Have you ever slept with your bedroom window open and awoke to the lovely sound of birds singing as the sun is coming up? So happens, there’s a term for all those birdsongs: the dawn chorus. Birds see the sunrise and, for some reason, decide it’s time to belt out their favorite melody. The songs of these birds, when they’re all sounding together, are a beautiful symphony.
Of course, if you have untreated hearing loss, you may not notice the dawn chorus at all. Which is a shame.
That’s particularly true because it’s not just birdsong you might be missing out on. Summer is full of incredible sounds. And if you find yourself oblivious to the sounds of summer, it may be because of some undiagnosed (or diagnosed and dismissed) hearing loss. But you can start to enjoy all of those wonderful summer sounds again with the help of a device like a hearing aid.
The sounds of summer
You most likely think of a really hot sun in a clear blue sky when you think of summer. And then you begin to visualize the summer soundtrack that comes with this vision. You might be thinking about:
- The sound of your grandkids laughing and playing.
- The sound 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. (Love songs aren’t just enjoyed by humans.)
- The crashing of waves on the beach (or a babbling creek if you’re in a more inland area).
- The buzzing of bees as they fly around pollinating flowers and helping the landscape bloom.
These are just a few examples. There are a bunch of sounds going on. These are the sounds that complete your summer, give it quality, and help create that overall vibe. Plus, there is so much joy in these everyday summertime sounds themselves.
It’s feasible that hearing loss may have snuck up on you, particularly if these or any other summer sounds seem to be different to you these days. Once you’ve detected that problem, the next step is to take action.
Hearing aids can help you enjoy summer
For most people, hearing aids are really about building relationships. They’re about communication. You’ll be more mindful of what’s taking place around you, better able to communicate with people around you, and enjoy the sounds in your world. And at those summer barbecues, for example, that’s even more important.
Contemporary hearing aids have some amazing technology that will help you bask in those summer sounds. For instance, most modern hearing aids provide:
- Rechargeability: Your battery will remain charged throughout the day after charging while you sleep at night. Essentially, you can charge your hearing aids the same way you charge your cellphone. This also makes traveling with hearing aids a lot easier.
- Machine learning: Fancy algorithms (called machine learning) can help your hearing aids adapt to what you need, even before you know you need it. This is particularly handy when filtering sounds or in a noisy environment.
- 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.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Perhaps you want some tunes while you’re out on the boat. Just connect the boat’s radio to your hearing aids using Bluetooth.
- Noise reduction: You’ll want to have hearing aids that can sort through particular sounds (your ears used to do this) so you can enjoy those crashing waves without having the traffic behind you amplified too. Modern hearing aids have considerable noise reduction capabilities, so you can hear what you actually want to hear.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can connect your hearing aids to your cellphone and start making the most of all kinds of features. Many cell phones will now permit you to download apps that help you control 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.
You can ask us about how your set of hearing aids are suitable for your favorite adventures (you can ask us if you can bring your hearing aids into the water or on a mountain hike for instance). Hearing aids usually don’t play well with water. But as a whole, your hearing aids will make your summer an all around livelier experience.
You’ll also want to ask us some standard questions about your hearing aid models. Will your hearing aids have a problem with hot weather, for example? Also, does humidity have any impact on my hearing aid and how can I safeguard it? Depending on the model of hearing aid, the answer to these questions will differ.
Some loud sounds you may want to avoid
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 stay away from them. These are sounds that are, well, noisy! And they’re damaging to everyone’s ears, not just individuals with pre-existing hearing loss. Some of those sounds include:
- Boat engines: Be careful of how close you get and how long you spend near these engines because they are very loud. Try not to keep the motor running when you’re fishing. Or, an even better idea would be to use some earplugs.
- Fireworks: The dogs are on to something. Attending fireworks shows can definitely damage your hearing. Furthermore, being near home-launched fireworks can also be damaging to your ears (and limbs). Best to just stay away from fireworks altogether.
- Live music: Outdoor concerts are a great part of summer, but they can be harmful to your hearing. So you might want to use some caution and be picky about which shows you attend and wear earplugs.
This is only a partial list. For individuals who are coping with hearing loss, summer may have a few less of these noisy events.
But even with hearing loss you probably won’t want to stay away from every loud summer activity. So what’s the solution? Wearing ear protection is the best strategy. For example, before you go to a concert, put in a pair of earplugs so you can minimize most of the damage. You just need to make sure you’re using reliable ear protection.
Have fun this summer and enjoy the sounds
If you have hearing loss, the sounds of summer may feel like they’re growing further and further away (even as the heat of summer becomes more and more oppressive). And that means you might miss a lot of the season’s joy.
Getting the most from your summer then, may mean making a pit stop with us. We can help determine the state of your hearing and, if needed, help decide what kind of hearing aid will be the best choice for you.
So begin here if you’re ready to appreciate the dawn chorus. And you’ll also be able to enjoy all of the other wonderful summer sounds.
Get the most out of your ears this summer and beyond. Call us for a hearing exam and find out if hearing aids are the right choice for you.