Have you ever awoke after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a pleasant 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 coming up and decide to start singing their favorite songs. Each type of bird has its own kind of song, 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. Which is a pity.
That’s particularly true because it’s not just birdsong you might be missing out on. Summer is full of amazing sounds. And you may be missing those summer sounds because you have hearing loss that’s gone undiagnosed or simply neglected. But you can begin to enjoy all of those wonderful summer sounds again with the help of a device like a hearing aid.
The sounds of summer
When you think about summer, you likely begin by visualizing the sun in a blue sky. And, a really, really hot sun (whew). But if you stay in your imagination a bit longer, you’ll begin incorporating details that make this blue sky feel more like summer, the sounds that fill out the day. You may be thinking about:
- Something as basic as your grandchildren laughing, possibly as they run around the yard or as you catch a baseball game with each other.
- Peepers and crickets chirping a symphony as the sun sets.
- The buzzing of bees as they fly around pollinating flowers and helping the landscape bloom.
- The sound of birds singing out mating songs. (Love songs aren’t just appreciated by humans.)
- The babbling of a stream or the crashing of waves.
These are only a few examples. There are a bunch of sounds happening. These are the sounds that complete your summer, give it quality, and help deliver that overall vibe. Plus, there is so much pleasure in these everyday summertime sounds themselves.
If these summer sounds (or any sounds of summer) seem foreign to you these days, it’s most likely because an apparent level of hearing loss has successfully crept up on you. If you have noticed your hearing loss then you need to get some help with it.
Hearing aids can help you enjoy summer
For most, hearing aids are really about strengthening relationships. They’re about communication. They make it easier to talk to others, to hear what’s going on around you, and to appreciate the sounds that you hear. And at those summer barbecues, for example, that’s even more relevant.
The newest models of hearing aids can help you savor the sounds of summer, and they are equipped with some rather amazing built in tech, as well. Here are some examples of some of that potent technology:
- 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 especially handy when filtering sounds or in a noisy environment.
- Noise reduction: You’ll want to have hearing aids that can sort through 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 features, so you can hear what you really want to hear.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Boating on the lake and want to listen to some music? Just sync the boat’s radio to your hearing aids via Bluetooth.
- Rechargeability: Your battery will remain charged all day after charging when you are sleeping at night. Essentially, you can charge your hearing aids the same way you charge your cellphone. And when you travel with your hearing aids, it becomes especially hassle free.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can connect your hearing aids to your cellphone and start enjoying all sorts of features. Many phones will now enable you to download apps that help you control the settings on your hearing aids, so you can adjust for birdsong or grandchildren’s laughter depending on what you want to hear at that moment.
- Automatic programming: Modern hearing aids can automatically adapt to new surroundings or times of day, depending on how you program them. This makes them easier to use and more effective.
You can ask us about how your pair of hearing aids are suitable for 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 and water-sports don’t always get along. But all in all, your hearing aids will make your summer an all around richer experience.
You’ll also want to ask us some standard questions about your hearing aid models. For example, you should ask, can hot weather impact my hearing aids? And you should also ask, how do I protect my hearing aids from moisture in the air? The answer to both questions will depend on the model of hearing aid you have.
Some loud sounds you may want to avoid
As much as you enjoy 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 avoid 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 a few of those sounds:
- Boat engines: Be careful of how close you get and how long you spend around these engines because they’re very loud. Try not to leave the motor idling when you’re fishing. Or, better yet, put in some earplugs for the entirety of your boat trip.
- Fireworks: The dogs are on to something. Attending fireworks shows can certainly damage your hearing. This goes for both commercial and home launched fireworks. Best to simply avoid fireworks completely.
- Live music: It’s great fun to attend a live music concert but the loud volume can be damaging to your ears. This means you may want to be selective about which shows you see (rather than attending a festival every weekend).
This is only a partial list. For individuals who are dealing with hearing loss, summer might have a few less of these loud activities.
But even with hearing loss you probably won’t want to stay away from every loud summer activity. So what’s the solution? Well, you can use ear protection. For example, before you go to a live show, put in a pair of earplugs so you can minimize most of the damage. You just need to make sure you’re using effective ear protection.
Have fun this summer and enjoy the sounds
If you are dealing with hearing loss, the sounds of summer might 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 from your summer then, may mean making a pit stop with us. We will be able to figure out whether your hearing is failing or not, and what kind of hearing aid will be best for your situation.
So if you want to appreciate the dawn chorus, that’s where you need to begin. And you’ll also be able to enjoy all of the other wonderful summer sounds.
Get a hearing tune-up this summer. Make an appointment today to find out which hearing aids are right for you!