Tag: summer

Summer Noise: 4 Ways Your Hearing Aids Can Help

Turn Up Summer Fun With Hearing Aids

People don’t often think “Fun!” when they think of hearing aids. But today’s hearing aids are designed to meet your needs no matter what’s going on. Let’s check out a few ways your hearing aids can actually enhance your fun this summer.

Enjoy Group Conversations Outdoors

Most hearing aids today have a set of built-in capabilities ideal for highlighting speech in conversations. Directional microphones are designed to focus on whatever you’re facing. This is because you usually speak to someone in front of you. Some models of directional microphones do switch positions based on speech and sound cues.

Today’s hearing aids also do a very good job filtering out background noise. You can devote your energy to your conversation, not on cutting through clatter. It’s also becoming more and more feasible to use your smartphone as a microphone. For example: You place your smartphone on the picnic table, it picks up what everyone is saying, and it streams the audio to your hearing devices. It’s almost like you’re wearing conversation-enhancing headphones!

Muzzle Fireworks

Many of today’s digital hearing aids have a function called transient-noise suppression, impulse-noise reduction, or something similar. It’s a fancy way of saying that the hearing aid will lower the volume of sudden, brief noises — like dishes being dropped. You can still enjoy fireworks, but at a safe listening level. Check your hearing aid’s instructions, or check with your provider to find out if you have this functionality.

Change Settings Automatically

Many hearing aids now use a smartphone app. From controlling the volume to nudging the settings on your hearing aids, you can do a lot by utilizing these apps. One exciting capability is geotagging, or assigning a geographical “bookmark” to your favorite spots. Simply optimize your hearing aids for a location (for example, a park, baseball diamond, or your favorite restaurant), and apply a geotag. When you return to that spot, your settings will switch automatically!

Banish Wind Noise

Hearing aid microphones are placed just outside your ear canal or behind your ear. This means they may pick up a lot of wind noise. But ReSound has developed a breakthrough with the ReSound ONE device, which allows an extra microphone to be placed inside your ear canal, where the wind can’t reach it.

Contact us today to learn more about the built-in ways your hearing aids can boost your summer fun!

Hittin’ the Sand and Waves? PROTECT YOUR HEARING AIDS!

From surfing, boating, and swimming to kiteboarding, kayaking, and more, summer marks the sweet spot for water sports, pool parties, and time at the beach.

Your hearing aids help you make the most of the season — enjoying adventures and making memories — so it’s important to protect them from harmful elements such as moisture, sand, and heat.

Whether you’re playing Marco Polo, setting sail, or just catching some sun in the sand, following a few hearing aid maintenance tips can help you keep the fun at hand.

WATER, SAND, AND HEARING AIDS don’t mix. Wiping your devices daily with a clean, dry cloth helps clear moisture and debris and reduces the risk of damage.

SUMMER HEAT can do a number on your hearing aids, so pick a cool, dry spot for storage, and avoid leaving the devices in a hot car.

WATER-RESISTANT HEARING AIDS aren’t waterproof. They can get damaged when immersed, so be sure to take them out before swimming or showering.

HEARING AID COVERS help protect your devices from water splashes and keep out dust and dirt, too.

A HEARING AID DRYER OR DEHUMIDIFIER not only dries and sanitizes your devices as you sleep but can also double as their regular storage container.

BATTERIES NEED A BREAK, so at night, remove them from your devices and leave the battery door open, helping reduce moisture and maximize battery life.

KEEP A HAT NEARBY in case an unexpected rain shower crashes your beach party. It’ll help keep the rain o you as well as your hearing aids.

SEE YOUR AUDIOLOGIST for maintenance advice tailored to your summer plans or to get your hearing aids professionally cleaned and checked.

Summer fun is for everyone, so don’t sit out your favorite waves because of your hearing aids. Think of them as you would your cell phone, keeping them safe from harm’s way, and enjoy your best season ever.

Summer Sweat and Hearing Aid Moisture

Summer rains and then hot humid sweaty days can wreak havoc on your hearing aids. Often times our newer technology hearing aids have moisture proof coatings and the inside of the aids are covered in membranes to repel moisture, but they are not water proof. So we encourage our patients to use common sense. Do not wear them in the shower. Do not mow the yard with the aids on. Do not swim with them in….and so on.

But sometimes, you just need to hear. If you will be in the rain, try to wear a hat with a brim to protect the aids. If they get damp, dry them off with a towel or dry rag and lay them out over night to “air out”. We do have dry kits for sale for those patients that have excessive moisture problems. But an ounce of prevention, will keep you hearing better and more consistently.

It’s Summer Time And The Best Time To Protect Your Hearing

Actually we need to be protecting our hearing year round, but summer comes to mind most commonly as more people are mowing, using weed eaters and leaf blowers. Typically all of that equipment has potentially damaging decibel levels to our hearing. And once you damage or lose your hearing, we cannot grow it back. It’s just gone. So take some steps to protect your hearing this summer and the rest of the year. Hearing protection comes in a variety of styles and strengths. That is one of our specialties and please contact us if you need guidance.

  1. Wear hearing protection devices while mowing and using loud equipment. Keep in mind 4th of July fireworks are loud as well as winter time chainsaws.
  2. Concerts both indoors and outdoors can be loud and damaging.
  3. Hunting and shooting are hazardous.
  4. If you have to be in a noise environment, such as a sporting event and you cannot or do not have hearing protection then limit your exposure time.
  5. Some motorcycles and tractors (especially those without cabs) can be dangerous to your hearing.
  6. Music headphones can get really loud being so close to your eardrums, so turn them down or limit your time. Also invest in decibel limiting headphones.

Hopefully those are some helpful ideas to protect your hearing. Please contact us if you have any questions as we are happy to help.

Sincerely,

Dr. Stephanie R. Moore
Audiologist