Have you ever woken up after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a delightful song through your open window? Most individuals probably aren’t even aware that the name for those bird-songs is the “dawn chorus”. Birds see the sunrise and, for some reason, decide it’s time to sing out their best melody. Each species 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 shame.
That’s particularly true because it isn’t just birdsong you may be missing out on. Summer is full of incredible sounds. And if you find yourself missing out on the sounds of summer, it might be because of some undiagnosed (or diagnosed and ignored) hearing loss. But you can start 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 visualizing the sun in a blue sky. And, a really, really hot sun (whew). And then you begin to visualize the summer soundtrack that comes with this vision. Some sounds you may think about:
- The sound of birds singing, especially in the spring during, ahem, mating season. (Humans aren’t the only species to utilize love songs.)
- Bees buzzing around helping nature bloom by pollinating flowers.
- The sound of frogs croaking at night, particularly in the early hours of the night.
- The sound of your grandchildren playing and laughing.
- The crashing of waves on the beach (or a babbling brook if you’re in a more landlocked area).
These are just a few examples. Summer is lively with amazing sounds. The experience and vibe of summer are significantly enhanced by these sounds. And these sounds by themselves bring great joy.
It’s possible that hearing loss might have crept up on you, particularly if these or any other summer sounds seem to be foreign to you these days. Once you’ve noticed that problem, the next step is to take action.
Hearing aids can help you enjoy summer
For most, hearing aids are really about building relationships. Communication is key. You’ll be more mindful of what’s taking place around you, better able to communicate with people around you, and enjoy the sounds in your world. And that’s particularly significant 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 great built in tech, as well. Here are some illustrations of some of that potent technology:
- Automatic programming: Modern hearing aids can automatically adapt to new surroundings or times of day, depending on how you program them. This function makes them more effective and simpler to use.
- Rechargeability: You can recharge your hearing aid while sleeping and get full batteries all through the day. It’s a lot like charging your cellphone. And when you vacation with your hearing aids, it becomes very stress free.
- Noise reduction: If you want to hear the sound of crashing 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 normal in modern hearing aids so you will be able to dial in the sounds you want to hear.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Maybe you want some music playing while you’re out on the boat. Well, your hearing aids can be connected to the boat’s stereo via Bluetooth.
- Machine learning: Your hearing aid can use “machine learning”, which are sophisticated intelligent algorithms, to adjust to your audio landscape before you even knew it needed to. In noisy settings or when eliminating particular sounds, this can be especially handy.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can start to enjoy all types of features by syncing your hearing aid to your cellphone. Many phones will now enable you to download apps that help you manage the settings on your hearing aids, so you can adjust for birdsong or grandkid’s laughter depending on what you want to hear at that moment.
You can ask us about how your set of hearing aids are suitable for your favorite adventures (for instance, you can ask whether you can use them while you’re swimming or hiking up a mountain, that kind of thing). Hearing aids and water-sports don’t always play nice together. 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. Will your hearing aids have an issue with hot weather, for example? Also, does humidity have any effect on my hearing aid and how can I safeguard it? The answer to both questions will depend on the model of hearing aid you use.
Perhaps stay away from these sounds
As much as you enjoy the sound of the dawn chorus, there are some other summer sounds that could actually be damaging to your hearing, so you’ll probably want to steer clear of them. These noisy sounds are a real hazard! And everyone’s ears are at risk even if they don’t have pre-existing hearing loss. Here are some of those sounds:
- Live music: It’s great fun to attend a live music concert but the loud volume can be harmful to your ears. So you might want to use some caution and be picky about which concerts you attend and use earplugs.
- Fireworks: Dogs have the right idea. Attending fireworks shows can undoubtedly harm your ears. Likewise, being close to home-launched fireworks can also be damaging to your ears (and limbs). Best to just avoid 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, shut the engine off. Or, an even better idea would be to use some earplugs.
This is only a partial list. For individuals who are coping with hearing loss, summer may have a few less of these loud activities.
But even with hearing loss you most likely won’t want to stay away from every loud summer event. So what’s the solution? Well, you can wear ear protection. For instance, before you go to a live show, put in a pair of earplugs so you can minimize a lot of the damage. But it’s essential that the hearing protection you chooses is effective.
Appreciate the sounds of summer
As the heat of summer becomes more oppressive, if you are dealing with hearing loss, the summer sounds may feel like they’re getting further away. Which means, much of the joy of the season could pass you by.
So you might need to come in and see us if you want to make sure you get the most out of your summer. We can help identify the state of your hearing and, if needed, help decide what kind of hearing aid will be the best choice for you.
So if you want to appreciate the dawn chorus, that’s where you need to begin. 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.