Have you ever awoke after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a pleasant song through your open window? So happens, 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 favorite melody. Each species has its own set of chirps and notes, and together, they sound like a symphony of nature.
But you may not hear the “dawn chorus” at all if you have neglected hearing loss. And that’s unfortunate.
That’s particularly true because it’s not just birdsong you might be missing out on. Summer is full of awesome sounds. And if you find yourself oblivious to the sounds of summer, it may be the result of some undiagnosed (or diagnosed and neglected) 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 most likely 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 begin incorporating details that make this blue sky seem more like summer, the sounds that fill out the day. Some sounds you may think about:
- Bees buzzing around helping nature bloom by pollinating flowers.
- The crashing of waves on the beach (or a babbling creek if you’re in a more landlocked area).
- Something as simple as your grandchildren laughing, perhaps as they run around the yard or as you catch a baseball game with each other.
- The symphony of frogs croaking at night, especially in the early hours of the evening.
- The sound of birds singing out mating songs. (Love songs are not just appreciated by humans.)
You get the idea. There are a bunch of sounds going on. The feeling and vibe of summer are considerably enhanced by these sounds. And these sounds in and of themselves bring great happiness.
If these sounds of summer (or any summer sounds) seem foreign to you these days, it’s likely because an apparent amount of hearing loss has effectively snuck up on you. Once you’ve noticed that problem, the next step is to do something about it.
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. You’ll be more mindful of what’s taking place around you, better able to communicate with people around you, and appreciate the sounds in your world. And that’s especially significant at those summer barbecues, for example.
The newest models of hearing aids can help you savor the sounds of summer, and they come with some pretty amazing built in tech, as well. For example, most contemporary hearing aids offer:
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Perhaps you want some music playing while you’re out boating. Just connect the boat’s radio to your hearing aids via Bluetooth.
- Machine learning: Your hearing aid can use “machine learning”, which are advanced intelligent algorithms, to adapt to your audio landscape before you even knew it needed to. In noisy settings or when filtering out specific sounds, this can be especially handy.
- 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 out these sounds (just like your ears used to do). Modern hearing aids have significant noise reduction capabilities, so you can hear what you actually want to hear.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can begin to enjoy all kinds of features by syncing your hearing aid to your cellphone. Many phones will now allow you to download apps that help you control the settings on your hearing aids, so you can fine-tune for birdsong or grandkid’s laughter depending on what you want to hear at that time.
- Automatic programming: Modern hearing aids can automatically adapt to new environments or times of day, depending on how you program them. This function makes them more effective and easier to use.
- Rechargeability: You can recharge your hearing aid while sleeping and enjoy 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 really stress free.
You can ask us about how your pair of hearing aids are suited to your favorite activities (for instance, you can ask whether you can wear them while you’re swimming or hiking in the country, that sort of thing). Hearing aids often don’t play well with water. 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. For instance, 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.
Some loud sounds you may want to steer clear of
Some summer sounds, unlike the dawn chorus, will be harmful to your ears and you should make sure to steer clear of them. These are sounds that are, well, noisy! And everybody’s ears are vulnerable even if they don’t have pre-existing hearing loss. Some of those sounds include:
- Boat engines: These engines are loud, so exercise some caution about proximity and duration. Try not to keep the motor idling when you’re fishing. Or, an even better idea would be to put in some earplugs.
- Fireworks: The dogs are on to something. Your hearing can most certainly be damaged by fireworks. Furthermore, being close to home-launched fireworks can also be harmful to your hearing (and limbs). Best to simply stay away from fireworks altogether.
- 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 might want to be selective about which shows you see (rather than attending a festival every weekend).
This is only a partial list. Summer fun for people who have hearing loss may not include quite as many of those fireworks and loud noise conditions.
That said, you might not be capable of, or even want to, stay away from all loud noises during the summer. So what can you do? Well, you can wear ear protection. For example, before you go to a concert, put in a set of earplugs so you can reduce a lot of the damage. You just need to make sure 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 out of your summer then, may require making a pit stop with us. We will be able to determine whether your hearing is failing or not, and what type of hearing aid will best suit your needs.
So if you want to appreciate the dawn chorus, that’s where you need to start. 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 test and discover if hearing aids are the right option for you.