For anyone who has worn hearing aids all their life, new hearing aids or adjustments with the latest technology often mean hearing new sounds. For those who are just starting to wear hearing aids, it can be a journey of rediscovery, hearing sounds again for the first time—or for the first time in a long time.
A few years ago, I got a new hearing aid equipped with the latest sound technology. As someone who is a bit of a tech geek, I was excited about the upgrade. I picked up the new hearing aid from my provider’s office after the initial programming, eager to try it out. That day, I picked up my children from school and dived into our usual evening routine of snacks, dinner, and homework.
While standing in the kitchen preparing an afterschool snack, I suddenly heard a sound that I could only describe as a buzzing. Not being very good at locating sounds, I looked around the kitchen in confusion, but I couldn’t pinpoint the source. My kids, however, are excellent at identifying sounds, so I asked them, “What’s that sound?”
My oldest child asked me to describe it, and after some back-and-forth about buzzing and animal noises, they said, “Mom, it’s the refrigerator.” I touched the fridge and felt a buzz that matched the sound I was hearing.
I was concerned—was the fridge malfunctioning? I tentatively asked, “Does it always make this buzzing sound?”
To my relief, my youngest child replied, “Yes, Mom—all the time.” Crisis averted. Mental note: the fridge makes a buzzing sound. After that, we continued with snack time and homework as usual.
New Sounds Keep Coming
Once my kids finished their homework, they went off to play, and I began preparing dinner. As I was chopping vegetables, I heard another new sound—a humming noise. Initially, I dismissed it, but then thought, “Maybe I should figure this out. New hearing aids are a learning curve after all.”
I wandered around the kitchen and even peeked into the living room, but the source remained elusive. Time to call in my hearing buddy again. I called my oldest child back to the kitchen and asked, “What’s that sound?”
After a puzzled look, my child replied, “Really, you don’t know?” I had to admit, “No clue.”
Then, with a smile, my child said, “It’s the refrigerator. It only does it occasionally. Sometimes it’s louder, sometimes it’s softer.” By the time I got back to the fridge, the humming had stopped, but I could still feel the buzz from earlier.
Mental note: the fridge makes a humming sound… sometimes.
More Sounds from the Fridge
Several days later, while serving my children lunch, I heard a whooshing water sound. It lasted only a moment, so I asked, “Did you hear that whooshing water sound?”
My youngest replied, “Mom, it’s the refrigerator.” My oldest added, “I think it’s the ice maker filling up.”
I peeked inside the freezer and discovered that the ice tray was filled with water—not ice. I emptied the ice bin to make sweet tea for the afternoon, and we had a fun discussion about the different sounds that water makes. But that’s a story for another blog post!
Later that day, as I walked past the kitchen, I heard a loud clattering sound and peeked inside to find it empty. I asked myself, “Could that sound really be the refrigerator?”
And yes, it was! The ice had dropped from the tray into the ice bin. I opened the fridge door to confirm my suspicion, and once again, I heard the whooshing sound as the ice tray refilled with water.
At the end of the day, I learned that my fridge makes four distinct sounds as part of its everyday operation.
The Refrigerator Strikes Again
My family has a great sense of humor and plenty of patience when it comes to answering my endless sound-related questions. Now, whenever I ask, “What’s that sound?” the first answer with a grin is always, “It’s the refrigerator.”
Speaking of refrigerators, I recently got a new one, and guess what? It makes a dinging sound. I was able to identify it for my kids right away (maybe because I read the manual first). The ding happens when the fridge door is left open too long.
My children are fantastic hearing buddies, helping me identify sounds and guiding me through these teachable moments. It’s led to some great discussions about sound descriptors, which has been a learning opportunity for all of us.
So, every time I get a new hearing aid, I know there will be new teachable moments for me as my brain acclimates to the new sounds. When it comes to identifying sounds, I’ve learned I have a few options: I can ask my hearing buddy for help, sometimes I use my hands to feel a sound, or, when all else fails, I read the manual.
Interested in learning more about new hearing aids, check out our course, First Steps in a New Hearing Aid Journey.
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