There are a couple of kinds of vacations, right? There’s the kind where you cram every single activity you can into every waking moment. This type will leave you more exhausted than when you left but all of the fun will be recalled for many years to come.
The other kind is all about unwinding. You may not even do much of anything on this kind of vacation. Maybe you spend the entire time on the beach with some cocktails. Or maybe you spend your entire vacation at some sort of resort, getting spoiled the whole time. These are the restful and relaxing kinds of vacations.
Everybody has their own concept of the perfect vacation. But neglected hearing loss can jeopardize whichever type of vacation you take.
Your vacation can be spoiled by hearing loss
There are a few distinct ways that hearing loss can make a vacation more challenging, especially if you don’t know you have hearing loss. Many individuals who have hearing loss don’t even know they have it and it eventually sneaks up on them. On all their devices, the volume just continues going up and up.
The nice thing is that there are some tried and tested ways to lessen the impact hearing loss might have on your vacation. Making an appointment for a hearing test is definitely the first step. The more prepared you are ahead of time, the easier it will be to reduce any power hearing loss could have over your fun, rest, and relaxation.
How can your vacation be impacted by hearing loss
So how can hearing loss negatively impact your next vacation? Well, there are a number of ways. And while some of them might seem a bit trivial at first, they have a tendency to add up! Here are some common instances:
- The radiant life of a new place can be missed: When what you’re hearing is muted, your experience could be muted as well. After all, your favorite vacation place is alive with unique sounds, like active street sounds or singing birds.
- Meaningful experiences with friends and family can be missed: Everyone enjoyed the great joke that your friend just told, but unfortunately, you didn’t hear the punchline. Important and enriching conversations can be missed when you have neglected hearing loss.
- Essential notices come in but you often miss them: Maybe you’re waiting for your train or plane to board, but you never hear the announcement. And as a consequence, your whole vacation schedule is thrown into total disarray.
- Language barriers are even more tricky: It’s hard enough to deal with a language barrier. But neglected hearing loss can make it even harder to understand voices (particularly in a noisy setting).
Not surprisingly, if you’re wearing your hearing aids, some of these negative effects can be lessened and decreased. Which means the best way to keep your vacation on track and stress free is to manage your hearing needs before you start.
How to prepare for your vacation when you have hearing loss
All of this isn’t to say that hearing loss makes a vacation unachievable. That’s nowhere near the case! But it does mean that, when you have hearing loss, a little bit of additional planning and preparation, can help make sure your vacation goes as smoothly as possible. 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:
- Bring extra batteries: Having your hearing aids die on the first day is no fun! Remember to bring some spare batteries. So are you allowed to bring spare batteries on a plane? Well, maybe, check with your airline. You might need to keep your batteries in your carry-on depending on the kind of battery.
- Do some pre-planning: It’s okay to be spontaneous to a degree, but the more planning you do ahead of time, the less you’ll need to figure things out on the fly (and that’s when hearing loss can introduce more difficulties).
- Clean your hearing aids: Before you go out on your travels, be certain that you clean your hearing aids. This can help prevent issues from developing while you’re on your vacation. It’s also a good idea to make certain your suggested maintenance is current!
Tips for traveling with hearing aids
Finally, it’s time to hit the road now that all the planning and preparation have been done! Or possibly it’s the airways. Before you head out to the airport, there are a number of things about flying with hearing aids you should certainly know about.
- Will my smartphone be helpful? This will not be surprising, but your smartphone is extremely useful! You can utilize your smartphone to find directions to your destination, translate foreign languages, and if you have the correct kind of hearing aid, you can utilize your smartphone to adjust your settings to your new environment. If your phone is prepared to do all that (and you know how to use all those apps), it could take some strain off your ears.
- Will I be able to hear well in an airport? That depends, some airports are really noisy during certain times of the day. But a telecoil device will usually be installed 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.
- Is it ok to fly with hearing aids in? When they announce that it’s time to off your electronic devices, you won’t be required to turn your hearing aids off. That said, you might want to enable 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.
- Do I have some rights I should be aware of? Before you travel it’s never a bad plan to get familiar with your rights. Under the American Disabilities Act, individuals with hearing loss have many special rights. But basically, it boils down to this: information must be accessible to you. So if you think you’re missing out on some information, let an airport official know that you have hearing loss and they should offer a solution.
- If I wear my hearing aids more than normal, is that ok? Most hearing specialists will suggest that you use your hearing aids all day, every day. So you should be wearing your hearing aids anytime you’re not in an extremely loud setting, swimming, or showering.
- When I go through the TSA security checkpoint, will I be required to remove my hearing aids? You won’t be required 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. If there is any type of conveyor belt or X-ray machines, make sure your hearing aids don’t go through that belt. Your hearing aids can be damaged by the static charge that these conveyor type X-ray devices create.
Vacations are one of life’s many adventures
Vacations are unpredictable with or without hearing loss. At times, the train can go off the rails. That’s why it’s important to have a good mindset and manage your vacation like you’re embracing the unexpected.
That way you’ll still feel as if your plans are on track even when the inevitable challenge happens.
Of course, the other side to that is that preparation can go a long way. When something goes wrong, with the right preparations, you can keep it from going out of control.
For those who have hearing loss, this preparation often starts by having your hearing evaluated and making certain you have the equipment and care you need. And that’s true whether you’re going to every museum in New York City (vacation type number one) or taking it easy on a beach in Mexico (vacation type number two).
Want to make sure you can hear the big world out there but still have questions? Make an appointment with us for a hearing exam!
