is mechanical valve that noisy ?

[Sten Osis]

I am a mechanical valve newbie. It's been a little over a month now with my new valve. It's louder than I expected. It sounds like a wrist watch in a quiet room, like others have said. I hear it most when trying to sleep. I know I'll get use to the sound but just this morning it really bugged me when I woke up early and was trying to fall back to sleep.

I started wearing ear plugs at night, mainly because my wife stays up later that I do and I can't fall asleep with the TV going. I noticed that I don't hear the valve then either.

 

[tom in MO]

I hear mine occasionally. The only person "in public" that could hear it and mentioned it was my daughter, but she's got youg ears and it was in a small inner room at a museum. It does not bother me. I also find it comforting.

 

[Gail in Ca]

My latest valve is 25mm inside a graft of 30mm, and I do find it to be louder than my last valve. However, in time, I got used to it.
I feel that if it doesn't bother me playing in an orchestra, then it's not that loud to others, either. I do hear it at night and now when I'm typing in my quiet office room I hear it and feel it, since I'm in A-Fib right now, too.
I think the noise is something you just get used to. I'm a musician so maybe it bothered me longer than some others, certainly at night and during "adult activities", but it doesn't seem to bother my husband at all. He can fall asleep in 30 seconds while my valve is thumping/tapping away.

 

[ChicagoMammy]

Seemingly silly question ... do they seem to syncopate? I am just wondering what 2 sound like (being already familiar with one)

I only hear one click per beat. Maybe I should go around the ward to find someone who got one put in and we can compare