Have you ever woken up after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a delightful song through your open window? Most people probably don’t even know that the name for those bird-songs is 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 lovely symphony.
Of course, if you have neglected hearing loss, you may not hear the dawn chorus at all. Which is a shame.
That’s especially true because it’s not just birdsong you might be missing out on. Summer is full of amazing sounds. And if you find yourself oblivious to the sounds of summer, it may be because of some undiagnosed (or diagnosed and dismissed) hearing loss. But you can begin to enjoy all of those amazing summer sounds again with the help of a device like a hearing aid.
Summer sounds
When you think about summer, you probably begin by visualizing the sun in a blue sky. And, a very, very hot sun (whew). But if you stay in your imagination a bit longer, you’ll start incorporating highlights that make this blue sky seem more like summer, the sounds that fill in the day. You may be thinking about:
- Peepers and crickets chirping a symphony as the sun goes down.
- Something as basic as your grandchildren laughing, maybe as they run around the yard or as you catch a baseball game with each other.
- The buzzing of bees as they fly around pollinating flowers and helping the landscape bloom.
- The sound of birds singing, particularly in the spring during, ahem, mating season. (Humans aren’t the only species to use love songs.)
- The crashing of waves on the beach (or a babbling creek if you’re in a more inland area).
These are only a few examples. There are lots of sounds going on. 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, especially 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.
Your summer can be more enjoyable with hearing aids
Building connections is what hearing aids are really all about for most. They’re about communication. They make it easier to talk to others, to hear what’s happening around you, and to appreciate the sounds that you hear. And at those summer cook-outs, for example, that’s even more relevant.
Modern hearing aids have some fantastic technology that will help you savor those summer sounds. Here are some illustrations of some of that powerful technology:
- 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. This is particularly handy when filtering sounds or in a noisy setting.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Maybe you want some tunes while you’re out boating. Well, your hearing aids can be synced to the boat’s stereo using Bluetooth.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can start to enjoy all types of features by syncing 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 fine-tune for birdsong or grandchildren’s laughter depending on what you want to hear at that time.
- Automatic programming: You can dial in your modern hearing aids to automatically change settings depending on the time of day or environment you find yourself in. This makes them simpler to use and more effective.
- Rechargeability: Your battery will remain charged throughout the day after charging while you sleep at night. Essentially, 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 particular sounds (your ears once did this) so you can enjoy those crashing waves without having the traffic behind you amplified too. Noise reduction features are common in modern hearing aids so you will be able to dial in the sounds you want to hear.
You can ask us about how your pair of hearing aids are suitable for your favorite adventures (you can ask us whether you can take your hearing aids into the water or on a mountain hike for example). Hearing aids frequently don’t play well with water. But you will have a deeper overall summer experience with your hearing aids.
Also, asking us basic questions about your hearing aid model will be a practical plan. Will your hearing aids have an issue with hot weather, for instance? And you should also ask, how do I protect my hearing aids from humidity? Depending on the model of hearing aid, the answer to these questions will vary.
Maybe avoid these sounds
Some summer sounds, unlike the dawn chorus, will be harmful to your ears and you should make sure to avoid them. These noisy sounds are a real hazard! And they’re harmful to everyone’s ears, not just those who have pre-existing hearing loss. Some of those sounds include:
- Live music: Outdoor concerts are a big part of summer, but they can be damaging to your hearing. So you might want to exercise some caution and be picky about which concerts you attend and use earplugs.
- Fireworks: Dogs have the right idea. Going to fireworks shows can definitely damage your ears. Similarly, being near home-launched fireworks can also be damaging to your hearing (and limbs). Best to simply stay away from fireworks altogether.
- Boat engines: These engines are loud, so exercise some caution about distance and exposure time. Try not to leave the motor running when you’re fishing. Or, better yet, pop in some earplugs for the duration of your boat trip.
This is only a partial list. For people who are coping with hearing loss, summer might have a few less of these loud activities.
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. For example, before you go to a live show, put in a pair of earplugs so you can minimize most of the damage. You just need to make certain you’re using reliable ear protection.
Have fun this summer and enjoy the sounds
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 might 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 failing or not, and what type of hearing aid will be best for your situation.
So start here if you’re ready to enjoy the dawn chorus. Because birdsongs are only the beginning of those incredible summer sounds.
Get your hearing tuned up this summer. Call us for a hearing test and find out if hearing aids are the right option for you.