Have you ever woken up after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a wonderful song through your open window? Turns out, there’s a term for all those birdsongs: the dawn chorus. For whatever reason, birds see the sun coming up and decide 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.
But you may not notice the “dawn chorus” at all if you have neglected hearing loss. Which is a shame.
There are lots of amazing sounds during the summer besides birdsongs that you might be missing. And you may be missing those summer sounds because you have hearing loss that’s gone undiagnosed or simply dismissed. 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
You likely think of a really hot sun in a clear blue sky when you think about summer. And then you start to imagine the summer soundtrack that goes along with this vision. You may be thinking about:
- Something as basic as your grandkids laughing, perhaps as they run about the yard or as you catch a baseball game with each other.
- Peepers and crickets chirping a symphony as the sun sets.
- Bees buzzing around helping nature bloom by pollinating flowers.
- The sound of birds performing mating songs. (Humans aren’t the only species to utilize love songs.)
- The crashing of waves on the beach (or a babbling brook if you’re in a more inland area).
You get the point. Summer is alive with wonderful sounds. The feeling and vibe of summer are considerably enhanced by these sounds. Plus, there is so much happiness in these simple sounds themselves.
It’s feasible that hearing loss may have crept up on you, especially if these or any other summer sounds seem to be different to you these days. If you have detected your hearing loss then you should get something done about it.
Your summer can be more enjoyable with hearing aids
For most people, hearing aids are really about building relationships. They’re about communication. You’ll be more mindful of what’s happening around you, better able to communicate with those around you, and appreciate the sounds in your life. And at those summer cook-outs, for example, that’s even more important.
The newest models of hearing aids can help you bask in the sounds of summer, and they are equipped with some rather great built in tech, too. For instance, most contemporary hearing aids provide:
- Smartphone compatibility: You can begin to appreciate all types of features by syncing your hearing aid to your smartphone. Many cell phones will now allow you to download apps that help you manage the settings on your hearing aids, so you can fine-tune for birdsong or grandchildren’s laughter depending on what you want to hear at that time.
- Rechargeability: You can recharge your hearing aid while sleeping and get full batteries throughout the day. It’s much like charging your phone. And when you travel with your hearing aids, it becomes really hassle free.
- Noise reduction: You’ll want to get hearing aids that can differentiate specific sounds (your ears once did this) so you can enjoy those crashing waves without having the traffic behind you amplified too. Noise reduction features are common in modern hearing aids so you will be able to dial in the sounds you want to hear.
- Automatic programming: Contemporary hearing aids can automatically adapt to new environments or times of day, depending on how you program them. This makes them simpler to use and more effective.
- 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. In loud environments or when eliminating particular sounds, this can be especially convenient.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Perhaps you want some music playing while you’re out on the boat. Just sync the boat’s radio to your hearing aids via Bluetooth.
You can ask us about how your set of hearing aids are appropriate for your favorite activities (you can ask us if you can take your hearing aids into the water or on a mountain hike for instance). Hearing aids usually 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 effect on my hearing aid and how can I safeguard it? Depending on the model of hearing aid, the answer to these questions will vary.
Some loud sounds you may want to steer clear of
As much as you love 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 are sounds that are, well, noisy! And they’re harmful to everyone’s ears, not just individuals who have pre-existing hearing loss. Some of those sounds include:
- Boat engines: These engines are loud, so exercise some caution about proximity and exposure time. Try not to leave the motor idling when you’re fishing. Or, an even better idea would be to use some earplugs.
- Fireworks: The dogs are on to something. Your hearing can definitely be harmed by fireworks. Likewise, being near home-launched fireworks can also be harmful to your hearing (and limbs). It’s best for your hearing to stay away from fireworks entirely.
- Live music: Outdoor concerts are a fun part of summer, but they can be harmful to your hearing. So you may want to use some caution and be selective about which concerts you attend and use earplugs.
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 situations.
That said, you may not be able to, or even want to, stay away from all loud noises over the summer. So what can you do? Wearing ear protection is the best solution. Popping in a pair of earplugs before you go to any live music show can minimize a lot of the damage, for instance. 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 may seem like they’re getting further away. Which means, a lot of the joy of the season could get lost.
So you may need to pay us a visit if you want to make sure you get the most from your summer. We will be able to determine whether your hearing is failing or not, and what kind of hearing aid will best suit your needs.
So begin here if you’re ready to appreciate 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 test and find out if hearing aids are the right option for you.