Alcoholism & Vertigo

Impaired perception and balance are common effects of alcohol intoxication. Can alcohol addiction cause long-term problems in these areas? Is there a connection between alcoholism and vertigo?

Contact us today to learn more about our alcohol addiction treatment in Northern California.

What Is Vertigo?

To understand the potential connection between vertigo and alcoholism, it can be helpful to first review a few facts about vertigo itself.

Vertigo is the sensation that either you or your environment are spinning, when in fact neither is actually occurring. Vertigo is not a condition; instead it is a symptom that can result from a variety of causes. 

Experts estimate that about 5% of the population will experience vertigo at least once in a typical year, with women affected about two to three times more often than men.

Symptoms

Though vertigo itself is a symptom, this false perception of spinning is often accompanied by other symptoms, such as:

• Dizziness
• Excessive perspiration
• Tunnel vision or other visual disturbances
• Hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• Sense of falling
• Nausea
• Vomiting

The sensory disruptions that are associated with vertigo can contribute to physical injuries, as they can cause people to trip, fall, or even get into automobile accidents.

Causes

The most common cause of vertigo is impaired functioning within the vestibular system, which is located in the inner ear and responsible for maintaining balance. Conditions that can damage this system include paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and Ménière’s disease.

Other potential causes of vertigo include:

• Migraines
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Brain tumor
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Abnormal heart rate
• Low blood pressure
• Stroke
• Diabetes

Vertigo can also be caused by both prescription medications and recreational substances:

• An April 2025 study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found a link between vertigo and several types of psychotropic medications, including antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, and sedatives
• A review in the March-April 2024 issue of the journal Ear and Hearing reported that effects of chronic substance misuse can include temporary or permanent vestibular dysfunction.

We’ll take a closer look at the connection between vertigo and one specific type of recreational substance use in the next section.

The Connection Between Alcoholism and Vertigo

As noted at the top of this post and in the previous section, vertigo can result from the use of alcohol and other substances. In most cases, though, the symptom typically dissipates once the drug’s effects have worn off. 

But what happens if a person becomes addicted to alcohol? It’s been well established that chronic, compulsive alcohol use can put a person at risk for myriad long-term, potentially irreversible, health conditions. Is there a similar connection between alcoholism and vertigo?

Experts have not yet established a definitive cause-effect relationship between alcoholism and vertigo. But studies have shown that a history of heavy alcohol use can increase a person’s risk of various balance-related concerns.

A study in the January-February 2007 edition of the Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology compared 37 members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) with 37 people who were not addicted to alcohol or any other drugs. 

• The AA group had a significantly higher rates of tinnitus (ringing in the ears), hearing loss, and dizziness. 
• These and other findings, the study’s authors reported, indicate that alcohol abuse first impacts the auditory system, then the vestibular system. 
• “Thus, in the present study we can conclude that alcohol intake interferes in hearing and in an individual’s balance, bringing about a deleterious effect to the human body,” they wrote.

A provisionally accepted Frontiers in Psychiatry study, which involved data from 2,210 patients in a psychiatric hospital, also reported a link between vertigo and long-term alcohol use. 

The team that conducted that study found “a statistically significant interaction between a history of alcohol consumption and the presence of dizziness/vertigo on the incidence of falls among patients.”

How to Manage Alcohol-Related Vertigo

If you’ve been experiencing alcohol-related vertigo, a good first step is to quit drinking. But once you’ve become addicted to alcohol, taking that step may be quite difficult, and possibly even dangerous.

The good news is that you don’t have to do it all by yourself.

Getting Through Withdrawal

Detox programs provide safe and supportive environments where you can get through alcohol withdrawal safely and with as little discomfort as possible. Depending on the type and severity of your withdrawal symptoms, your detox treatment team may offer therapeutic and/or medical support to safeguard your health and minimize your distress.

Once you’ve successfully completed the detox process, you can then transition directly into a residential treatment center or outpatient program. 

Building Recovery Skills

For many people, spending time in a detox program can be an essential step toward an alcohol-free future. But detox alone can’t prepare you for the challenges of maintaining long-term sobriety. After you’ve completed detox, transferring directly into a residential or outpatient program can help you build a solid foundation for successful lifelong recovery.

In the post-detox phase of your treatment, you can:

• Identify your triggers, which are circumstances that could threaten to push you back into active alcohol use
• Develop strategies for either avoiding your triggers or responding in a healthy manner, without resorting to alcohol or other drugs
• Address anxiety, depression, trauma, or any other co-occurring mental health disorders
• Learn how to repair relationships that were harmed by your substance use
• Discover enjoyable ways to fill the hours that you used to spend drinking 
• Put together an effective personal support network
• Share support with others who have experienced similar challenges and who are working toward a similar goal
• Create a plan for how to respond if you have a slip-up, or if you feel that you may be at risk of relapse

Learn More About Alcoholism Treatment in Northern California

Bright Future Recovery is a trusted source of holistic treatment for adults who have become addicted to alcohol and other drugs. We also serve clients whose struggles with compulsive substance use are accompanied by co-occurring mental illnesses.

Treatment options at our alcohol rehab in Northern California include detox, residential treatment, a partial hospitalization program (PHP), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), and a virtual outpatient program. We’ll work closely with you to identify the full scope of your needs, then select the programs and therapies that will best prepare you for long-term success. 

To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.