Hearing aid users share the surprising sounds they can now hear

When it comes to getting hearing aids, many first-time wearers are astounded at the surprising range of things that they can suddenly hear again—some humorous, some annoying, some important, and some simply delightful.

Discussing the world of new sound is a popular topic on the Reddit forum r/HearingAids. For the past few months, we've been keeping an eye on the conversations, compiling some of our favorites.

Let's take a look:

Bodily noises

"Anyone else notice they pee way louder with your hearing aids in?" a forum user asked.

Yep, turns out the sound of urination is a thing that surprises many new hearing aid wearers!

"I just had this conversation with my mother," a woman replied. "She was in the bathroom and I heard her laughing hysterically about how loud it was. Nothing like mother / daughter bonding over the sound of pee."

And it's not just your own bathroom sounds you may hear. As one person explained: "I can now hear my dog peeing on our walks."

There's also another internal sound that almost all new users notice: Your own voice. This one can take some time to get used to, as we explain in 7 tips for getting used to new hearing aids.

Eventually, you may even find your own voice enjoyable, even if you're not a singer or musician:

"When I whistle it sounds awesome now that I have hearing aids," a Reddit user said.

Sounds that improve personal safety

Healthy Hearing reached out to hearing instrument specialist Desirae Martocci about the unexpected things people can hear again. She said she's noticed two things in particular that people are grateful to hear for their personal safety:

"The car blinker and when someone is walking behind them," said Martocci, of Hear Well Center in Aberdeen, NJ.

Reddit users confirm this. As one person stated about hearing aids, "they are life-changing and preserving! I can hear a car approaching from behind now when I’m on my bike."

But that's far from the only things people mentioned as valuable-but-barely-there sounds that are helpful to hear. Other sounds included:

• humming and hissing ventilation systems
• faucets dripping
• the whirring sound a computer makes when it's overheating
• squeaky floors and doors
• clocks ticking
• papers rustling from windows left open
• the clanging sound from stuff stuck inside a vacuum cleaner.

"What an incredible new world I have to discover," a person commented after wearing hearing aids for just three hours.

Sounds that make life delightful

Those are all practical things, for sure. But what about the sounds that make life feel more, well, lively?

We dare you to read this comment and not feel a little hungry: "Bacon sizzling and the crunchy sounds when chopping vegetables are things that still make me smile when I hear them."

Music is another one that gets mentions by Reddit users:

• "I can hear the fingertips on a guitar string, I can hear the release of a harpsichord note."
• "A song with a nice violin thread came on, and it sounded so much better than usual, that I muted the aids to compare. I completely lost the violin thread of the song."
• I’m 23 and got my hearing aids two years ago. I’m a musician and oh my god, music sounds amazing again!

More: Hearing aids for music lovers

Last but not least, many people shared stories of falling in love (again) with the sounds of mother nature.

• "I can hear the leaves and grass crunch under my feet. Sometimes when I walk outside, I will turn them off a minute and just listen and then when I turn them back on, I feel like I'm in a magical forest with all the singing critters, LOL."
• "The first thing I remember noticing was birds I’d forgotten were even there - don’t forget the birds!"
• "It's a wonderful feeling to reconnect with the world again. For me, it was the first time I heard the spring peepers in years and all the birds singing their hearts out."

More: Birdwatching with hearing loss: How hearing aids help

Adjusting to new hearing aids will take time

As you can imagine, all of this "new noise" can be overwhelming at first. But many people with new hearing aids will adapt after a few weeks—a process that's made easier by having reasonable expectations, and the help of a qualified hearing care provider.

For patients at her clinic, Martocci makes sure to explain that the more consistently a person can wear their new hearing aids, the faster they will adjust.

"I also keep the volume lower in the beginning, and raise the levels at each follow-up visit to a volume that they can tolerate," she said. "They also have the ability to raise and lower the volume themselves."

She also pointed out that beyond hearing better again, her patients often mention another they thing really enjoy about having new hearing aids: "Not having to ask to repeat words."

If you suspect you need hearing aids

For help in finding a qualified professional in your community, visit our directory of hearing healthcare professionals and hearing centers.