Hearing aid feedback

Well, I like to think I’m a responsible homeowner. I mean, I’ve got all these fancy appliances with alarms on them to keep my family safe and sound. But apparently, my trust in technology might have been a tad misplaced.

The other morning, my family and I were all jolted awake by this high-pitched squealing. We scrambled around the kitchen, investigating first the alarm sounded like it was coming from the fridge, so we made sure the doors were closed. Then the sound came from the dishwasher, so we checked it. Then it sounds like it was coming from the carbon dioxide detector, so we unplugged it and plugged it back in. The sound alarm continued and then we thought it was coming from the furnace. There was nothing wrong. After about 45 minutes, the on-and-off alarm squealing was getting on everyone’s nerves. We checked every appliance we could find, from the fridge to the dishwasher to the carbon dioxide detector.

And to make matters worse, I had cranked my hearing aids up to the max, so I was basically deafening myself with this infernal racket. My poor wife watched as I stumbled around, completely oblivious to the fact that the source of the noise was right under my nose.

Turns out, the real culprit was me all along. My hearing aids had thrown a tantrum and were giving me high-pitched feedback every few minutes, depending on where I stood and how I had my head turned. I was too busy playing detective to realize it. I mean, who needs appliances with alarms when you’ve got a walking, talking nuisance like me around?