mechanical-heart-valve-noise-may-cause-sleepless-nights
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pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
"may cause" ... it may shock you but you can use a concept that's alien to you : self discipline.
Never too late to learn (you've even got monks there who could teach you).
Its strange how you're the only one here who's so obsessive about this ... I wonder how many mech valvers we have here who can sleep. You can count me as one of them. If people decided they can't put up with some aspect, then they just choose the other option
who cares about the study, if you don't like what you imagine it to be like, then don't get one ... simple.
Just get what you want. Remember >THERE IS NO PERFECT CHOICE<
Ask yourself what you want, what you can life with and then just pretend to be an adult and do that.
OR ask questions like an adult (meaning you're prepared to listen).
Never too late to learn (you've even got monks there who could teach you).
Its strange how you're the only one here who's so obsessive about this ... I wonder how many mech valvers we have here who can sleep. You can count me as one of them. If people decided they can't put up with some aspect, then they just choose the other option
who cares about the study, if you don't like what you imagine it to be like, then don't get one ... simple.
Just get what you want. Remember >THERE IS NO PERFECT CHOICE<
Ask yourself what you want, what you can life with and then just pretend to be an adult and do that.
OR ask questions like an adult (meaning you're prepared to listen).
ChuckM
Active member
I think I fall into the category like a few others on here, I take COMFORT in hearing my valve. While in ICU I had the chest tube vacuums running the whole time, got used to that sound. Before I got home, I had my wife by a simple sound machine. I use the babbling brooke since it sounds similar. I hear both and fall asleep in about 5-10 minutes if I had to guess.
When I lay on my right side the beating sound is very noticeable and sometimes bothers me. But if I lay on my left side, I don’t hear it. But it is comforting to hear it beating—at the right speed and steadily.
pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
I'm not sure I take comfort in it, but its handy for giving me a heads up about being stressed. Further after I started getting tachycardia I noticed it really soon (which I may not have done if I couldn't hear it) and was able to get treatment for that.
Thing is that once you have some sort of heart issue (especially if you leave surgery too long) you'll end up having some others (either permanent or temporary) such as arrhythmia (like tachycardia or afib) or perhaps worse.
Also @Nick Drew and @mecretired I'm also one for different sounds on different sides, sadly my preference is sleeping on my right side, but that reliably triggers tachycardia and wakes me up. Sadly sleeping on my left side causes my left arm to go dead (which is uncomfortable) from a bicycle accident where I tore some ligaments, so
Happily I'm still enjoying being awake ;-)
rob1010
Member
I have an On-X mechanical aortic valve. I would say 99% of the time I do not hear it -- but some other people do. My heart rate is around 55 bpm, so like a ticking clock. They first look at my watch. But it's an Apple watch. What is that?? I usually don't tell them. I just say I don't hear anything.
I've had the mechanical valve for just over seven years now. I was 51 when i had the AVR. No problems. I use the Coaguchek machine to check my INR. It's slighly out of range maybe twice a year. In the beginning I bruised very easily, but I don't seem to bruise that easily anymore. I don't notice the bruises like I used to. It's very easy to manage. I traveled in Asia for more than a month. Just brought my machine, and it was no problem.
I am very careful. The most dangerous thing I do is ride my bike, always with a helmet. I was asked to go white water rafting -- sorry I'll pass on that.
It was a difficult decision on what valve to choose. I have no regrets. I've had the valve for seven years now, and feel like it could go for another 30 years. I feel like I made the right decision.
I've had the mechanical valve for just over seven years now. I was 51 when i had the AVR. No problems. I use the Coaguchek machine to check my INR. It's slighly out of range maybe twice a year. In the beginning I bruised very easily, but I don't seem to bruise that easily anymore. I don't notice the bruises like I used to. It's very easy to manage. I traveled in Asia for more than a month. Just brought my machine, and it was no problem.
I am very careful. The most dangerous thing I do is ride my bike, always with a helmet. I was asked to go white water rafting -- sorry I'll pass on that.
It was a difficult decision on what valve to choose. I have no regrets. I've had the valve for seven years now, and feel like it could go for another 30 years. I feel like I made the right decision.
macvalve
Member
I have a St Jude, and I don't hear it probably 90% of the time. Others can hear it pretty much all the time, but mine is quiet enough that they need to put their ear near my chest.
This was a big concern of mine as I'm a really light sleeper, but it hasn't been a problem at all.
This was a big concern of mine as I'm a really light sleeper, but it hasn't been a problem at all.
This. I've had my St. Jude's mitral for 27 years and although I will occasionally get fixated on the ticking I remind myself that it simply means it's working. This time of year (in the Northern hemisphere) it's dry so my wife uses a humidifier in the bedroom. I found this white noise masks the ticking and could be a simple solution for those who are kept awake by the ever-present sound.
I usually hear mine when it's quiet and I focus on it. I've got some arrhythmias, and listen for them (in terms of the click timing), although there's not a lot I can do about them.
