Have you ever awoke after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a delightful song through your open window? So happens, 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. Each type of bird has its own kind of song, and together, they sound like a symphony of nature.
But you may not notice the “dawn chorus” at all if you have neglected hearing loss. Which is a pity.
There are a lot of amazing sounds during the summer besides birdsongs that you might be missing. And if you find yourself missing out on the sounds of summer, it could be due to some undiagnosed (or diagnosed and neglected) hearing loss. 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
You probably think of a very hot sun in a clear blue sky when you think about summer. But if you stay in your imagination a bit longer, you’ll start adding highlights that make this blue sky feel more like summer, the sounds that fill out the day. You may be thinking about:
- The babbling of a stream or the crashing of waves.
- The sound of frogs croaking at night, particularly in the early hours of the night.
- The sound of your grandkids laughing and playing.
- The buzzing of bees as they fly around pollinating flowers and helping nature bloom.
- The sound of birds singing out mating songs. (Love songs are not just appreciated by humans.)
You get the point. There are a bunch of sounds happening. These are the sounds that fill in your summer, give it texture, and help deliver that overall vibe. And these sounds by themselves bring great happiness.
It’s feasible that hearing loss may have snuck up on you, particularly if these or any other summer sounds sound to be foreign to you these days. Once you’ve detected that problem, the next step is to take action.
Hearing aids can help you enjoy summer
Building relationships is what hearing aids are really all about for most. Communication is key. They make it easier to converse with others, to hear what’s going on around you, and to enjoy the sounds that you hear. And that’s especially significant at those summer barbecues, for example.
The newest models of hearing aids can help you savor the sounds of summer, and they are equipped with some really amazing built in tech, too. Here are some illustrations of some of that potent technology:
- Rechargeability: Your battery will stay charged throughout the day after charging when you are sleeping at night. It’s a lot like charging your cellphone. This also makes traveling with hearing aids much easier.
- Automatic programming: You can program your modern hearing aids to automatically switch settings depending on the time of day or setting you find yourself in. This makes them simpler to use and more effective.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Out on the boat and want to enjoy some tunes? Well, your hearing aids can be connected to the boat’s stereo via Bluetooth.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can begin to appreciate all kinds of features by connecting your hearing aid to your cellphone. Depending on the specific hearing situation, you will be able to control the settings on your hearing aids by utilizing an app you can download on most smartphones.
- Noise reduction: You’ll want to get hearing aids that can sort through specific sounds (your ears once did this) so you can appreciate those crashing waves without having the traffic behind you amplified as well. Modern hearing aids have substantial noise reduction capabilities, so you can hear what you really want to hear.
- Machine learning: Your hearing aid can utilize “machine learning”, which are advanced 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 noisy environment.
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 get along. But all in all, your hearing aids will make your summer an all around richer experience.
You’ll also want to ask us some basic 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? The answer to both 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 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 some of those sounds:
- Live music: Outdoor concerts are a big part of summer, but they can be harmful to your ears. So you may want to exercise some caution and be selective about which concerts you attend and use earplugs.
- Fireworks: Dogs have the right idea. Going to fireworks shows can undoubtedly damage your ears. Similarly, being close to home-launched fireworks can also be harmful to your ears (and limbs). Best to just avoid fireworks completely.
- Boat engines: Be cautious of how close you get and how long you spend near these engines because they are really loud. When you’re fishing, turn the engine off. Or, better yet, pop in some earplugs for the entirety of your boat trip.
This list is not exhaustive. Summer activities for individuals who have hearing loss might not include quite as many of those fireworks and loud noise situations.
Having said that, you might not be able to, or even want to, stay away from all loud noises during the summer. So what can you do? Wearing ear protection is the best option. For example, before you go to a concert, put in a pair of earplugs so you can minimize a lot of the damage. You just need to make sure you’re using reliable ear protection.
Appreciate the sounds of summer
As the heat of summer gets more oppressive, if you are dealing with hearing loss, the summer sounds might 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 come in and see us if you want to be certain that you get the most out of your summer. We will be able to identify whether your hearing is waning or not, and what kind of hearing aid will best suit your needs.
So if you want to enjoy the dawn chorus, that’s where you need to start. And you’ll also be able to enjoy all of the other wonderful summer sounds.
Get a hearing tune-up this summer. Call us for a hearing exam and find out if hearing aids are the right choice for you.