Have you ever awoke after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a delightful song through your open window? Turns out, there’s a term for all those birdsongs: the dawn chorus. For whatever reason, birds see the sun rising and choose to start belting out their favorite songs. Each type of bird has its own set of chirps and notes, and together, they sound like a symphony of nature.
But you may not notice the “dawn chorus” at all if you have untreated hearing loss. Which is a pity.
That’s especially true because it isn’t just birdsong you might be missing out on. Summer is full of amazing sounds. And you might be missing those summer sounds because you have hearing loss that’s gone undiagnosed or simply neglected. But you can start to enjoy all of those wonderful summer sounds again with the help of a device like a hearing aid.
Summer sounds
When you think about summer, you likely start off imagining the sun in a blue sky. And, a very, very hot sun (whew). And then you begin to imagine the summer soundtrack that comes with this vision. Some sounds you might think about:
- The buzzing of bees as they fly around pollinating flowers and helping nature bloom.
- The sound of your grandkids laughing and playing.
- The symphony of frogs croaking at night, especially in the early hours of the night.
- The babbling of a creek or the crashing of waves.
- The sound of birds singing, especially in the spring during, ahem, mating season. (Love songs are not just enjoyed by humans.)
You get the idea. Summer is lively with wonderful sounds. The feeling and vibe of summer are significantly enhanced by these sounds. Plus, there is so much pleasure in these everyday summertime sounds themselves.
If these sounds of summer (or any sounds of summer) seem different to you these days, it’s probably because a noticeable level of hearing loss has effectively snuck up on you. Once you’ve detected that problem, the next step is to take action.
Hearing aids can help you enjoy summer
Building connections is what hearing aids are really all about for most. They’re about communication. You’ll be more mindful of what’s happening around you, better able to communicate with people around you, and enjoy the sounds in your life. And that’s especially significant at those summer barbecues, for instance.
The latest models of hearing aids can help you bask in the sounds of summer, and they come with some rather amazing built in tech, as well. For instance, most modern hearing aids offer:
- Rechargeability: Your battery will stay charged all day after charging when you are sleeping at night. Basically, you can charge your hearing aids in the same way you charge your cellphone. And when you travel with your hearing aids, it becomes very stress free.
- Noise reduction: You’ll want to have hearing aids that can differentiate particular sounds (your ears once did this) so you can appreciate those crashing waves without having the traffic behind you amplified too. Modern hearing aids have substantial noise reduction capabilities, so you can hear what you really want to hear.
- Machine learning: Cutting-edge algorithms (called machine learning) can help your hearing aids adjust to what you need, even before you know you need it. This is especially convenient when filtering sounds or in a noisy setting.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can connect your hearing aids to your smartphone and begin enjoying all kinds of features. Depending on the specific hearing situation, you will be able to control the settings on your hearing aids using an app you can download on most smartphones.
- Automatic programming: Contemporary hearing aids can automatically adjust to new surroundings or times of day, depending on how you program them. This makes them easier to use and more effective.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Boating on the lake and want to listen to some tracks? Just sync the boat’s radio to your hearing aids via Bluetooth.
We can help you learn how your particular hearing needs can be met by your hearing aids (you can ask us if you can bring your hearing aids into the water or on a mountain hike for example). Hearing aids and water-sports don’t always play nice together. But you will have a richer overall summer experience with your hearing aids.
You’ll also want to ask us some basic 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 humidity? The answer to both questions will depend on the model of hearing aid you have.
Some loud sounds you may want to avoid
Some summer sounds, unlike the dawn chorus, will be harmful to your ears and you should make sure to avoid them. These are sounds that are, well, loud! And everybody’s ears are vulnerable even if they don’t have pre-existing hearing loss. Some of those sounds include:
- Fireworks: Dogs have the right idea. Your hearing can most certainly be damaged by fireworks. Similarly, being near home-launched fireworks can also be damaging to your hearing (and limbs). Best to just stay away from fireworks altogether.
- Boat engines: These engines are loud, so exercise some caution about proximity and duration. When you’re fishing, turn the engine off. Or, an even better idea would be to put in some earplugs.
- Live music: It’s a lot of fun to attend a live music concert but the loud volume can be damaging to your hearing. So you may want to use some caution and be selective about which shows you attend and wear earplugs.
This list isn’t exhaustive. Summer activities for individuals with hearing loss may not include quite as many of those fireworks and loud noise conditions.
That said, you may not be capable of, or even want to, stay away from all loud noises over the summer. So what can you do? Well, you can wear ear protection. Putting in a pair of earplugs before you go to any live music show can minimize a lot of the damage, for instance. But it’s important that the hearing protection you chooses is reliable.
Enjoy the sounds of summer
As the heat of summer gets more oppressive, if you have hearing loss, the summer sounds may seem like they’re getting further away. And that means you might miss a lot of the season’s joy.
So you may need to pay us a visit if you want to be certain that you get the most from your summer. We can help figure out the state of your hearing and, if needed, help decide what kind of hearing aid will be the best choice for you.
So start here if you’re ready to enjoy the dawn chorus. And you’ll also be able to enjoy all of the other awesome summer sounds.
Get the most from your ears this summer and beyond. Call us for a hearing assessment and find out if hearing aids are the right choice for you.