It makes a clicking sound

[pellicle]

I was told by the consultant that it would be louder in the first months because everything had been pushed out of the way for the surgery and my heart was in an 'echo chamber' lol.

that's hilarious ... all that empty space in there ...

but seriously Gail, it depends. Mine (certainly different to others) is a deep and steady thud which I can hear whenever I choose (indeed not hearing it is difficult). I am well used to it now. I don't need to do anything special to take my pulse ... just start counting.

Also some years back I was with a friend quietly working on different things and he said: "oh, that's your heart, I thought it was a car stereo outside."

I'm just saying this as expectation management can be important. Get used to it early, if it goes away, good, if not you're already used to it.

 

[RAS]

My St Jude is a distinct clicking sound. Noticeable in a quiet room, especially if there are reflective surfaces like in a bathroom. If I'm in a pool underwater I hear internally a muffled thumping sound.

 

[ATHENS1964]

So today I had the headphones on my cell phone and I was listening to music while working on the computer I noticed that during the pauses of the songs I was listening to the valve. I turned off the music and left the headphones in my ears and the valve was actually sounding through them, we try it obviously worked like a doctor's headphones.
Τo note that the headphones of the mobile have a microphone so maybe the valve sounds

 

[Superman]

Nah. That’s just the tubes that connect the esophagus with the inner ear canal (eustachian tubes). When headphones block outside sounds, inside sounds are a bit more clear. And the aortic valve is rather close to the esophagus.

Of course talk to your doctor to confirm that the eustachian tubes aren’t in your backside or something. I’m not a doctor and therefore cannot possibly know where they really are.

 

[pellicle]

@ATHENS1964
I agree with @Superman , I use noise reduction ear plugs all the time (daily) for hearing protection. I hear my heart more strongly as my hearing then gets a better acoustic coupling from the increased physical coupling.

Neither of us are doctors, so please feel free to assail your cardiologist with questions to verify
(actually I don't exist if you don't measure me)

 

[Superman]

Not just your cardiologist! They only know about the heart. You’re going to need to bring in a medical team including an ear, nose, and throat specialist to figure all this out.

And if you do read anything, make sure someone took the time to print it on paper. Because if you find it on the inter webs, it’s BS.

 

[pellicle]

Not just your cardiologist! They only know about the heart. You’re going to need to bring in a medical team including an ear, nose, and throat specialist to figure all this out.

of course ... but I was on my phone and attempting to be minimalist

And if you do read anything, make sure someone took the time to print it on paper. Because if you find it on the inter webs, it’s BS.

some more BS from the fake world of the internet

https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-do-earplugs-amplify-internal-noises/
Note, that the author above, Luis, is not a trained hearing specialist, his training is in the study of Zoos *

*(so he should understand this place)

consult your team and stay safe

 

[Chuck C]

I mentioned previously, my valve is not very loud and others nearby can't hear it. The only other person who has heard it is my wife, as she laid her head on my chest while we were watching TV.

Well, that needs to be updated, as another person has commented on the clicking. I've started training Jiu Jitsu again and on Monday we worked on drilling the Anaconda Choke.

After the first set:

My Jiu Jitsu partner: "Dude, do you have a pacemaker?"
Me: "No, why?"
"Because it sounds like you have a clock ticking inside you."

Ok, so count that as two people who have now heard my clicking valve, lol.

If you take a look at the finishing position of the choke, you'll see why he was able to hear it:
(BTW, this is not me in the video. I'm a little older than Chad)

 

[slipkid]

I mentioned previously, my valve is not very loud and others nearby can't hear it. The only other person wo has heard it is my wife, as she laid her head on my chest while we were watching TV.

Well, that needs to be updated, as another person has commented on the clicking. I've started training Jiu Jitsu again and on Monday we worked on drilling the Anaconda Choke.

After the first set:

My Jiu Jitsu partner: "Dude, do you have a pacemaker?"
Me: "No, why?"
"Because it sounds like you have a clock ticking inside you."

Ok, so count that as two people who have now heard my clicking valve, lol.

If you take a look at the finishing position of the choke, you'll see why he was able to hear it:

I didn't know that pacemakers made a sound, thought they were just electrical thingees.

You should have told him that you swallowed a clock, hence the ticking sound.

 

[pellicle]

I didn't know that pacemakers made a sound, thought they were just electrical thingees

The older "carbon arc" ones were notoriously loud

 

[JedC]

I had to set my valve ahead one hour for day light savings . . .

 

[Chuck C]

I had to set my valve ahead one hour for day light savings . .

Dang, I almost forgot. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[pellicle]

I had to set my valve ahead one hour for day light savings . . .

one of the benefits of living in Queensland (in Australia) is we eschew that rubbish. This is not least because much of Qld is tropical and in these regions the differences in sunlight times are reduced tending towards none.

So I don't have to have an evening of "extra beats" to bring my ticker up to the Southern States time zones.

 

[slipkid]

The older "carbon arc" ones were notoriously loud
View attachment 888462

I didn't know that Charlie Sheen played Eye-gor in that Frank movie! He really gets around.

 

[slipkid]

I had to set my valve ahead one hour for day light savings . . .

Crap, I 4got (like usual). I hate this stupid shht of messing with the clock.

I just missed about 3900 heartbeats due to this nonsense (if averaging about 65 beats/minute, and losing an hour's worth of beats today - or did I gain them? too confusing)....

 

[Chuck C]

I just missed about 3900 heartbeats due to this nonsense (if averaging about 65 beats/minute, and losing an hour's worth of beats today - or did I gain them? too confusing)....

On the other hand, you got an extra hour of sleep. No wait, this is the one which robs us of an hour of sleep. So, lost the beats and the sleep. Crooks!

 

[carolinemc]

one of the benefits of living in Queensland (in Australia) is we eschew that rubbish. This is not least because much of Qld is tropical and in these regions the differences in sunlight times are reduced tending towards none.

So I don't have to have an evening of "extra beats" to bring my ticker up to the Southern States time zones.

Not rubbish, but the old timers here in the US and many countries still hang onto old time tradition, despite it is not useful these days.

 

[carolinemc]

Nah. That’s just the tubes that connect the esophagus with the inner ear canal (eustachian tubes). When headphones block outside sounds, inside sounds are a bit more clear. And the aortic valve is rather close to the esophagus.

Of course talk to your doctor to confirm that the eustachian tubes aren’t in your backside or something. I’m not a doctor and therefore cannot possibly know where they really are.

I never heard mine when on the buds for cd player nor cell phone radio.

 

[Chuck C]

Today another one of my jiu jitsu training partners heard my valve. I was grappling with this teenager when he stopped suddenly and said: "What's that sound? It sounds like your ticking."

I told him that I have a mechanical heart valve and his reply was epic:

"That is so cool! So, you're like Iron Man!"

I'll take it! I'd like a new handle please.

 

[jamessd]

I'm now 2.5 weeks post surgery, re-do previous tissue bentall with 29mm St Jude mechanical. I have a loud tick in my throat, and a strong thump with deep breaths, hopefully that's just things finding their place behind my lungs.

The consolation is that I can zone out from the noise when occupied and active, but i'm very easy to hear in a quiet room! I will have to learn to live with it for (hopefully) another 40 or 50 years one way or another.