Have you ever woken up after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a beautiful song through your open window? Most people probably don’t even know that those bird songs are called the “dawn chorus”. For whatever reason, birds see the sun coming up and choose to start singing their favorite songs. The songs of these birds, when they’re all singing together, are a beautiful symphony.
Of course, if you have neglected hearing loss, you may not hear the dawn chorus at all. Which is a pity.
There are a lot of amazing sounds during the summer besides birdsongs that you could be missing. And if you find yourself missing out on the sounds of summer, it could be because of some undiagnosed (or diagnosed and dismissed) 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.
The sounds of summer
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 start to visualize the summer soundtrack that goes along with this vision. You might be thinking about:
- The buzzing of bees as they fly around pollinating flowers and helping the landscape bloom.
- The sound of birds performing mating songs. (Love songs are not just appreciated by humans.)
- Peepers and crickets chirping a symphony as the sun goes down.
- The sound of your grandchildren playing and laughing.
- The babbling of a creek or the crashing of waves.
You get the point. There are lots of sounds going on. The experience and vibe of summer are considerably enhanced by these sounds. Plus, there is so much joy in these everyday summertime sounds themselves.
If these summer sounds (or any summer sounds) seem foreign to you these days, it’s likely because an apparent level of hearing loss has successfully crept up on you. Once you’ve noticed that issue, the next step is to do something about it.
Your summer can be more enjoyable with hearing aids
For most, hearing aids are really about creating relationships. 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 at those summer barbecues, for instance, that’s even more relevant.
Contemporary hearing aids have some incredible technology that will help you bask in those summer sounds. For instance, most contemporary hearing aids provide:
- Smartphone compatibility: You can start to appreciate all types of features by syncing your hearing aid to your smartphone. 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 cell phones.
- Rechargeability: Your battery will stay charged all day after charging while you sleep at night. It’s a lot like charging your phone. And when you travel with your hearing aids, it becomes especially stress free.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Perhaps you want some music playing while you’re out boating. Well, your hearing aids can be synced to the boat’s stereo using Bluetooth.
- Noise reduction: If you want to hear the crashing of the waves, but not the thunder of traffic behind you, you’ll want hearing aids that can help you sort out these sounds (in the same way 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: 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 function makes them more effective and easier to use.
- Machine learning: Fancy algorithms (called machine learning) can help your hearing aids adjust to what you need, even before you know you need it. This is especially handy when filtering sounds or in a loud setting.
We can help you learn how your particular hearing needs can be met by your hearing aids (for example, you can ask whether you can use them while you’re going for a swim or hiking up a mountain, that kind of thing). Hearing aids usually don’t get along with water. But as a whole, your hearing aids will make your summer an all around richer experience.
Also, asking us basic questions about your hearing aid model will be a practical plan. 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 protect it? Depending on the model of hearing aid, the answer to these questions will differ.
Perhaps stay away from these sounds
Some summer sounds, unlike the dawn chorus, will be harmful to your hearing and you should make sure to steer clear of them. These are sounds that are, well, loud! And everyone’s ears are vulnerable even if they don’t have pre-existing hearing loss. Here are a few of those sounds:
- Live music: It’s great fun to go and see a live music concert but the loud volume can be damaging to your ears. So you may want to exercise some caution and be selective about which concerts you attend and wear earplugs.
- Fireworks: Dogs have the right idea. Your hearing can most certainly be harmed by fireworks. Likewise, being close to home-launched fireworks can also be harmful to your hearing (and limbs). Best to simply 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 really loud. When you’re fishing, turn the engine off. Or, an even better idea would be to use some earplugs.
This is only a partial list. Summer activities for people with hearing loss may not include quite as many of those fireworks and loud noise conditions.
That said, you might not be able to, or even want to, avoid all loud noises during the summer. So what’s the strategy? Wearing ear protection is the best strategy. Putting in a set of earplugs before you see any live music show can mitigate a lot of the damage, for instance. But it’s essential that the hearing protection you chooses is effective.
Have fun this summer and enjoy the sounds
If you have hearing loss, the sounds of summer could feel like they’re growing further and further away (even as the heat of summer becomes more and more oppressive). And that means you might miss a lot of the season’s joy.
So you might need to pay us a visit if you want to be certain that you get the most out of your summer. We can help determine the state of your hearing and, if needed, help decide what kind of hearing loss will best suit your needs.
So if you want to enjoy the dawn chorus, that’s where you need to begin. Because birdsongs are only the beginning of those incredible summer sounds.
Get a hearing tune-up this summer. Call us for a hearing assessment and find out if hearing aids are the right option for you.
