Have you ever woken up after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a delightful song through your open window? Most individuals probably don’t even know that the name for those bird-songs is the “dawn chorus”. Birds see the sunrise and, for some reason, decide it’s time to belt out their favorite melody. The songs of these birds, when they’re all sounding together, are a beautiful symphony.
But you might not notice the “dawn chorus” at all if you have untreated hearing loss. Which is a shame.
There are a lot of incredible sounds during the summer besides birdsongs that you could be missing. And you might 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
When you think about summer, you most likely start off imagining the sun in a blue sky. And, a very, very hot sun (whew). But if you stick with your imagination a bit longer, you’ll begin incorporating details that make this blue sky seem more like summer, the sounds that fill out the day. You might be thinking about:
- Peepers and crickets chirping a symphony as the sun sets.
- Bees buzzing around helping nature bloom by pollinating flowers.
- The sound of your grandchildren laughing and playing.
- The babbling of a stream or the crashing of waves.
- The sound of birds performing mating songs. (Love songs aren’t just enjoyed by humans.)
You get the point. Summer is lively with wonderful sounds. The experience and vibe of summer are greatly enhanced by these sounds. Plus, there is so much happiness in these simple sounds themselves.
It’s possible that hearing loss might have snuck up on you, particularly if these or any other summer sounds sound to be different to you these days. Once you’ve detected that problem, the next step is to take action.
Hearing aids can help you enjoy summer
For most, hearing aids are really about creating connections. They’re about communication. You’ll be more mindful of what’s happening around you, better able to communicate with those around you, and enjoy the sounds in your life. And that’s especially significant at those summer barbecues, for instance.
Modern hearing aids have some incredible technology that will help you bask in those summer sounds. Here are some examples of some of that powerful technology:
- Rechargeability: You can recharge your hearing aid while you sleep and enjoy full batteries throughout the day. Basically, you can charge your hearing aids the same way you charge your cellphone. This also makes traveling with hearing aids a lot easier.
- Noise reduction: If you want to hear the sound of crashing waves, but not the thunder of traffic behind you, you’ll want hearing aids that can help you sort out these sounds (just like your ears once did). 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: Modern hearing aids can automatically adjust to new surroundings or times of day, depending on how you program them. This function makes them more reliable and simpler to use.
- Machine learning: Your hearing aid can utilize “machine learning”, which are advanced intelligent algorithms, to adapt 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 begin to appreciate all kinds of features by connecting your hearing aid to your cellphone. Many cell phones will now enable 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: Out on the boat and want to listen to some tracks? Well, your hearing aids can be connected to the boat’s stereo using Bluetooth.
We can help you learn how your particular hearing needs can be met by your hearing aids (you can ask us whether you can bring 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 as a whole, your hearing aids will make your summer an all around livelier experience.
You’ll also want to ask us some standard questions about your hearing aid models. 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 safeguard it? Depending on the model of hearing aid, the answer to these questions will differ.
Some loud sounds you may want to avoid
As much as you love the sound of the dawn chorus, there are some other summer sounds that could actually be harmful to your hearing, so you’ll probably want to avoid them. These loud sounds are a real hazard! And they’re harmful to everyone’s ears, not just individuals who have pre-existing hearing loss. Here are a few of those sounds:
- Fireworks: The dogs are on to something. Attending fireworks shows can definitely damage your hearing. Furthermore, being close to home-launched fireworks can also be harmful to your ears (and limbs). Best to simply avoid fireworks completely.
- Boat engines: Be careful of how close you get and how long you spend around these engines because they’re very loud. When you’re fishing, shut 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 harmful to your ears. This means you may want to be particular about which shows you see (rather than attending a festival every weekend).
This is only a partial list. Summer fun for people with hearing loss may not include quite as many of those fireworks and loud noise situations.
But even with hearing loss you most likely won’t want to avoid every loud summer activity. So what can you do? Using ear protection is the best strategy. For instance, before you go to a live show, put in a set of earplugs so you can decrease most of the damage. You just need to make sure you’re using reliable ear protection.
Have fun this summer and enjoy the sounds
If you are dealing with hearing loss, the sounds of summer might feel like they’re growing further and further away (even as the heat of summer becomes more and more oppressive). Which means, much of the joy of the season could get lost.
So you might need to come in and see us if you want to make sure you get the most out of your summer. We can help figure out the state of your hearing and, if necessary, help determine what type of hearing loss will be the best choice for you.
So if you want to enjoy the dawn chorus, that’s where you should start. 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. Make an appointment today to find out which hearing aids are best for you!