Have you ever woken up after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a wonderful song through your open window? Turns out, there’s a name for all those birdsongs: the dawn chorus. For whatever reason, birds see the sun coming up and decide to start singing their favorite songs. The songs of these birds, when they’re all sounding together, are a beautiful symphony.
But you may not notice the “dawn chorus” at all if you have neglected hearing loss. And that’s unfortunate.
That’s particularly true because it’s not just birdsong you might be missing out on. Summer is full of awesome sounds. And if you find yourself missing out on the sounds of summer, it may be because of some undiagnosed (or diagnosed and ignored) hearing loss. The good news in these situations is that a device like a hearing aid may help you appreciate and more fully enjoy your summer.
The sounds of summer
You likely think of a really hot sun in a clear blue sky when you think about summer. And then you begin to visualize the summer soundtrack that comes with this vision. You might be thinking about:
- Peepers and crickets chirping a symphony as the sun goes down.
- The crashing of waves on the beach (or a babbling creek if you’re in a more inland area).
- Bees buzzing around helping nature bloom by pollinating flowers.
- The sound of birds singing out mating songs. (Humans aren’t the only species to utilize love songs.)
- Something as simple as your grandchildren laughing, possibly as they run around the yard or as you catch a baseball game together.
You get the idea. There are a bunch of sounds happening. These are the sounds that fill in your summer, give it texture, and help create that overall vibe. Plus, there is so much pleasure in these simple sounds themselves.
If these summer sounds (or any summer sounds) seem foreign to you these days, it’s likely because an apparent amount of hearing loss has successfully crept up on you. Once you’ve noticed that issue, the next step is to do something about it.
Hearing aids can help you enjoy summer
Building connections is what hearing aids are really about for most. They’re about communication. You’ll be more aware of what’s happening around you, better able to communicate with people around you, and appreciate the sounds in your life. And that’s especially significant at those summer barbecues, for example.
The latest models of hearing aids can help you bask in the sounds of summer, and they are equipped with some really amazing built in tech, too. For instance, most modern hearing aids provide:
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Perhaps you want some tunes while you’re out on the boat. Just sync the boat’s radio to your hearing aids using Bluetooth.
- Automatic programming: Modern hearing aids can automatically adjust to new settings or times of day, depending on how they’re programmed. This makes them simpler to use and more reliable.
- Rechargeability: You can recharge your hearing aid while you sleep and enjoy full batteries throughout the day. It’s much like charging your cellphone. This also makes vacationing with hearing aids a lot easier.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can sync your hearing aids to your smartphone and start enjoying all sorts of features. Many phones will now permit you to download apps that help you control the settings on your hearing aids, so you can fine-tune for birdsong or grandkid’s laughter depending on what you want to hear at that time.
- Noise reduction: You’ll want to get hearing aids that can differentiate specific sounds (your ears used to do this) so you can enjoy those crashing waves without having the traffic behind you amplified too. Noise reduction features are normal in modern hearing aids so you will be capable of dialing in the sounds you want to hear.
- Machine learning: Your hearing aid can use “machine learning”, which are sophisticated intelligent algorithms, to adjust to your audio landscape before you even knew it needed to. This is particularly handy when filtering sounds or in a loud setting.
You can ask us about how your pair of hearing aids are appropriate for your favorite adventures (you can ask us whether you can take your hearing aids into the water or on a mountain hike for instance). Hearing aids and water-sports don’t always play nice together. But you will have a richer overall summer experience with your hearing aids.
Also, asking us basic questions about your hearing aid model will be a practical idea. For example, you should ask, can hot weather impact my hearing aids? Also, does humidity have any effect on my hearing aid and how can I protect it? The answer to both questions will depend on the model of hearing aid you have.
Some loud sounds you may want to steer clear of
Some summer sounds, unlike the dawn chorus, will be harmful to your hearing and you should make sure to avoid them. These noisy sounds are a real hazard! 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. Going to fireworks shows can definitely harm your ears. This includes both commercial and home launched fireworks. Best to simply stay away from fireworks completely.
- Live music: Outdoor concerts are a fun part of summer, but they can be harmful to your ears. This means you might want to be selective about which shows you see (rather than attending a festival every weekend).
- Boat engines: These engines are loud, so exercise some caution about proximity and duration. When you’re fishing, shut the engine off. Or, even better, pop in some earplugs for the duration of your boat trip.
This list is not exhaustive. Summer activities for individuals who have hearing loss may not include quite as many of those fireworks and loud noise situations.
But even with hearing loss you probably won’t want to stay away from every loud summer activity. So what’s the solution? Using ear protection is the best solution. Popping in a set of earplugs before you go to any live music show can minimize much of the damage, for instance. You just need to make certain you’re using effective ear protection.
Enjoy the sounds of summer
As the heat of summer becomes more oppressive, if you are dealing with hearing loss, the summer sounds may seem like they’re getting further away. And that means you could miss a lot of the season’s joy.
So you might need to pay us a visit if you want to make sure you get the most out of your summer. We will be able to determine whether your hearing is failing or not, and what type of hearing aid will be best for your situation.
So begin here if you’re ready to appreciate the dawn chorus. Because birdsongs are only the beginning of those incredible summer sounds.
Get the most from your ears this summer and beyond. Call us for a hearing test and find out if hearing aids are the right choice for you.