Have you ever slept with the window in your bedroom open and woken up to the beautiful sound of birds singing just as the sun comes up? So happens, there’s a term for all those birdsongs: the dawn chorus. For whatever reason, birds see the sun rising and decide to start belting out their favorite songs. Each species 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. And that’s unfortunate.
That’s especially true because it’s not just birdsong you may be missing out on. Summer is full of incredible sounds. And if you find yourself missing out on the sounds of summer, it could be due to some undiagnosed (or diagnosed and dismissed) hearing loss. The good news in these instances is that a device like a hearing aid could help you appreciate and enjoy your summer days more fully.
Summer sounds
When you think about summer, you probably begin by visualizing the sun in a blue sky. And, a very, very hot sun (whew). But if you stick with your imagination a little longer, you’ll begin adding highlights that make this blue sky seem more like summer, the sounds that fill in the day. You may be thinking about:
- The buzzing of bees as they fly around pollinating flowers and helping the landscape bloom.
- The babbling of a brook or the crashing of waves.
- The sound of your grandchildren playing and laughing.
- The symphony of frogs croaking at night, particularly in the early hours of the night.
- The sound of birds singing, especially in the spring during, ahem, mating season. (Humans aren’t the only species to use love songs.)
These are only a few examples. There are a bunch of sounds going on. These are the sounds that fill in your summer, give it quality, and help create that overall vibe. And these sounds in and of themselves bring great joy.
It’s feasible that hearing loss may have crept up on you, especially if these or any other summer sounds sound to be different to you these days. If you have noticed your hearing loss then you should get some help with it.
Hearing aids can help you enjoy summer
Building relationships is what hearing aids are really about for most. Communication is key. They make it easier to converse with others, to hear what’s going on around you, and to appreciate the sounds that you hear. And at those summer barbecues, for instance, that’s even more important.
Contemporary hearing aids have some amazing technology that will help you bask in those summer sounds. For example, most contemporary hearing aids offer:
- Smartphone compatibility: You can sync your hearing aids to your cellphone and start making the most of all sorts of features. Many phones will now permit you to download apps that help you control the settings on your hearing aids, so you can adjust for birdsong or grandkid’s laughter depending on what you want to hear at that time.
- Machine learning: Your hearing aid can use “machine learning”, which are advanced intelligent algorithms, to adjust to your audio landscape before you even knew it needed to. In loud environments or when eliminating particular sounds, this can be especially convenient.
- Automatic programming: You can program your modern hearing aids to automatically adjust settings depending on the time of day or setting you find yourself in. This makes them simpler to use and more reliable.
- Rechargeability: You can recharge your hearing aid while sleeping and get full batteries throughout the day. Essentially, you can charge your hearing aids in the same way you charge your cellphone. This also makes vacationing with hearing aids a lot easier.
- Noise reduction: If you want to hear the crashing of the waves, but not the thunder of traffic behind you, you’ll want hearing aids that can help you sort out these sounds (in the same way your ears used to do). Noise reduction features are normal in modern hearing aids so you will be able to dial in the sounds you want to hear.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Maybe you want some music playing while you’re out on the boat. Well, your hearing aids can be connected to the boat’s stereo using Bluetooth.
We can help you learn how your particular hearing needs can be met by your hearing aids (for instance, you can ask whether you can wear them while you’re going for a swim or hiking in the country, that sort of thing). Hearing aids usually don’t play well with water. But in general, 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 instance, you should ask, can hot weather affect my hearing aids? And you should also ask, how can I safeguard my hearing aids from moisture in the air? Depending on the model of hearing aid, the answer to these questions will differ.
Perhaps stay away from these sounds
As much as you enjoy the sound of the dawn chorus, there are a few 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, loud! And they’re harmful to everyone’s ears, not just those who have pre-existing hearing loss. Some of those sounds include:
- Fireworks: The dogs are on to something. Your hearing can most certainly be damaged by fireworks. Similarly, being near home-launched fireworks can also be damaging to your hearing (and limbs). It’s best for your hearing to keep away from fireworks completely.
- Live music: Outdoor concerts are a great part of summer, but they can be harmful to your hearing. So you might want to exercise some caution and be picky about which shows you attend and use earplugs.
- Boat engines: These engines are loud, so exercise some caution about distance and duration. When you’re fishing, turn the engine off. Or, an even better plan would be to use some earplugs.
This is only a partial list. Summer activities for individuals with hearing loss may not include quite as many of those fireworks and loud noise situations.
But even with hearing loss you probably won’t want to stay away from every noisy summer event. So what’s the strategy? Well, you can wear 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 essential that the hearing protection you chooses is reliable.
Have fun this summer and enjoy the sounds
If you have hearing loss, the sounds of summer could feel like they’re getting further and further away (even as the heat of summer becomes more and more oppressive). And that means you could miss a lot of the season’s joy.
Getting the most out of your summer then, may require coming to see us. We can help figure out 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 enjoy the dawn chorus, that’s where you should start. And you’ll also be able to enjoy all of the other awesome summer sounds.
Get a hearing tune-up this summer. Make an appointment today to find out which hearing aids are right for you!
