Have you ever slept with your bedroom window open and woken up to the beautiful sound of birds singing as the sun is coming up? Turns out, there’s a term for all those birdsongs: the dawn chorus. For whatever reason, birds see the sun coming up and decide to start belting out their favorite songs. Each species has its own kind of song, and together, they sound like a symphony of nature.
But you might not hear the “dawn chorus” at all if you have untreated hearing loss. And that’s sad.
There are a lot of incredible sounds during the summer besides birdsongs that you may be missing. And you may be missing those summer sounds because you have hearing loss that’s gone undiagnosed or simply neglected. The good news in these cases is that a device like a hearing aid may help you appreciate and more fully enjoy your summer.
Summer sounds
You likely think of a really hot sun in a clear blue sky when you think about summer. And then you start to visualize the summer soundtrack that goes along with this vision. Some sounds you may think about:
- The sound of birds singing out mating songs. (Love songs are not just appreciated by humans.)
- Bees buzzing around helping nature bloom by pollinating flowers.
- The babbling of a stream or the crashing of waves.
- Something as basic as your grandchildren laughing, perhaps as they run around the yard or as you catch a baseball game with each other.
- Peepers and crickets chirping a symphony as the sun goes down.
You get the point. Summer is lively with wonderful sounds. These are the sounds that fill in your summer, give it quality, and help deliver that overall vibe. Plus, there is so much pleasure in these simple sounds themselves.
It’s possible that hearing loss might have crept up on you, particularly if these or any other summer sounds sound to be different to you these days. Once you’ve noticed that issue, the next step is to take action.
Hearing aids can help you enjoy summer
Building relationships is what hearing aids are really all about for most. They’re about communication. They make it easier to talk to others, to hear what’s going on around you, and to appreciate the sounds that you hear. And that’s especially significant at those summer barbecues, for example.
Modern hearing aids have some amazing technology that will help you savor those summer sounds. For example, most contemporary hearing aids offer:
- Noise reduction: You’ll want to get hearing aids that can differentiate specific sounds (your ears once did this) so you can enjoy those crashing waves without having the traffic behind you amplified as well. Noise reduction features are common in modern hearing aids so you will be capable of dialing in the sounds you want to hear.
- Automatic programming: You can program your modern hearing aids to automatically switch settings depending on the time of day or setting you find yourself in. This feature makes them more reliable and easier to use.
- Machine learning: Your hearing aid can utilize “machine learning”, which are sophisticated intelligent algorithms, to adjust to your audio landscape before you even knew it needed to. This is particularly convenient when filtering sounds or in a loud setting.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can connect your hearing aids to your smartphone and begin enjoying all kinds of features. Many cell phones will now permit you to download apps that help you control the settings on your hearing aids, so you can adjust for birdsong or grandchildren’s laughter depending on what you want to hear at that moment.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Perhaps you want some music playing while you’re out boating. Well, your hearing aids can be synced to the boat’s stereo using Bluetooth.
- Rechargeability: Your battery will stay charged throughout the day after charging while you sleep at night. It’s a lot like charging your cellphone. This also makes vacationing with hearing aids much easier.
You can ask us about how your set of hearing aids are appropriate for your favorite adventures (you can ask us whether you can bring your hearing aids into the water or on a mountain hike for instance). Hearing aids often don’t get along with water. But you will have a richer overall summer experience with your hearing aids.
You’ll also want to ask us some standard questions about your hearing aid models. For instance, you should ask, can hot weather impact my hearing aids? And you should also ask, how do I safeguard my hearing aids from moisture in the air? Depending on the model of hearing aid, the answer to these questions will differ.
Perhaps stay away from these sounds
Some summer sounds, unlike the dawn chorus, will be harmful to your ears and you should be certain to steer clear of them. These are sounds that are, well, loud! And they’re harmful to everyone’s ears, not just people who have pre-existing hearing loss. Here are a few of those sounds:
- Fireworks: Dogs have the right idea. Going to fireworks shows can definitely harm your hearing. This includes both commercial and home launched fireworks. It’s best for your hearing to keep away from fireworks completely.
- Live music: Outdoor concerts are a fun part of summer, but they can be harmful to your hearing. So you may want to use some caution and be selective about which shows you attend and wear earplugs.
- Boat engines: Be careful of how close you get and how long you spend around these engines because they are very loud. When you’re fishing, turn the engine off. Or, an even better plan would be to use some earplugs.
This is only a partial list. Summer fun for individuals with hearing loss might not include quite as many of those fireworks and loud noise conditions.
Having said that, you might not be capable of, or even want to, avoid all loud noises during the summer. So what can you do? Well, you can wear ear protection. For example, before you go to a live show, put in a pair of earplugs so you can decrease a lot of the damage. But it’s important that the hearing protection you chooses is effective.
Enjoy the sounds of summer
If you have hearing loss, the sounds of summer may feel like they’re getting further and further away (even as the heat of summer gets more and more oppressive). And that means you might miss a lot of the season’s joy.
Getting the most from your summer then, might require coming to see us. We will be able to identify whether your hearing is failing or not, and what type of hearing aid will best suit your needs.
So start here if you’re ready to appreciate the dawn chorus. And you’ll also be able to enjoy all of the other wonderful summer sounds.
Get the most out of your ears this summer and beyond. Make an appointment today to find out which hearing aids are best for you!