Have you ever awoke after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a wonderful song through your open window? Most individuals probably don’t even know that those bird songs are called the “dawn chorus”. For whatever reason, birds see the sun coming up and choose to start singing 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 hear the “dawn chorus” at all if you have untreated hearing loss. And that’s unfortunate.
There are a lot of amazing sounds during the summer besides birdsongs that you could be missing. And you may be missing those summer sounds because you have hearing loss that’s gone undiagnosed or simply dismissed. The good news in these cases is that a device like a hearing aid could help you appreciate and more fully enjoy your summer.
Summer sounds
When you think about summer, you probably start off imagining the sun in a blue sky. And, a really, really hot sun (whew). And then you begin to visualize the summer soundtrack that comes with this vision. Some sounds you may think about:
- The buzzing of bees as they fly around pollinating flowers and helping the landscape bloom.
- Peepers and crickets chirping a symphony as the sun goes down.
- The sound of birds singing out mating songs. (Love songs aren’t just appreciated by humans.)
- The crashing of waves on the beach (or a babbling creek if you’re in a more inland area).
- Something as basic as your grandchildren laughing, perhaps as they run about the yard or as you watch a baseball game together.
You get the idea. Summer is lively with amazing sounds. The experience and vibe of summer are greatly enhanced by these sounds. Plus, there is so much pleasure in these simple sounds themselves.
It’s feasible that hearing loss might have snuck up on you, especially if these or any other summer sounds seem to be foreign to you these days. Once you’ve noticed that problem, the next step is to do something about it.
Your summer can be more enjoyable with hearing aids
For most people, hearing aids are really about strengthening relationships. Communication is key. You’ll be more mindful of what’s taking place around you, better able to communicate with people around you, and appreciate the sounds in your life. And at those summer barbecues, for instance, that’s even more important.
Modern hearing aids have some amazing technology that will help you bask in those summer sounds. Here are some illustrations of some of that powerful technology:
- Automatic programming: Modern hearing aids can automatically adjust to new environments or times of day, depending on how you program them. This function makes them more effective 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 recognized it needed to. This is particularly convenient when filtering sounds or in a loud environment.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Boating on the lake and want to listen to some tunes? Well, your hearing aids can be connected to the boat’s stereo via Bluetooth.
- Rechargeability: You can recharge your hearing aid while you sleep and enjoy full batteries throughout the day. Essentially, you can charge your hearing aids in the same way you charge your cellphone. This also makes traveling with hearing aids much easier.
- Noise reduction: You’ll want to have hearing aids that can differentiate particular sounds (your ears used to do this) so you can appreciate those crashing waves without having the traffic behind you amplified too. Modern hearing aids have considerable noise reduction capabilities, so you can hear what you actually want to hear.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can connect your hearing aids to your cellphone and start making the most of all kinds of features. Depending on the particular hearing situation, you will be able to control the settings on your hearing aids by utilizing an app you can download on most cell phones.
You can ask us about how your pair of hearing aids are appropriate for your favorite activities (you can ask us whether you can bring your hearing aids into the water or on a mountain hike for example). Hearing aids and water-sports don’t always get along. But as a whole, your hearing aids will make your summer an all around richer experience.
You’ll also want to ask us some standard questions about your hearing aid models. For example, you should ask, can hot weather affect my hearing aids? And you should also ask, how do I protect my hearing aids from moisture in the air? The answer to both will depend on the model of hearing aid you use.
Maybe stay away from these sounds
As much as you enjoy the sound of the dawn chorus, there are a few other summer sounds that could actually be damaging to your hearing, so you’ll probably want to stay away from them. These loud sounds are a real hazard! And everybody’s ears are at risk even if they don’t have pre-existing hearing loss. Here are a few of those sounds:
- Boat engines: Be careful of how close you get and how long you spend around these engines because they are really loud. When you’re fishing, turn the engine off. Or, an even better idea would be to use some earplugs.
- Live music: It’s great fun to go and see a live music concert but the loud volume can be harmful to your ears. This means you may want to be particular about which shows you see (rather than going to a festival every weekend).
- Fireworks: The dogs are on to something. Your hearing can most certainly be damaged by fireworks. This includes both commercial and home launched fireworks. Best to simply stay away from fireworks completely.
This list isn’t exhaustive. Summer activities for people who have hearing loss may not include quite as many of those fireworks and loud noise conditions.
Having said that, you might not be able to, or even want to, avoid all loud noises over the summer. So what can you do? Well, you can use ear protection. Popping in a pair of earplugs before you go to any live music show can minimize a lot of the damage, for example. But it’s essential that the hearing protection you chooses is effective.
Appreciate the sounds of summer
If you are dealing with hearing loss, the sounds of summer could feel like they’re growing further and further away (even as the heat of summer becomes more and more oppressive). And that means you could miss a lot of the season’s joy.
Getting the most from your summer then, might require making a pit stop with us. We will be able to figure out whether your hearing is waning or not, and what type of hearing aid will be best for your situation.
So if you want to appreciate the dawn chorus, that’s where you should start. Because birdsongs are only the beginning of those awesome summer sounds.
Get the most out of your ears this summer and beyond. Schedule an appointment today to find out which hearing aids are right for you!