One thing I see often, especially in older adults, is that when people lose their spouse or have some kind of tragedy in their life, they may begin to turn to drinking alcohol for relief from the feelings that they are experiencing.
The consumption of alcohol may be related to dizziness, vertigo, balance problems and falls in multiple ways.
Alcohol and medication very substantially interact with each other.
This combination of medication and alcohol can cause dizziness, vertigo and balance problems for a lot of people.
Sometimes people come to me because they think they have a balance problem, and it turns out that what they really have is an alcohol drinking issue. This is an issue that may need to be addressed to reduce the dizziness, vertigo or balance impairment that one is feeling in relation to alcohol causing vertigo.
Even if you are not on any medications, alcohol can still be a strong influence on dizziness and vertigo.
Alcohol is also a great way to artificially introduce vertigo within yourself, with a hangover, because it is such a strong dehydrator. Alcohol can cause vertigo or it can actually give you an artificial experience of vertigo if you are not someone who normally has it.
Overall, I would encourage you to think about if your balance issues or your dizziness correlate with alcohol consumption.
If you already have a vestibular problem, drinking alcohol may increase your symptom intensity and increase your risk of falling.
If you are experiencing dizziness, vertigo or balance problems, and you do not believe that it is related to alcohol consumption, it is important to see a vestibular expert to assess the root cause(s) of your dizziness or vertigo.
Dizziness and vertigo can cause falls, which can cause serious injury and have a substantial impact on your life.
It is important to address alcohol consumption since alcohol can cause dizziness, vertigo, balance problems and falls. If this is something that affects you, it is best to reduce your alcohol intake which will ultimately reduce the potential impact that dizziness and vertigo can have on your life, right now and in the future.
It is also a good idea to look for other healthy coping strategies besides alcohol to reduce your life stress like a support group and individual counseling.
Disclaimer
This blog is provided for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The details of any case mentioned in this post represent a typical patient that I might see and do not describe the circumstances of a specific individual.
Thank you …..that is me……I plan to address it. …
That’s great! I am glad you plan to address it.
I wish you all the best on your journey.
Sincerely,
Kim Bell, DPT
So drank this pass Friday, and know it’s been a week but I still feel that my equilibrium is off . I look @ my phone screen while on surfing the wed and I see my phone and it seems like it’s tilting to the right.
Hi Louis,
This article may be helpful to learn about what treatments might improve that tilting feeling.
This blog may help you find a vestibular physical therapist who can assess you for root cause.
This blog has some more details that might help.
I hope that helps!
For many years, I didn’t know where this lightheadedness was coming from. If I don’t drink alcohol, it seems to disappear completely. The day after I drink, I have light-headedness and imbalance. I also have pre-existing ear issues, and that probably exacerbates it.
I had a vertigo attack while drinking, no after morning hangover. It hit me fast and I slept 12 hours. First time.
My wife is 56 and very healthy. She has this dizziness going on for about a month now. She went to a ear nose and throat doctor. We found nothing wrong, sent her for an MRI, which also found nothing wrong. She has stopped taking her sleep medication to see if that helps. That doesn’t seem to help. She does drink a large bottle of wine daily. She has this wine from morning until bed time. She doesn’t get intoxicated. She has been drinking for years. Could this Possibly to be the cause that started causing dizziness?
Hi Lanny,
Yes, alcohol can cause dizziness and vertigo.
This article has some education on this topic.
I cannot say if this is the cause of your wife’s vertigo without conducting a comprehensive analysis, but you can think back to the timing correlation between the onset of her dizziness and the start of any new medications that may interact with alcohol.
As she gets older, the alcohol may increase her risk of falling as well.
Best wishes to you both,
Kim Bell, DPT
Hi Kim, I woke up one morning feeling dizzy. I had been drinking alcohol rather excessively for several weeks. It felt different than my ordinary hangover so I didn’t give it much thought and figured it would fade away. So I continued with my excessive drinking.
Finally I became concerned and stopped drinking.
After about a week I felt much improved so I went out for a night of more drinking. The next day it came back so I stopped drinking again. Its been about a week now and I have only slight improvement.
I have no other adverse symptoms such as headache or nausea. How long will the current dizziness last?
Hi Sal,
I suggest for you to find a vestibular provider in your area to evaluate your dizziness. You can use this article.
I have also emailed you directly with some further thoughts and specific resources.
I hope you feel better soon!
