or two, you should seek medical attention.
In addition to seeking medical attention for vertigo, it’s also a good idea to speak to your doctor if you notice hearing changes or headaches after drinking if they do not resolve within a day or two.
They’ll connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor
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There are several things you can do to help prevent alcohol-induced vertigo. For instance:
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If you experience vertigo after drinking, the following might help:
Yes. But it’s risky for people with a history of vertigo to drink.
If you do want to consume alcohol, anticipate that it may trigger a bout of vertigo. After drinking, avoid doing activities that could be dangerous with vertigo, such as driving.
No. This is especially true if you have a history of chronic excessive alcohol consumption. However, abstaining does reduce your risk of experiencing vertigo.
Yes. Other substances that can induce vertigo include tobacco, illicit drugs, and some prescription medications.
Besides consuming substances, there are several non-substance potential vertigo triggers, including dehydration, heart disease, or low blood pressure.3 Ask your doctor to confirm a full list of triggers that may put you at risk of vertigo.
The easiest way to know if vertigo is induced by alcohol or not is to abstain from drinking. If you still experience bouts of vertigo, you’ll know they are not only alcohol-induced.
If you experience temporary dizziness after having a few too many drinks, but they don’t recur, you’re dealing with alcohol-induced dizziness.
The amount of alcohol that triggers vertigo varies from person to person.
As a general rule, drinking less alcohol lowers your risk of vertigo. Abstaining from drinking ensures you won’t experience alcohol-induced vertigo. If you prefer to drink, try to limit your drinks to one per hour and no more than two or three per occasion.
Dealing with vertigo regularly can affect someone’s quality of life and make daily living difficult. Among other causes, consuming alcohol can trigger vertigo.
Vertigo occurs when drinking because alcohol affects your inner ear and your brain, both of which play a role in balance. Most cases of alcohol-induced dizziness can be confused with alcohol-induced vertigo. However, you should seek medical attention if the symptoms do not resolve once you are sober.
When drinking, regardless of whether vertigo is an issue, it’s important to do so in moderation. Listen to your body and know what the potential consequences are of excessive drinking. Seek help if you believe your alcohol consumption is problematic.
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