Sounds I do not hear without hearing devices.

Here is a partial list of sounds I do not hear without hearing devices. Chances are the person you know with a hearing loss cannot hear these either.

Birds – the everyday birds that grace our trees. If you put on a recording of a bird aviary, it is a recording of silence for me. I do hear crows and seagulls, chickens, geese, ducks – the birds with a low-frequency squawk.

Crickets – the high-frequency chirps I do not hear. This is probably a good thing. Crickets drive my husband batty.

Buzzers – I do not hear many, many of the buzzes of timers, alarm clocks, cell phone rings. I respond better to foghorns and cowbells. I used to have a “sonic boom” alarm clock that would send my cats and husband fleeing from the bed like a speeding bullet.

Rain – I often am shocked when I open the door to head out, and it is raining!

Glass breaking – During the Northridge earthquake of 1994 (we were 4 miles from the epicenter) many glass items broke, but I did not hear them breaking. Consequently, I was shocked when I went downstairs and saw the amount of damage the earthquake inflicted that I did not hear. Fortunately, I was wearing shoes and did not cut my feet.

Sirens – I do not hear sirens until they are almost on top of me.

Whispering – no matter how “loud” a person whispers, I cannot hear it. In fact, I cannot hear whispers even with hearing devices.

Some sounds are more important than others

Sounds I do not hear without hearing devices may not be a big deal. In fact, it could be a blessing. Such as not hearing crickets or a noisy bird. But not hearing water running, a siren, or a buzzer could be dangerous. It could lead to property damage or even be life-threatening.