Have you ever woken up after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a delightful song through your open window? Most people probably don’t even know that the name for those bird-songs is the “dawn chorus”. For whatever reason, birds see the sun coming up and decide to start belting out their favorite songs. The songs of these birds, when they’re all sounding together, are a lovely symphony.
But you may not notice the “dawn chorus” at all if you have untreated hearing loss. And that’s sad.
There are a lot of incredible sounds during the summer besides birdsongs that you might be missing. And if you find yourself missing out on the sounds of summer, it could be because of some undiagnosed (or diagnosed and neglected) hearing loss. The good news in these situations is that a device like a hearing aid could help you appreciate and more fully enjoy your summer.
Summer sounds
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. Some sounds you might think about:
- Peepers and crickets chirping a symphony as the sun sets.
- The sound of birds singing out mating songs. (Humans aren’t the only species to utilize love songs.)
- Something as simple as your grandchildren laughing, possibly as they run about the yard or as you catch a baseball game together.
- Bees buzzing about helping nature bloom by pollinating flowers.
- The crashing of waves on the beach (or a babbling creek if you’re in a more inland area).
These are just a few examples. There are a bunch of sounds going on. The experience and vibe of summer are considerably enhanced by these sounds. And these sounds in and of themselves bring great happiness.
It’s possible that hearing loss may have snuck up on you, particularly if these or any other summer sounds seem to be foreign to you these days. Once you’ve detected that issue, the next step is to take action.
Your summer can be more enjoyable with hearing aids
Building connections is what hearing aids are really about for most. Communication is key. They make it easier to converse with others, to hear what’s happening around you, and to enjoy the sounds that you hear. And at those summer cook-outs, for instance, that’s even more relevant.
Contemporary hearing aids have some fantastic technology that will help you savor those summer sounds. Here are some illustrations of some of that potent technology:
- 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. This also makes traveling with hearing aids much easier.
- Automatic programming: You can dial in your modern hearing aids to automatically adjust settings depending on the time of day or environment you find yourself in. This makes them simpler to use and more reliable.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can begin to appreciate all types of features by connecting your hearing aid to your smartphone. Depending on the specific hearing situation, you will be able to manage the settings on your hearing aids using an app you can download on most cell phones.
- Noise reduction: You’ll want to have hearing aids that can differentiate particular sounds (your ears used to do this) so you can appreciate those crashing waves without having the traffic behind you amplified as well. Modern hearing aids have considerable noise reduction capabilities, so you can hear what you actually want to hear.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Boating on the lake and want to enjoy some tunes? Just connect the boat’s radio to your hearing aids using Bluetooth.
- Machine learning: Your hearing aid can utilize “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.
You can ask us about how your pair of hearing aids are suited to your favorite activities (for example, you can ask whether you can use them while you’re swimming or hiking in the country, that kind of thing). 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 practical idea. Will your hearing aids have an issue with hot weather, for instance? Also, does humidity have any impact on my hearing aid and how can I protect it? The answer to both will depend on the model of hearing aid you use.
Perhaps avoid these sounds
As much as you enjoy the sound of the dawn chorus, there are a few other summer sounds that could actually be damaging to your hearing, so you’ll probably want to avoid them. These loud sounds are a real hazard! And everybody’s ears are at risk even if they don’t have pre-existing hearing loss. Some of those sounds include:
- Live music: It’s great fun to attend a live music concert but the loud volume can be harmful to your hearing. So you may want to use some caution and be selective about which shows you attend and wear earplugs.
- Fireworks: The dogs are on to something. Your hearing can definitely be damaged by fireworks. This includes both commercial and home launched fireworks. It’s best for your hearing to stay away from fireworks completely.
- Boat engines: Be cautious of how close you get and how long you spend near these engines because they are really loud. Try not to keep the motor running when you’re fishing. Or, an even better plan would be to put in some earplugs.
This list is not exhaustive. Summer fun for individuals who have hearing loss might not include quite as many of those fireworks and loud noise conditions.
But even with hearing loss you most likely won’t want to avoid every loud summer activity. So what can you do? Wearing ear protection is the best option. 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 important 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 gets more and more oppressive). Which means, much of the joy of the season could get lost.
Getting the most out of your summer then, may mean making a pit stop with us. We can help identify the state of your hearing and, if necessary, help decide what kind of hearing loss will best suit your needs.
So if you want to appreciate the dawn chorus, that’s where you need to start. Because birdsongs are just the beginning of those awesome summer sounds.
Get a hearing tune-up this summer. Call us for a hearing assessment and discover if hearing aids are the right choice for you.