Sincerely,
Kim Bell, DPT
Hello Kim,
I’m 17 years old and I’ve been an severe alcoholic for a year and a half now and I finally decided to quit drinking. It’s been two weeks without any alcohol and I’m having trouble walking and sleeping I’m scared this may be brain damage or vertigo and I just want to live a normal life again.
Hi Charles,
When people with severe alcoholism stop drinking, they usually go through a detox.
I suggest for you to notify your pediatrician or primary care doctor of what you are going through, in case you need medical supervision right now.
I am glad that you have decided to quit drinking. I suggest that you seek professional help to determine the reason why alcohol took over your life in the first place and what else may be happening with you.
You can find resources at this website or by calling this number 1-800-662-4357. You can call anytime because they are available to help you everyday, 24 hours per day.
You can live a normal life again, but I believe you may need a team of professionals to help you.
Talking to your doctor and calling that number I shared are good next steps for you.
Best wishes,
Kim Bell, DPT
Hi Charles,
One more thing, I have suffered through my fair share of dark times and destructive behaviors in my younger years as well.
The most important thing that I have found is to tend to the needs of my soul by developing a personal relationship with the Living God, the Risen Savior Jesus Christ.
If you do not have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, I suggest you look into His life and the significance of His death on the cross.
This is not the same thing as being religious, so I caution you not to confuse those two things.
I did not learn about what Jesus did for us on the cross until I was in my late 30’s and I gave my life to Him the very next day.
You can find a Christian Church near you by searching this directory, then contact them and ask to meet with the Youth Pastor.
The Youth Pastor can teach you about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which may very well be the most important thing you ever learn about.
I hope you look into what Jesus did for you, as I have suggested.
Best wishes,
Kim Bell, DPT
Hi Kim,
I drink occasionally about 1 to 2 times a week and sometimes drink too much. I am also a highly anxious person. I consider myself healthy I work out 5 days a week plus do 2 days of High Intensity training
Back in August for about a week and a half I was feeling really dizzy … lightheaded…and like a hot flash would go through my body. I went to doctor all the blood work came back good said I was electrolytes were low. Eventually it went away.
Fast forward to the last 5 days all the feeling is back. What’s different is I had a major presentation felt nervous and dizzy, went out to celebrate the night of, then started feeling dizzy and lightheaded again. I tend to feel more dizzy when I got to places like a supermarket or a Gym. Then I start to get dizzy and put myself through a panic attack. Once I get into a panic attack I get all sweaty and worse. This is such an awful feeling and looking on to manage this.
Hi Ken,
I suggest you notify your general doctor about this.
You may or may not need professional support for the anxiety component. You can chat to your doctor about care options as needed.
I suggest you seek out a vestibular examination using the directories I share this article.
If all your symptoms do not clear up after you complete a vestibular physical therapy treatment plan, then the next step I would suggest is consulting a Neuro-optometrist.
You can find a Neuro-Optometrist on this directory COVD.org. This may not be necessary if the vestibular PT gets you better!
I hope that points you in the right direction.
Sincerely,
Kim Bell, DPT
Hi Kim i get dizzy and imbalance upon standing
No alcoholic beverage at all. Don’t know if its vertigo
Hi Pamela,
This article is about dizziness with standing.
This is my definition of vertigo.
This article may help you find a vertigo doctor in your area.
I hope that information is helpful!
Best wishes,
Kim Bell, DPT
Hi, I’ve had a fainting spell occur once after drinking a small amount of alcohol-effects not very strong but my hearing got muffled and I got so lightheaded that I almost collapsed-is this a sign of something else other than vertigo? It’s not something that regularly happens to me but I do remember not eating much that day before the drink, if that has a major role in what happened.
Hi Flora,
Wow! That must have been scary.
I cannot speculate on this since it is unusual and I have not evaluated you in person.
I suggest you report this to your primary care doctor.
Then I suggest you follow whatever treatment plan that your doctor recommends.
It might also be valuable to find a Vestibular Physical therapist.
You can use this blog to search for someone online.
Best wishes!
I am a very occasional drinker. This past summer I drank a bottle of wine and had vertigo for days. That was 3-4 months ago. Last night I was out with friends and nursed a single glass of wine. I came home and drank a bottle of water and went to sleep. The next morning, vertigo. This is not drunkenness.
Hi Renee,
Some people wake up with BPPV after drinking alcohol due to the dehydration that alcohol can cause.
You can learn more about BPPV here.
I hope you are feeling better!
Sincerely,
Kim Bell, DPT