Have you ever awoke after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a wonderful song through your open window? Turns out, there’s a name for all those birdsongs: the dawn chorus. Birds see the sunrise and, for some reason, decide it’s time to sing out their best melody. Each type of bird has its own set of chirps and notes, and together, they sound like a symphony of nature.
Of course, if you have neglected hearing loss, you might not hear the dawn chorus at all. Which is a pity.
That’s especially true because it isn’t just birdsong you might be missing out on. Summer is full of incredible 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. The good news in these cases is that a device like a hearing aid may help you appreciate and more fully enjoy your summer.
Summer sounds
When you think about summer, you most likely start off 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. You may be thinking about:
- The buzzing of bees as they fly around pollinating flowers and helping the landscape bloom.
- The sound of frogs croaking at night, particularly in the early hours of the night.
- The sound of your grandkids laughing and playing.
- The crashing of waves on the beach (or a babbling creek if you’re in a more landlocked area).
- The sound of birds chirping, especially in the spring during, ahem, mating season. (Humans aren’t the only species to use love songs.)
These are only a few examples. Summer is alive with amazing sounds. The experience and vibe of summer are significantly enhanced by these sounds. Plus, there is so much pleasure in these simple sounds themselves.
If these sounds of summer (or any sounds of summer) seem foreign to you these days, it’s probably because a noticeable level of hearing loss has successfully snuck up on you. If you have detected your hearing loss then you need to get some help with it.
Hearing aids can help you enjoy summer
For most people, hearing aids are really about creating connections. Communication is key. 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 barbecues, for example, that’s even more important.
Modern hearing aids have some amazing technology that will help you savor those summer sounds. For instance, most modern hearing aids provide:
- Smartphone compatibility: You can begin to enjoy all kinds of features by syncing your hearing aid to your cellphone. Many cell phones will now permit 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.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Out on the boat and want to listen to some tunes? 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 adapt to your audio landscape before you even recognized it needed to. This is particularly convenient when filtering sounds or in a loud setting.
- Rechargeability: You can recharge your hearing aid while you sleep and get full batteries all through the day. Basically, you can charge your hearing aids in the same way you charge your cellphone. And when you vacation with your hearing aids, it becomes very stress free.
- 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 through these sounds (in the same way your ears used to do). Modern hearing aids have significant noise reduction features, so you can hear what you really want to hear.
- Automatic programming: You can dial in your modern hearing aids to automatically adjust settings depending on the time of day or setting you find yourself in. This function makes them more reliable and simpler to use.
You can ask us about how your set of hearing aids are suited to your favorite activities (you can ask us whether 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 in general, your hearing aids will make your summer an all around livelier experience.
Also, asking us basic questions about your hearing aid model will be a good idea. For example, you should ask, can hot weather affect 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
As much as you love 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 are sounds that are, well, loud! And they’re harmful to everyone’s ears, not just individuals who 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 hearing. This means you may want to be selective about which shows you see (rather than going to a festival every weekend).
- Boat engines: These engines are loud, so use some caution about proximity and exposure time. Try not to leave the motor idling when you’re fishing. Or, an even better plan would be to put in some earplugs.
- Fireworks: Dogs have the right idea. Attending fireworks shows can definitely harm your ears. This includes both commercial and home launched fireworks. It’s best for your hearing to stay away from fireworks completely.
This list is not exhaustive. For individuals who are dealing with hearing loss, summer may have a few less of these loud activities.
But even with hearing loss you probably won’t want to avoid every noisy summer event. So what can you do? Well, you can use ear protection. Putting in a pair of earplugs before you see any live music show can minimize a lot of the damage, for example. You just need to make sure you’re using effective ear protection.
Have fun this summer and enjoy the sounds
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 get lost.
So you may need to pay us a visit if you want to be certain that you get the most out of your summer. We can help identify the state of your hearing and, if needed, help decide what type of hearing aids 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. Call us for a hearing exam and find out if hearing aids are the right option for you.
