Have you ever woken up after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a beautiful song through your open window? Turns out, there’s a name for all those birdsongs: the dawn chorus. For whatever reason, birds see the sun rising and choose to start singing their favorite songs. 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 untreated hearing loss, you may not hear the dawn chorus at all. And that’s sad.
That’s particularly true because it isn’t just birdsong you might be missing out on. Summer is full of amazing sounds. And you might be missing those summer sounds because you have hearing loss that’s gone undiagnosed or simply neglected. The good news in these situations is that a device like a hearing aid may help you appreciate and enjoy your summer days more fully.
The sounds of summer
You probably think of a very hot sun in a clear blue sky when you think about summer. But if you stay in your imagination a bit longer, you’ll start incorporating highlights that make this blue sky seem more like summer, the sounds that fill in the day. You might be thinking about:
- The sound of birds performing mating songs. (Humans aren’t the only species to utilize love songs.)
- The buzzing of bees as they fly around pollinating flowers and helping the landscape bloom.
- Peepers and crickets chirping a symphony as the sun goes down.
- 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).
You get the point. There are lots of sounds happening. The experience and vibe of summer are significantly enhanced by these sounds. And these sounds by themselves bring great happiness.
If these sounds of summer (or any sounds of summer) seem different to you these days, it’s most likely because an apparent amount of hearing loss has successfully snuck 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
Building relationships is what hearing aids are really about for most. Communication is key. You’ll be more aware of what’s happening around you, better able to communicate with people around you, and enjoy the sounds in your world. And that’s especially significant at those summer barbecues, for instance.
Modern hearing aids have some incredible technology that will help you bask in those summer sounds. Here are some examples of some of that powerful technology:
- Rechargeability: You can recharge your hearing aid while you sleep and get full batteries throughout the day. Essentially, you can charge your hearing aids the same way you charge your cellphone. And when you travel with your hearing aids, it becomes very stress free.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Perhaps you want some music playing while you’re out boating. Well, your hearing aids can be connected to the boat’s stereo via Bluetooth.
- Noise reduction: You’ll want to have hearing aids that can sort through specific sounds (your ears once did this) so you can appreciate those crashing waves without having the traffic behind you amplified too. Noise reduction features are normal in modern hearing aids so you will be able to dial in the sounds you want to hear.
- 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. This is especially handy when filtering sounds or in a noisy setting.
- 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 simpler to use.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can connect your hearing aids to your cellphone and start making the most of all sorts of features. Depending on the particular hearing situation, you will be able to manage the settings on your hearing aids by utilizing an app you can download on most smartphones.
We can help you discover how your specific hearing needs can be met by your hearing aids (you can ask us if you can bring your hearing aids into the water or on a mountain hike for instance). Hearing aids and water-sports don’t always play nice together. But in general, your hearing aids will make your summer an all around livelier experience.
You’ll also want to ask us some standard questions about your hearing aid models. Will your hearing aids have an issue with hot weather, for example? And you should also ask, how do I protect my hearing aids from moisture in the air? Depending on the model of hearing aid, the answer to these questions will differ.
Some loud sounds you may want to steer clear of
As much as you love the sound of the dawn chorus, there are some other summer sounds that could actually be harmful to your hearing, so you’ll probably want to steer clear of them. These are sounds that are, well, noisy! And they’re harmful to everyone’s ears, not just people who have pre-existing hearing loss. Some of those sounds include:
- Boat engines: Be cautious of how close you get and how long you spend near these engines because they’re very loud. When you’re fishing, shut the engine off. Or, an even better idea would be to use some earplugs.
- Fireworks: The dogs are on to something. Attending fireworks shows can certainly damage your ears. This includes both commercial and home launched fireworks. Best to just stay away from fireworks altogether.
- Live music: It’s a lot of 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 attending a festival every weekend).
This list isn’t exhaustive. For people who are coping with hearing loss, summer may have a few less of these noisy events.
But even with hearing loss you probably won’t want to avoid every loud summer activity. So what can you do? Well, you can use ear protection. Popping in a set of earplugs before you go to any live music show can mitigate a lot of the damage, for example. But it’s important that the hearing protection you chooses is effective.
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 may feel like they’re getting further away. And that means you could miss a lot of the season’s joy.
Getting the most from your summer then, might mean coming to see us. We can help identify the state of your hearing and, if necessary, help decide what kind of hearing aid will best suit your needs.
So if you want to enjoy the dawn chorus, that’s where you need to begin. 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 assessment and find out if hearing aids are the right option for you.