There are two types of vacations, right? One kind is full of activities at all times. This kind will leave you more exhausted than when you left but all of the adventures will be recalled for many years to come.
Then there are the relaxing types of vacations. These are the trips where you may not do, well, much of anything. Perhaps you drink some wine. Maybe you spend a day (or two, or three) at the beach. Or possibly you spend your entire vacation at some kind of resort, getting spoiled the whole time. These are the restful and relaxing kinds of vacations.
There’s no right or wrong way to vacation. Whichever method you choose, however, untreated hearing loss can put your vacation in jeopardy.
Your vacation can be ruined by hearing loss
Your vacation can become a difficulty if you have hearing loss, particularly if you don’t know you have it. Look, hearing loss can sneak up on you like nobody’s business, many individuals have no idea they have it. They just keep cranking the volume on their tv up and up and up.
But the effect that hearing loss can have on a vacation can be reduced with some tried and tested methods, and that’s the good news. The first step, of course, will be to make an appointment for a hearing screening if you haven’t already. The more ready you are ahead of time, the easier it will be to reduce any power hearing loss might have over your fun, rest, and relaxation.
How can your vacation be impacted by hearing loss
So how can your next vacation be negatively effected by hearing loss? There are actually a few ways as it turns out. By themselves, they may not seem like that big of a deal. But when they start to compound it can become a real problem. Some common examples include the following:
- You miss significant notices: Perhaps you’re waiting for your train or plane to board, but you never hear the announcement. This can cast your entire vacation timing out of whack.
- Meaningful moments with friends and family can be missed: Everybody enjoyed the great joke that your friend just told, but unfortunately, you missed the punchline. Important and enriching conversations can be missed when you have neglected hearing loss.
- The vibrant life of a new place can be missed: When what you’re hearing is muted, your experience could be muted as well. After all, you could miss out on the unique bird calls or humming traffic noises that make your vacation spot special and memorable.
- Getting past language barriers can be overwhelming: It’s hard enough to overcome a language barrier. But deciphering voices with hearing loss, particularly when it’s very noisy, makes it much harder.
Of course, if you’re wearing your hearing aids, some of these negative impacts can be mitigated and minimized. So, taking care of your hearing requirements is the ideal way to keep your vacation on track.
If you have hearing loss, how can you prepare for your vacation?
That doesn’t mean that you can’t go on a trip if you have hearing loss. Not by any Means! But with a bit of extra planning and preparation, your vacation can still be fun and relatively hassle-free. Whether you have hearing loss or not, this is clearly good travel advice.
Here are a few things you can do to ensure hearing loss doesn’t negatively impact your next vacation:
- Pre-planning is a smart idea: It’s okay to remain 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 present more challenges).
- Keep your hearing aids clean: Before you head out on your travels, make sure you clean your hearing aids. This can help avoid issues from happening while you’re on your 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 the first day because your batteries went dead. Always make certain you bring spares! So are you allowed to take spare batteries on a plane? Well, maybe, check with your airline. You may be required to keep your batteries in your carry-on depending on the type of battery.
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, possibly. Many individuals have questions about flying with hearing aids, and there are definitely some good things to understand before you head to the airport.
- Is it ok to use my hearing aids longer than usual? Hearing aids are meant to be worn every day, all day. So, any time you aren’t in bed, showering, or swimming (or in a super noisy environment), you should be wearing your devices.
- Is it ok to take a flight with hearing aids in? When they announce that it’s time to turn off your electronic devices, you won’t need to turn your hearing aids off. But it’s a good plan to activate flight mode if your hearing aid relies heavily on Bluetooth connectivity or wifi. Some of the in-flight announcements may be difficult to hear so make sure you tell the flight attendant about your hearing loss.
- When I’m in the airport, how well will I be able to hear? That will depend, some airports are quite noisy during certain times of the day. But a telecoil device will usually be set up in many areas of most modern airports. This device is specially made to help individuals who have hearing aids hear their environment better.
- Should I know my rights? Before you leave it’s not a bad plan to become familiar with your rights. Under the American Disabilities Act, people with hearing loss have many special rights. Basically, you must have access to information. Talk to an airport official about a solution if you think you’re missing some information and they will most likely be able to help.
- Will my smartphone be helpful? This will not be surprising, but your smartphone is very helpful! 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. If your phone is prepared to do all that (and you know how to use all those apps), it may take some strain off your ears.
- When I go through the TSA security checkpoint, will I need to remove my hearing aids? You won’t be required to take your hearing aids out for the security screening. That being said, telling the TSA agents you’re wearing hearing aids is always a good plan. Never 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 generate.
Vacations are one of life’s many adventures
Whether you have hearing loss or not, vacations are unpredictable. Not everything is going to go the way you planned it all the time. So be prepared for the unforeseen and try to have a positive attitude.
That way, when something unexpected takes place (and it will), it’ll feel like it’s all part of the plan!
But you will be caught off guard less if you put together good preparations. With the right preparation, you can be sure you have options when something goes wrong, so an inconvenience doesn’t grow into a disaster.
For individuals with hearing loss, this preparation frequently begins by getting your hearing evaluated 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 hanging out 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? Call us today!