Have you ever woken up after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a pleasant song through your open window? Most individuals probably aren’t even aware that the name for those bird-songs is the “dawn chorus”. For whatever reason, birds see the sun coming up and decide to start belting out their favorite songs. The songs of these birds, when they’re all singing together, are a lovely symphony.
But you might not notice the “dawn chorus” at all if you have untreated hearing loss. Which is a pity.
There are a lot of amazing sounds during the summer besides birdsongs that you may be missing. And you may be missing those summer sounds because you have hearing loss that’s gone undiagnosed or simply neglected. The good news in these instances is that a device like a hearing aid could help you appreciate and enjoy your summer days more fully.
Summer sounds
You most likely think of a very hot sun in a clear blue sky when you think about summer. And then you begin to visualize the summer soundtrack that goes along with this vision. Some sounds you might think about:
- The sound of your grandkids playing and laughing.
- The babbling of a creek or the crashing of waves.
- The symphony of frogs croaking at night, especially in the early hours of the night.
- The buzzing of bees as they fly around pollinating flowers and helping nature bloom.
- The sound of birds chirping, particularly in the spring during, ahem, mating season. (Humans aren’t the only species to employ love songs.)
You get the idea. Summer is alive with wonderful sounds. The experience and vibe of summer are considerably enhanced by these sounds. And these sounds in and of themselves bring great joy.
It’s feasible that hearing loss may have crept up on you, especially if these or any other summer sounds seem to be different to you these days. If you have detected your hearing loss then you need to get some help with it.
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. They make it easier to talk to others, to hear what’s happening around you, and to enjoy the sounds that you hear. And that’s particularly important at those summer barbecues, for example.
The latest models of hearing aids can help you savor the sounds of summer, and they come with some pretty amazing built in tech, too. For instance, most modern hearing aids offer:
- Automatic programming: You can program your modern hearing aids to automatically change settings depending on the time of day or environment you find yourself in. This makes them easier to use and more reliable.
- Machine learning: Your hearing aid can utilize “machine learning”, which are sophisticated intelligent algorithms, to adapt to your audio landscape before you even knew it needed to. This is particularly handy when filtering sounds or in a loud setting.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Perhaps you want some tunes while you’re out boating. Just connect the boat’s radio to your hearing aids using Bluetooth.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can sync your hearing aids to your smartphone and begin 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 smartphones.
- Rechargeability: Your battery will remain charged throughout the day after charging when you are sleeping at night. It’s a lot like charging your phone. This also makes vacationing with hearing aids much easier.
- Noise reduction: If you want to hear the sound of crashing waves, but not the roar of traffic behind you, you’ll want hearing aids that can help you sort through these sounds (just like your ears once did). Modern hearing aids have substantial noise reduction features, so you can hear what you actually want to hear.
We can help you discover how your particular hearing needs can be met by your hearing aids (you can ask us whether you can take your hearing aids into the water or on a mountain hike for example). Hearing aids often don’t get along with water. But as a whole, your hearing aids will make your summer an all around livelier 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 impact on my hearing aid and how can I protect it? Depending on the model of hearing aid, the answer to these questions will differ.
Maybe avoid these sounds
Some summer sounds, unlike the dawn chorus, will be harmful to your ears and you should be certain to steer clear of them. These are sounds that are, well, noisy! And they’re damaging to everyone’s ears, not just individuals with pre-existing hearing loss. Here are a few of those sounds:
- Live music: It’s great fun to attend a live music concert but the loud volume can be damaging to your hearing. This means you may want to be selective about which shows you see (rather than going to a festival every weekend).
- Boat engines: Be cautious of how close you get and how long you spend near these engines because they’re really loud. Try not to leave the motor idling when you’re fishing. Or, an even better idea would be to use some earplugs.
- Fireworks: Dogs have the right idea. Your hearing can most certainly be damaged by fireworks. This includes both commercial and home launched fireworks. Best to just avoid fireworks completely.
This is only a partial list. For people who are dealing with hearing loss, summer may have a few less of these loud events.
That said, you might not be capable of, or even want to, stay away from all loud noises during the summer. So what’s the solution? Well, you can wear ear protection. For instance, before you go to a live show, put in a set of earplugs so you can minimize most of the damage. You just need to make certain you’re using effective ear protection.
Have fun this summer and enjoy the sounds
If you have hearing loss, the sounds of summer may feel like they’re getting 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.
So you may need to come in and see us if you want to be certain that you get the most from your summer. We can help identify the state of your hearing and, if needed, help decide what kind of hearing aid will best suit your needs.
So start here if you’re ready to enjoy the dawn chorus. 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!