A few years ago, after two ablations, I detected a heart rate at 50 or below - both from just listening to the valve, and by feeling in my wrist or neck. A pacemaker fixed THAT.
I mostly ignore my ticking - I go about my things during the day and, only if I focus on it, don't hear the ticking at all.
A few years ago, after two ablations, I detected a heart rate at 50 or below - both from just listening to the valve, and by feeling in my wrist or neck. A pacemaker fixed THAT.
I mostly ignore my ticking - I go about my things during the day and, only if I focus on it, don't hear the ticking at all.
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- Jan 11, 2021
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Potential valve noise was something that concerned me prior to my surgery 33 months ago but I can honestly say for me it’s been a non-issue. Sometimes if I’m lying on my left side in bed, I can hear it. It doesn’t particularly bother me but if it does, I simple shift my position or turn over.
I think most people worry more about taking warfarin than they do about valve noise.
Warfarin, when managed properly (including at clinics and not just self testing or self management) is pretty much a non-issue, although some people will try to make it seem like rat poison that will ruin your life. Ticking is a real thing -- but you fairly quickly get used to it.
Warfarin, when managed properly (including at clinics and not just self testing or self management) is pretty much a non-issue, although some people will try to make it seem like rat poison that will ruin your life. Ticking is a real thing -- but you fairly quickly get used to it.
carolinemc
Well-known member
You will eventually get so used to the noise that you will not even hear it, except on occasions.
Yes that seems to be a common theme going on that people are comforted by the noise from the valve and it tells them that they're still alive. I've had ringing of the ears by the way unfortunately from hearing loss for 27 years so I'm familiar with keeping background noise to neutralize noises coming out of your body. May I recommend pink noise? This can be downloaded as an application on your phone or your laptop or your tablet there's also 10-hour continuous pink noise videos on youtube. Also white noise helps. I myself and paranoid because of the ringing of the ears even though I've adapted to it it's still becomes an issue but I'm afraid of having two noises coming out of my body. On the other hand my hearing is so bad that maybe I wouldn't even notice the ticking of the heartfelt. The ringing of the ears thing is worse because your inner ear where the damage is is actually encased in your temporal bone surrounded by your brain so the noise is pretty much just coming straight out of your brain where is the ticking of the valve is coming I would assume out of your chest in air and then your ear is picking it up externally but I'm not sure the ears picking up the noise externally or internally.
Thanks for the pink noise idea, I had never heard of it. Praying right now that my son’s tinnitus is temporary. He said the pink noise helps somewhat.
Its simple just dont listen to it, yea how the hell ya do that ? I use a nice set Bose 700 head phones and I can set the valume to where I could just start to hear the cllicking then just plan ignore the CLICK. Took me about a week. Now the only time I hear it is when I want to
good luck
perrybucsdad
Well-known member
My wife CAN'T sleep when I travel as she is so used to the clicking. I bought her an old wind-up clock that she can stick under the sheets or a pillow that delivers the same sort of noise for her.
It's a high level of marital harmony!
slipkid
Well-known member
My wife CAN'T sleep when I travel as she is so used to the clicking. I bought her an old wind-up clock that she can stick under the sheets or a pillow that delivers the same sort of noise for her.
Reminds me of when I was a kid when we got a new puppy. My Mom would put a ticking clock in it's bed area saying it would comfort him/her thinking it was their Mom still there.
ncw3642
Well-known member
From my (limited 2-week experience)...
Yes, I notice it however it is easy to tune out and I echo everyone above when I say it gives me peace knowing it is "clicking" and working. My wife is able to notice it as well, but has no issues whatsoever with it- we have been sleeping with a white noise machine for years and now cannot sleep without one-- this drowns out the noise of the click, though again, it wouldn't be an issue if we didn't have it.
Strangely enough, those who are older in my family cannot hear it at all. I wonder if the pitch/frequency of the click is too high that it is out of range with their hearing being... "more advanced." I will tell them it clicks, have them listen, and after ~30 seconds, they say "yeah I hear it" unconvincingly.
All-in-all, you take the clicking 10 times out of 10 knowing it is what is giving you a healthy, new life.
Yes, I notice it however it is easy to tune out and I echo everyone above when I say it gives me peace knowing it is "clicking" and working. My wife is able to notice it as well, but has no issues whatsoever with it- we have been sleeping with a white noise machine for years and now cannot sleep without one-- this drowns out the noise of the click, though again, it wouldn't be an issue if we didn't have it.
Strangely enough, those who are older in my family cannot hear it at all. I wonder if the pitch/frequency of the click is too high that it is out of range with their hearing being... "more advanced." I will tell them it clicks, have them listen, and after ~30 seconds, they say "yeah I hear it" unconvincingly.
All-in-all, you take the clicking 10 times out of 10 knowing it is what is giving you a healthy, new life.
