Have you ever woken up after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a wonderful song through your open window? Most individuals probably don’t even know that the name for those bird-songs is the “dawn chorus”. For whatever reason, birds see the sun rising and decide to start singing their favorite songs. Each species has its own set of chirps and notes, and together, they sound like a symphony of nature.
Of course, if you have untreated hearing loss, you may not notice the dawn chorus at all. And that’s unfortunate.
That’s especially true because it isn’t just birdsong you might be missing out on. Summer is full of incredible sounds. And you might be missing those summer sounds because you have hearing loss that’s gone undiagnosed or simply dismissed. But you can begin 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 probably begin by imagining the sun in a blue sky. And, a very, very hot sun (whew). And then you begin to visualize the summer soundtrack that comes with this vision. You may be thinking about:
- The buzzing of bees as they fly around pollinating flowers and helping nature bloom.
- Something as simple as your grandkids laughing, perhaps as they run around the yard or as you watch a baseball game together.
- The sound of frogs croaking at night, particularly in the early hours of the night.
- The sound of birds singing, especially in the spring during, ahem, mating season. (Love songs aren’t just appreciated by humans.)
- The crashing of waves on the beach (or a babbling brook if you’re in a more inland area).
You get the point. There are lots of sounds going on. These are the sounds that fill in your summer, give it quality, and help deliver that overall vibe. And these sounds by themselves bring great joy.
If these summer sounds (or any sounds of summer) seem different to you these days, it’s most likely because a noticeable amount of hearing loss has effectively crept up on you. Once you’ve detected that problem, the next step is to take action.
Your summer can be more enjoyable with hearing aids
Building relationships is what hearing aids are really all about for most. They’re about communication. You’ll be more aware of what’s taking place around you, better able to communicate with those around you, and appreciate the sounds in your life. And that’s especially significant at those summer barbecues, for example.
Modern hearing aids have some fantastic technology that will help you savor those summer sounds. For example, most modern hearing aids provide:
- Machine learning: Your hearing aid can use “machine learning”, which are advanced intelligent algorithms, to adjust to your audio landscape before you even recognized it needed to. In loud settings or when filtering out specific sounds, this can be especially convenient.
- Automatic programming: Modern hearing aids can automatically adapt to new settings or times of day, depending on how you program them. This makes them easier to use and more effective.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Perhaps you want some tunes while you’re out on the boat. Well, your hearing aids can be synced to the boat’s stereo via Bluetooth.
- Rechargeability: Your battery will stay charged all day after charging when you are sleeping at night. Basically, you can charge your hearing aids the same way you charge your cellphone. This also makes vacationing with hearing aids a lot easier.
- Noise reduction: You’ll want to get hearing aids that can sort through specific sounds (your ears used to do 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.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can connect your hearing aids to your smartphone and start enjoying all sorts of features. Depending on the particular hearing situation, you will be able to control the settings on your hearing aids using an app you can download on most smartphones.
You can ask us about how your pair of hearing aids are suited to your favorite adventures (you can ask us if you can bring your hearing aids into the water or on a mountain hike for instance). Hearing aids frequently don’t play well with water. But you will have a deeper 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 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 questions will depend on the model of hearing aid you use.
Some loud sounds you may want to avoid
Some summer sounds, unlike the dawn chorus, will be harmful to your hearing and you should make sure to avoid them. These are sounds that are, well, noisy! And they’re harmful to everyone’s ears, not just people who have pre-existing hearing loss. Some of those sounds include:
- Fireworks: Dogs have the right idea. Attending fireworks shows can certainly harm your ears. This includes both commercial and home launched fireworks. Best to just stay away from 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, turn the engine off. Or, better yet, pop in some earplugs for the duration of your boat trip.
- Live music: It’s a lot of fun to go and see a live music concert but the loud volume can be damaging to your ears. So you might want to exercise some caution and be selective about which shows you attend and wear earplugs.
This list is not exhaustive. Summer fun 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 during the summer. So what’s the strategy? Using ear protection is the best solution. Popping in a set of earplugs before you see any live music show can minimize a lot of the damage, for example. You just need to make certain 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 may feel like they’re getting further and further away (even as the heat of summer gets more and more oppressive). Which means, a lot of the joy of the season could pass you by.
So you might need to pay us a visit if you want to make sure you get the most from your summer. We can help determine the state of your hearing and, if necessary, help decide 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 from your ears this summer and beyond. Call us for a hearing exam and find out if hearing aids are the right choice for you.