Vertigo and alcohol

Alcohol affects the inner-ear balance system and the brain's ability to combine signals from vision, muscles and the feet. It can also promote fluid loss, worsen sleep and make low blood sugar symptoms feel stronger when food intake has been poor. The result may be swaying, delayed reactions or true spinning. If vertigo continues after the effects have worn off, other causes deserve consideration, including benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Meniere's disease, migraine or a middle-ear infection.

Stop drinking, sit or lie in a safe place and avoid driving, cycling, heights and machinery. Sip water if you are awake and able to swallow, and have a light snack if you have not eaten. Do not mix alcohol with sedatives or take extra medicines to counteract the sensation without advice. Ask someone trusted to stay nearby if you are unsteady. Arrange medical advice if spinning recurs when sober, lasts into the next day, or comes with hearing changes, ear pain or severe nausea.

Call emergency services for unconsciousness, slow or irregular breathing, seizure, blue or very pale skin, repeated vomiting with reduced alertness or suspected poisoning. Urgent help is also needed for vertigo with weakness, trouble speaking, severe headache, chest pain or inability to walk. Do not leave a drowsy or confused person alone to sleep it off.

Ask whether the episode fits alcohol-related imbalance or a separate vestibular problem. Explain how much you drank without guessing, whether food and fluids were adequate, what medicines or recreational substances were involved, and whether head movement triggered the spinning. Ask how long you should avoid driving and which symptoms would require reassessment.