Have you ever woken up after a night’s sleep and heard birds singing a beautiful song through your open window? Turns out, 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 species has its own set of chirps and notes, 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 pity.
That’s especially true because it isn’t just birdsong you might be missing out on. Summer is full of incredible sounds. And you might be missing those summer sounds because you have hearing loss that’s gone undiagnosed or simply ignored. The good news in these cases is that a device like a hearing aid could help you appreciate and enjoy your summer days more fully.
The sounds of summer
You likely think of a really hot sun in a clear blue sky when you think of summer. And then you start to visualize the summer soundtrack that goes along with this vision. Some sounds you may think about:
- Peepers and crickets chirping a symphony as the sun sets.
- The sound of birds singing, especially in the spring during, ahem, mating season. (Humans aren’t the only species to utilize love songs.)
- The sound of your grandkids laughing and playing.
- The buzzing of bees as they fly around pollinating flowers and helping the landscape bloom.
- The crashing of waves on the beach (or a babbling creek if you’re in a more inland area).
These are only a few examples. Summer is lively with amazing sounds. The feeling and vibe of summer are greatly enhanced by these sounds. And these sounds by themselves bring great happiness.
It’s possible that hearing loss may have crept 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 do something about it.
Your summer can be more enjoyable with hearing aids
For most people, hearing aids are really about building relationships. Communication is key. They make it easier to talk to others, to hear what’s happening around you, and to enjoy the sounds that you hear. 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. Here are some examples of some of that potent technology:
- Machine learning: Cutting-edge algorithms (called machine learning) can help your hearing aids adapt to what you need, even before you know you need it. This is especially handy when filtering sounds or in a loud environment.
- Automatic programming: You can dial in 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 effective.
- Noise reduction: You’ll want to have hearing aids that can sort through specific sounds (your ears once did this) so you can enjoy those crashing waves without having the traffic behind you amplified too. Modern hearing aids have significant noise reduction capabilities, so you can hear what you really want to hear.
- Rechargeability: Your battery will remain charged all day after charging when you are sleeping at night. It’s a lot like charging your cellphone. This also makes traveling with hearing aids a lot easier.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Boating on the lake and want to enjoy some tracks? Just sync the boat’s radio to your hearing aids using Bluetooth.
- Smartphone compatibility: You can sync your hearing aids to your smartphone and start making the most of all sorts of features. Depending on the particular hearing situation, you will be able to control the settings on your hearing aids using an app you can download on most smartphones.
You can ask us about how your set of hearing aids are suited to your favorite adventures (for instance, you can ask whether you can use them while you’re going for a swim or hiking up a mountain, that type of thing). Hearing aids often don’t play well with water. But you will have a richer overall summer experience with your hearing aids.
Also, asking us basic questions about your hearing aid model will be a good idea. For example, you should ask, can hot weather impact my hearing aids? Also, does humidity have any effect on my hearing aid and how can I safeguard it? The answer to both will depend on the model of hearing aid you have.
Perhaps stay away from these sounds
As much as you love 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 everyone’s ears are vulnerable even if they don’t have pre-existing hearing loss. Some of those sounds include:
- Live music: Outdoor concerts are a fun part of summer, but they can be harmful to your ears. So you might want to exercise some caution and be selective about which shows you attend and wear earplugs.
- Fireworks: Dogs have the right idea. Attending fireworks shows can undoubtedly harm your hearing. Furthermore, being close to home-launched fireworks can also be damaging to your ears (and limbs). Best to just avoid fireworks altogether.
- Boat engines: These engines are loud, so exercise some caution about distance and duration. Try not to leave the motor idling when you’re fishing. Or, an even better idea would be to use some earplugs.
This list is not exhaustive. Summer activities for individuals who have hearing loss might not include quite as many of those fireworks and loud noise conditions.
But even with hearing loss you probably won’t want to avoid every loud summer event. So what can you do? Well, you can use ear protection. Popping in a set of earplugs before you see any live music show can minimize much of the damage, for instance. You just need to make certain you’re using effective ear protection.
Appreciate the sounds of summer
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.
So you might 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 type of hearing aid will be best for your situation.
So start here if you’re ready to enjoy the dawn chorus. And you’ll also be able to enjoy all of the other awesome summer sounds.
Get a hearing tune-up this summer. Call us for a hearing assessment and discover if hearing aids are the right choice for you.