Aren’t there a couple of types of vacation? There’s the type where you cram every single recreation you can into every waking moment. This type will leave you more exhausted than when you left but all of the fun will be remembered for years to come.
The other kind is all about relaxing. These are the trips where you might not do, well, much of anything. Maybe you drink some wine. Perhaps you spend a day (or two, or three) on the beach. Or perhaps you’re getting pampered at some resort for your entire vacation. These are the peaceful and relaxing types of vacations.
Everyone has their own concept of the perfect vacation. But neglected hearing loss can jeopardize whichever kind of vacation you take.
Your vacation can be ruined by hearing loss
Your vacation can become a challenge if you have hearing loss, especially if you’re not aware of it. Many people who have hearing loss don’t even realize they have it and it eventually creeps up on them. On all their devices, the volume just keeps going higher and higher.
The nice thing is that there are a few proven ways to minimize the effect hearing loss might have on your vacation. Making an appointment for a hearing exam is obviously the first step. The more ready you are before you go, the easier it will be to lessen any power hearing loss might have over your fun, rest, and relaxation.
How can your vacation be effected by hearing loss
So how can hearing loss negatively effect your next vacation? Well, there are a couple of ways. By themselves, they might not seem like that big of a deal. But when they begin to add up it can become a real problem. Here are some common examples:
- Essential notices come in but you frequently miss them: Maybe you miss your flight because you failed to hear the boarding call. And as a consequence, your whole vacation schedule is thrown into total chaos.
- Meaningful moments with friends and family can be missed: Maybe your friend just told a hilarious joke that everybody enjoyed, except you couldn’t hear the punchline. When you have neglected hearing loss, you can miss important (and enriching) conversations.
- You can miss out on the radiance of a new place: When what you’re hearing is muted, your experience could be muted too. After all, your favorite vacation place is alive with unique sounds, like active street sounds or singing birds.
- Getting beyond language barriers can be overwhelming: Managing a language barrier is already hard enough. But neglected hearing loss can make it even more difficult to understand voices (especially in a noisy situation).
Some of these negative outcomes can be avoided by simply wearing your hearing aids. So, managing your hearing needs is the ideal way to keep your vacation moving in the right direction.
If you have hearing loss, how can you get ready for your vacation?
That doesn’t mean that you can’t go on vacation if you have hearing loss. That’s nowhere near the case! But with a bit of extra planning and preparation, your vacation can still be enjoyable and relatively hassle-free. Whether you have hearing loss or not, this is definitely practical travel advice.
You can be certain that hearing loss won’t have a negative impact on your vacation, here are some things you can do:
- Clean your hearing aids: It’s a good idea to make certain your hearing aids are clean and working properly before you hop on a plane, train, or automobile. If you have clean hearing aids, you’re not so likely to have difficulties on vacation. Keeping your hearing aids on their scheduled maintenance is also a good idea.
- Pack extra batteries: There’s nothing worse than your hearing aid dying on day 1 because your batteries went dead. Don’t forget to bring some spare batteries. So are you allowed to take spare batteries on a plane? The exact rules and guidelines will depend on the airline. You may need to put your batteries in your carry-on depending on the type of battery.
- Do some pre-planning: It’s okay to remain spontaneous to a degree, but the more planning you do before you go, the less you’ll need to figure things out on the fly (and that’s when hearing loss can present more difficulties).
Hearing aid travel tips
Once all the planning and preparation is done, it’s time to hit the road! Or, well, the airways, maybe. Before you go out to the airport, there are a few things about going on a plane with hearing aids you should definitely be aware of.
- Is it ok to take a flight with hearing aids in? When they tell you it’s time to turn off your electronic devices, you won’t be required to turn your hearing aids off. That said, you might want to activate flight mode on hearing aids that rely heavily on wifi or Bluetooth connectivity. Some of the in-flight announcements may be hard to hear so make sure you tell the flight attendant about your hearing loss.
- Should I be aware of my rights? Before you leave it’s never a bad plan to get familiar with your rights. If you have hearing loss, you’ll have many rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Basically, you must have access to information. So if you think you’re missing out on some info, let an airport official know that you have hearing loss and they should offer help.
- Do I have to take my hearing aids out when I go through TSA security? You won’t need to remove your hearing aids for the security screening. Having said that, letting the TSA agents know you’re wearing hearing aids is always a good plan. Don’t ever let your hearing aids go through an X-ray machine or conveyor belt. Your hearing aids can be damaged by the static charge that these conveyor style X-ray devices generate.
- Is it ok to wear my hearing aids longer than usual? Hearing aids are meant to be worn every day, all day. So you should be wearing your hearing aids anytime you aren’t in an extremely noisy place, swimming, or showering.
- Will I be able to hear well in an airport? That will depend, some airports are very noisy during certain times of the day. But a telecoil device will usually be set up in many areas of most modern airports. This is a basic wire device (although you’ll never see that wire, just look for the signs) that makes it easier for you to hear with your hearing aids, even when things are loud and chaotic.
- How useful is my smartphone? Your smartphone is extremely useful, not surprisingly. Once you land, you can utilize this device to adjust the settings on your hearing aid (if you have the right type of hearing aid), get directions to your destination, and even translate foreign languages. If your phone is capable of doing all that (and you know how to use all those apps), it could take some stress off your ears.
Life is an adventure, and that includes vacations
Vacations are unpredictable with or without hearing loss. Sometimes, the train can go off the rails. That’s why it’s important that you have a good attitude and manage your vacation like you’re taking on the unexpected.
That way you’ll still feel as if your plans are on track even when the inevitable challenge happens.
But you will be caught off guard less if you put together good preparations. When something goes awry, with the correct preparations, you can keep it from getting out of control.
For those with hearing loss, this preparation frequently starts by having your hearing assessed and making certain you have the equipment and care you require. And whether you’re taking vacation number one (sightseeing in the city), or vacation number two (relaxing on a tropical beach somewhere), this advice will still hold.
Still have some questions or concerns? Make an appointment with us for a hearing exam!