Aren’t there a couple of types of vacation? One kind is Packed with activities the whole time. This type will leave you more tired than when you left but all of the fun will be recalled for years to come.
The other kind is all about relaxing. These are the trips where you might not do, well, much of anything. Perhaps you spend a lot of time on the beach with some drinks. Or maybe you’re getting spoiled at some resort for your entire vacation. These types of vacations will leave you really rested and recharged.
Everyone has their own concept of the perfect vacation. But neglected hearing loss can jeopardize whichever type of vacation you take.
Your vacation can be ruined by hearing loss
There are a few distinct ways that hearing loss can make a vacation more difficult, particularly if you don’t recognize you have hearing loss. Look, hearing loss can sneak up on you like nobody’s business, many people have no idea they have it. On all their devices, the volume just keeps going higher and higher.
The good news is that there are some proven ways to reduce the effect hearing loss might have on your vacation. Scheduling a hearing exam is definitely the first step. The impact that hearing loss has on your fun times will be greatly reduced the more prepared you are in advance.
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. By themselves, they might not seem like that big of a deal. But when they begin to add up it can become a real issue. Some common examples include the following:
- You can miss significant moments with friends and family: Maybe your friend just told a hilarious joke that everyone enjoyed, except you couldn’t make out the punchline. When you have neglected hearing loss, you can miss important (and enriching) conversations.
- The radiant life of a new place can be missed: 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.
- You miss important notices: Maybe you miss your flight because you failed to hear the boarding call. This can throw your entire vacation timing out of whack.
- Getting past language barriers can be frustrating: Dealing with a language barrier is already hard enough. But deciphering voices with hearing loss, especially when it’s really noisy, makes it much more difficult.
Some of these negative outcomes can be avoided by simply wearing your hearing aids. So, managing your hearing requirements is the best way to keep your vacation on track.
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 not at all the case! But with a little additional planning and preparation, your vacation can still be enjoyable and relatively hassle-free. Whether or not you have hearing loss, this is clearly good travel advice.
You can be sure that hearing loss won’t have a negative effect on your vacation, here are a few things you can do:
- Do a little pre-planning: It’s okay to remain spontaneous to some degree, but the more planning you do before you go, the less you’ll have to figure things out on the fly (and that’s when hearing loss can present more difficulties).
- Pack extra batteries: Having your hearing aids quit on the first day is no fun! Remember to bring some spare batteries. So are you allowed to take spare batteries on a plane? The exact rules and guidelines will depend on which airline you’re using. You may need to store your batteries in your carry-on depending on the kind of battery.
- Clean your hearing aids: Before you head out on your travels, be certain that you clean your hearing aids. This can help avoid problems from developing while you’re on your vacation. Keeping your hearing aids on their regular maintenance is also a good idea.
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 some things about going on a plane with hearing aids you should definitely know about.
- How useful is my smartphone? This will not be shocking, but your smartphone is extremely helpful! After you land, you can utilize this device to change 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. You might be able to take some stress 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 never a bad plan to become familiar with your rights. Under the American Disabilities Act, people with hearing loss have many special rights. Basically, you have to 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.
- When I go through the TSA security checkpoint, will I be required to take out my hearing aids? You can keep your hearing aids in when you go through the security screening process. It’s generally a good idea to tell the TSA agents that you’re wearing them. 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 style X-ray devices create.
- If I wear my hearing aids more than normal, is that ok? Hearing aids are designed to be used every day, all day. So, any time you aren’t in bed, taking a shower, or swimming (or in a really loud setting), you should be using your devices.
- When I’m in the airport, how well will I be able to hear? That depends, some airports are really noisy during certain times of the day. But most modern airports will have a telecoil device setup throughout many areas. This device is specially made to help individuals who have hearing aids hear their environment better.
- 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 may want to enable flight mode on hearing aids that heavily rely on wifi or Bluetooth connectivity. Some of the in-flight announcements may be hard to hear so make sure you let the flight attendants know about your hearing loss.
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. That’s why it’s essential to have a positive mindset and manage your vacation like you’re taking on the unanticipated.
That way you’ll still feel as if your plans are on track even when the unavoidable challenge occurs.
However, the other side to that is that preparation can make a difference. When something goes wrong, with the right preparations, you can keep it from going out of control.
Having a hearing test and making sure you have the correct equipment is commonly the beginning of that preparation for people who have hearing loss. And that’s the case 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 be certain you can hear the big world out there but still have questions? Schedule an appointment with us for a hearing exam!