Sounds of Silence
Gone, and sorely missed.
Since that first day of instability,
inability to navigate
a straight line, and its week-long
recovery. Everything spinning,
until inner ear cleared. Silence,
once held dear, replaced
by constant ringing, bringing
this listener to his knees.
He’s not known a quiet moment, since.
OctPoWriMo 2019 offers Silence as a prompt for Day 11. Around 1990, an inner ear infection had me laid up for a week, my equilibrium totally shot. Since then, I have had non-stop tinnitus in my left ear, some days worse than others. This week has been particularly bad.
rivrvlogr 
So sorry to hear it, Ken. Ive got something but hope it is coming from without rather than within.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Lisa. A couple of years ago I realized music tracks were sounding flat, like I was losing harmonies, etc., so I guess my perception is degrading. Listening with earbuds or noise cancelling headphones make a big difference, but I hate ANYTHING in my ears.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry to hear that.
I lost my silence long ago. I’ve written a poem also about this only musical note I can’t “hear.” I couldn’t traced the origin of it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. It certainly is annoying.
The start of the inner ear infection was bizarre. I went to open the door of the house as I left for work, and I missed the door handle, thinking, “Hmm. That was weird.” I drove my motorcycle to work. Stopping at a traffic light a block from my destination, I almost feel over as I miscalculated the distance between my foot and the ground. Again, “Hmm.” Twenty minutes after starting work. I couldn’t stand up without falling over. Everything was spinning. I stayed home for a week, most of that time in bed, spinning every time I moved. Since then, I can’t invert my head or turn over too quickly without getting dizzy. And then there’s the tinnitus.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Having ear infection surely messed up the equilibrium and dizziness. What happened to you was so strange. you miscalculated even the distance from the foot to the ground.
I had vertical a couple times and couldn’t get out of bed. The MRI showed irregular size of my small brain. Nothing can be done. But I don’t have the vertical again for many years.
My tinnitus sometimes doesn’t come through the ear. It’s ringing in the brain. There are research out there but nothing solid for cure. When I’m relaxed, the volume is reduced, but I’m not relaxed most of the time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We often overlook the importance of the ear. I have a chronic clogging in one, source unknown, and it really buts a barrier between me and the world. I can’t imagine dealing with it non-stop. (K)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I also have a high end hearing loss in that ear. (Interestingly, it makes it harder for me to understand deeper voices, making them fuzzy with some of the high notes filtered out.) That ringing definitely creates a barrier, so my wife makes a point of staying on my right side while we’re eating out or walking.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Puts
LikeLiked by 1 person
I also have tinnitis. I can ignore it much of the time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know what you mean about ignoring it. Distractions are welcome.
LikeLike
Hoping you’re back to ‘normal’ again soon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Yes, soon I hope. I’m used to having music play as I do things around the house, conscious of it without really focusing on it. Right now, I have music playing while I read. Unless I turn up the volume, which I prefer not to do, I actually need to focus on the music to appreciate it, which is then a distraction from reading – which, ironically, in itself, acts as a distraction from the ringing.
Getting back to my typical background tone can’t come soon enough.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have tinnitus due to damage from antibiotics, related to a severe infection seven years ago. Very quickly I lost hearing and acquired the noise. I really don’t pay attention to it anymore and in fact sometimes even listen to it when I want to block out the world or I need to focus on something away from externals. I had many deficits left from this illness. mostly caused by the medications, but as time has passed I’ve gotten used to things and don’t think much about them anymore, and I am thankful I have been able to get to this point. I have found that in the times I am feeling worn down, listening to audio books is very helpful. Unlike music, you cannot drift away or you lose the story’s trend, and I find if I am listening to the reader’s voice I can’t also be thinking about anything else. Not to mention how great it was to be read to in my recoveries from my various eye operations! I feel for you and i hope things settle down for you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We make do, right? I can tell that you certainly do.
LikeLike
You are so right. We make do. I will say I was surprised at how little, if not to say nothing, can be done about tinnitus when I first got it, and about hearing in general. Compared to sight it certainly gets no respect. I hope that changes in time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ken, I’m so sorry you suffer from tinnitus and that awful vertigo that comes from inner ear problems. It’s not constant with me, but I do have flare-ups, so empathize with you. I can no longer drive, as turning my head back and forth to watch for traffic gets my head spinning. Take care – I hope you’re able to get some relief!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Betty. It had been a while, but then I had a couple of two-day episodes of vertigo earlier this year. I was glad to see those pass.
LikeLike
Hang in there
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. I ignore it when I can.
LikeLiked by 1 person