Have you ever awoke after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a delightful song through your open window? So happens, there’s a name for all those birdsongs: the dawn chorus. Birds see the sunrise and, for some reason, decide it’s time to sing out their best melody. Each type of bird has its own kind of song, and together, they sound like a symphony of nature.
Of course, if you have neglected hearing loss, you might not notice the dawn chorus at all. Which is a shame.
There are a lot of amazing sounds during the summer besides birdsongs that you could be missing. And if you find yourself oblivious to the sounds of summer, it may be due to some undiagnosed (or diagnosed and neglected) hearing loss. The good news in these cases is that a device like a hearing aid could help you appreciate and more fully enjoy your summer.
The sounds of summer
When you think about summer, you most likely start off visualizing the sun in a blue sky. And, a very, very hot sun (whew). And then you begin to visualize the summer soundtrack that goes along with this vision. Some sounds you may think about:
- Something as simple as your grandchildren laughing, perhaps as they run around the yard or as you watch a baseball game with each other.
- The sound of birds chirping, particularly in the spring during, ahem, mating season. (Love songs aren’t just appreciated by humans.)
- The babbling of a creek or the crashing of waves.
- The symphony of frogs croaking at night, particularly in the early hours of the evening.
- The buzzing of bees as they fly around pollinating flowers and helping the landscape bloom.
These are only a few examples. There are lots of sounds happening. These are the sounds that fill in your summer, give it texture, and help deliver that overall vibe. And these sounds in and of themselves bring great happiness.
If these summer sounds (or any summer sounds) seem foreign to you these days, it’s likely because a noticeable level of hearing loss has effectively snuck up on you. Once you’ve detected that problem, the next step is to take action.
Your summer can be more enjoyable with hearing aids
Building relationships is what hearing aids are really all 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 appreciate the sounds in your life. And that’s particularly important at those summer barbecues, for instance.
The latest models of hearing aids can help you savor the sounds of summer, and they are equipped with some pretty great built in tech, as well. For instance, most modern hearing aids offer:
- Smartphone compatibility: You can connect your hearing aids to your smartphone and begin making the most of all sorts of features. Depending on the specific hearing situation, you will be able to manage the settings on your hearing aids by utilizing an app you can download on most cell phones.
- 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 (just like your ears once did). Modern hearing aids have substantial noise reduction features, so you can hear what you really want to hear.
- Machine learning: Your hearing aid can use “machine learning”, which are sophisticated intelligent algorithms, to adjust to your audio landscape before you even recognized it needed to. In noisy settings or when eliminating specific sounds, this can be especially handy.
- Rechargeability: You can recharge your hearing aid while sleeping and get full batteries all through the day. Basically, you can charge your hearing aids in the same way you charge your cellphone. This also makes vacationing with hearing aids a lot easier.
- Automatic programming: You can program your modern hearing aids to automatically change settings depending on the time of day or setting you find yourself in. This function makes them more reliable and easier to use.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Out on the boat and want to enjoy some tracks? Just connect the boat’s radio to your hearing aids via Bluetooth.
You can ask us about how your set of hearing aids are suitable for your favorite adventures (you can ask us whether you can take your hearing aids into the water or on a mountain hike for instance). Hearing aids frequently don’t play well with water. But all in all, your hearing aids will make your summer an all around livelier experience.
You’ll also want to ask us some basic questions about your hearing aid models. For instance, you should ask, can hot weather impact my hearing aids? And you should also ask, how can I safeguard my hearing aids from humidity? Depending on the model of hearing aid, the answer to these questions will vary.
Some loud sounds you may want to steer clear of
Some summer sounds, unlike the dawn chorus, will be harmful to your ears and you should make sure to avoid them. These noisy sounds are a real hazard! And they’re harmful to everyone’s ears, not just individuals with pre-existing hearing loss. Here are a few of those sounds:
- Boat engines: These engines are loud, so exercise some caution about proximity and exposure time. Try not to keep the motor idling when you’re fishing. Or, an even better idea would be to put in some earplugs.
- Live music: Outdoor concerts are a fun part of summer, but they can be damaging to your ears. This means you might want to be particular about which shows you see (rather than attending a festival every weekend).
- Fireworks: Dogs have the right idea. Your hearing can most certainly be harmed by fireworks. Similarly, being near home-launched fireworks can also be damaging to your hearing (and limbs). Best to simply stay away from fireworks altogether.
This is only a partial list. For people who are coping with hearing loss, summer might have a few less of these noisy events.
But even with hearing loss you probably won’t want to avoid every noisy summer event. So what can you do? Well, you can use ear protection. For instance, before you go to a live show, put in a set of earplugs so you can reduce most of the damage. But it’s essential that the hearing protection you chooses is effective.
Have fun this summer and enjoy the sounds
As the heat of summer becomes more oppressive, if you have 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.
So you might need to pay us a visit if you want to be certain that you get the most from your summer. We can help figure out the state of your hearing and, if needed, help determine what type of hearing aids will be the best choice for you.
So start here if you’re ready to enjoy the dawn chorus. Because birdsongs are just the beginning of those incredible summer sounds.
Get a hearing tune-up this summer. Call us for a hearing assessment and find out if hearing aids are the right choice for you.