[DiaryPoint | Reporter Park Bo-young] Kim Jong-kook shared his experience with vestibular neuritis on the Nov. 10 episode of the SBS Plus and MBN variety show Manly Men’s Travel Guide in Manado. He said severe vertigo left him unable to eat or drink properly for two days and made driving difficult.
Vestibular neuritis occurs when the vestibular nerve, which carries balance information from the inner ear to the brain, becomes inflamed or otherwise impaired. It can cause sudden spinning vertigo and balance problems, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and difficulty standing or walking steadily. Hearing loss and ringing in the ears are more commonly associated with other inner-ear conditions, such as labyrinthitis.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), often called “ear crystals,” can follow a different pattern. Johns Hopkins Medicine describes brief bouts of dizziness—typically lasting less than a minute—that are triggered by moving the head in a particular direction and usually ease when the person holds still. By contrast, new, severe vertigo lasting hours or days, especially with vomiting and difficulty walking, requires doctors to consider stroke as well as vestibular neuritis or labyrinthitis.
Acute vertigo that does not let up and makes walking difficult calls for prompt medical evaluation. Seek emergency care immediately if it comes with double vision or vision loss, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in an arm or leg on one side, or a sudden, severe headache. Dizziness cannot safely be assumed to be a simple ear problem; clinicians assess its cause through an examination that may include tests of eye movements.
Even if symptoms are mild, see a doctor if they do not improve after several days or get worse. Sudden hearing loss in one ear also needs prompt evaluation. Avoid driving or riding a bicycle while vertigo persists.