There are two kinds of vacations, right? One type is full of activities at all times. These are the trips that are remembered for years later and are full of adventure, and you head back to work more tired than you left.
Then there are the relaxing types of vacations. These are the trips where you might not do, well, much of anything. Perhaps you drink some wine. Maybe you spend a day (or two, or three) on the beach. Or perhaps you’re getting pampered at some resort for your whole vacation. These are the peaceful and relaxing types of vacations.
There’s no right or wrong way to vacation. Whatever way you choose, however, neglected hearing loss can put your vacation at risk.
Your vacation can be ruined by hearing loss
There are some distinct ways that hearing loss can make a vacation more difficult, particularly if you don’t recognize you have hearing loss. Many people who have hearing loss don’t even recognize they have it and it eventually sneaks up on them. The volume on all their devices just keeps going higher and higher.
But the impact that hearing loss can have on a vacation can be minimized with some tried and tested methods, and that’s the good news. The first step, of course, will be to schedule a hearing screening if you haven’t already. The more prepared you are before you go, the easier it will be to minimize any power hearing loss might have over your fun, rest, and relaxation.
How can hearing loss impact your vacation
So how can hearing loss negatively effect your next vacation? There are actually a small number of ways as it turns out. Individually, they may not seem like that big of a deal. But when they begin to add up it can become a real problem. Here are a few common examples:
- Important notices come in but you frequently miss them: Perhaps you’re waiting for your train or plane to board, but you never hear the announcement. This can throw your entire vacation timing into chaos.
- Special experiences with friends and family can be missed: Everybody enjoyed the great joke that your friend just told, but unfortunately, you missed the punchline. When you have untreated hearing loss, you can miss significant (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 also. After all, you could fail to hear the unique bird calls or humming traffic noises that make your vacation spot special and memorable.
- Getting beyond language barriers can be frustrating: It’s hard enough to contend with a language barrier. But neglected hearing loss can make it even more difficult to understand voices (especially in a noisy setting).
Not surprisingly, if you’re wearing your hearing aids, some of these negative effects can be mitigated and decreased. Which means the best way to keep your vacation moving in the right direction and stress free is to manage your hearing needs before you go.
If you have hearing loss, how can you get ready for your vacation?
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 extra planning and preparation, can help ensure your vacation goes as easily as possible. Of course, that’s rather common travel advice regardless of how strong your hearing is.
Here are several things you can do to ensure hearing loss doesn’t negatively effect your next vacation:
- Do some pre-planning: It’s okay to be spontaneous to some degree, but the more planning you do beforehand, the less you’ll need to figure things out on the fly (and that’s when hearing loss can present more challenges).
- Keep your hearing aids clean: It’s a good idea to make certain your hearing aids are clean and working correctly before you hop on a plane, train, or automobile. This can help avoid issues from happening while you’re on your vacation. It’s also a good idea to make sure your recommended maintenance is up to date!
- Pack extra batteries: There’s nothing worse than your hearing aid dying the first day because your batteries went dead. Always make sure you bring spares! So are you allowed to bring spare batteries on a plane? Well, possibly, consult your airline. Some types of batteries need to be stored in your carry-on.
Tips for traveling with hearing aids
Once all the planning and preparation is done, it’s time to hit the road! Or, well, the airways, maybe. Before you head out to the airport, there are some things about flying with hearing aids you should certainly know about.
- Do I need to take my hearing aids out when I go through TSA security? You can keep your hearing aids in when you go through the security screening process. Having said that, telling the TSA agents you’re wearing hearing aids is always a good idea. Don’t ever allow your hearing aids to go through an X-ray machine or conveyor belt. Your hearing aids can be damaged by the static charge that these conveyor type X-ray devices produce.
- When I’m in the airport, how well will I be able to hear? How well you can hear in an airport will depend on which airport it is and what time of day. But a telecoil device will usually be set up in many areas of most modern airports. This is a simple wire device (though 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 noisy and chaotic.
- How helpful is my smartphone? Your smartphone is very useful, not surprisingly. After you land, you can use this device to change the settings on your hearing aid (if you have the correct kind of hearing aid), get directions to your destination, and even translate foreign languages. You might be able to take some strain off your ears if you’re able to use your phone in this way.
- Do I have some rights I should know about? Before you leave it’s not a bad plan to get familiar with your rights. Under the American Disabilities Act, people with hearing loss have lots of special rights. Basically, you must have access to information. Talk to an airport official about a solution if you feel like you are missing some information and they should be able to help.
- Is it ok to wear my hearing aids longer than usual? Most hearing specialists will recommend that you use your hearing aids all day, every day. So, any time you aren’t in bed, showering, or swimming (or in an extremely noisy environment), you should be wearing your devices.
- Is it ok to take a flight with hearing aids in? You won’t need to turn your hearing aids off when you hear that “all electronics must be off” spiel. But it’s a good idea to activate flight mode if your hearing aid relies heavily on Bluetooth connectivity or wifi. You may also want to tell the flight attendants you have hearing loss, as there may be announcements during the flight that are hard to hear.
Vacations are one of life’s many adventures
Vacations are hard to predict with or without hearing loss. At times, the train can go off the rails. So be prepared for the unforeseen and try to have a good mindset.
That way you’ll still feel like your plans are on track even when the unavoidable challenge happens.
But you will be caught off guard less if you put together good preparations. With the correct preparation, you can be sure you have options when something goes wrong, so an inconvenience doesn’t grow into a catastrophe.
For those with hearing loss, this preparation often starts by getting your hearing tested and making sure you have the hardware and care you require. 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? Give us a call today!
