why does it feel like the room is spinning when drunk

Question

How come whenever we lay down and close our eyes when intoxicated that it feels like we are spinning and not really when our eyes are open

In: 1612

Answer 1

This is one of the symptoms that isn’t directly related to alcohol’s effect on the nervous system; instead it screws up the liquid-filled canals in your ear. Alcohol is less dense than water and, as it seeps into the canals, it sets up tiny currents due to the density differences, basically alcohol rising and water sinking. Normally, liquid moving in those canals is a signal that your head is rotating so the tiny currents due to alcohol are also interpreted as motion. The effect feels stronger when you close your eyes because then the brain has lost vision as a way to check on the ear’s balance sensors.