Aren’t there a couple of kinds of vacation? There’s the type where you cram every single activity you can into every single moment. This type will leave you more exhausted than when you left but all of the adventures will be remembered for years to come.
The other kind is all about unwinding. You might not even do much of anything on this kind of vacation. Maybe you spend a lot of time on the beach with some drinks. Or maybe you’re getting pampered at some resort for your whole vacation. These kinds of vacations will leave you quite rested and recharged.
Everybody has their own concept of the perfect vacation. But untreated hearing loss can jeopardize whichever kind of vacation you choose.
Hearing loss can ruin a vacation
Your vacation can become a challenge if you have hearing loss, particularly if you’re not aware of it. Look, hearing loss can creep up on you like nobody’s business, many people have no clue they have it. The volume on all their devices just continues going higher and higher.
But the impact that hearing loss can have on a vacation can be minimized with some tried and tested strategies, and that’s the good news. Making an appointment for a hearing exam is obviously the first step. The more prepared you are ahead of time, the easier it will be to lessen any power hearing loss might 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? There are actually a small number of ways as it turns out. And while some of them may seem a little trivial at first, they tend to add up! Here are a few common instances:
- Meaningful experiences with friends and family can be missed: Perhaps your friend just told a hilarious joke that everyone enjoyed, except you couldn’t make out the punchline. Important and enriching conversations can be missed when you have neglected hearing loss.
- Important notices come in but you frequently miss them: Maybe you’re waiting for your train or aircraft to board, but you don’t ever hear the announcement. This can cast your entire vacation timing out of whack.
- Getting beyond language barriers can be overwhelming: Dealing with a language barrier is already hard enough. But neglected hearing loss can make it even more difficult to decipher voices (particularly in a noisy setting).
- The vibrant life of a new place can be missed: Your experience can be rather lackluster when everything you hear is muted. After all, you could miss out on the unique bird calls or humming traffic noises that make your vacation spot unique and memorable.
Some of these negative situations can be avoided by simply using your hearing aids. So, managing your hearing needs is the ideal way to keep your vacation on track.
How to get ready for your vacation when you’re dealing with hearing loss
That doesn’t mean that you can’t go on a trip if you have hearing loss. Not by any Means! But it does mean that, when you’re dealing with hearing loss, a little bit of extra planning and preparation, can help make sure your vacation goes as easily as possible. Of course, that’s pretty common travel advice regardless of how good your hearing is.
Here are a few things you can do to make sure hearing loss doesn’t negatively impact your next vacation:
- Bring extra batteries: There’s nothing worse than your hearing aid dying the first day because your batteries quit. Always make certain you bring spares! So are you allowed to bring spare batteries on a plane? Well, maybe, consult your airline. Some types of batteries need to be stored in your carry-on.
- Clean your hearing aids: Before you leave on your travels, make sure you clean your hearing aids. If you have clean hearing aids, you’re less likely to have troubles on vacation. Keeping your hearing aids on their scheduled maintenance is also a good idea.
- Pre-planning is a good idea: When you need to figure things out on the fly, that’s when hearing loss can introduce some challenges, so don’t be overly spontaneous and plan as much as you can.
Tips for traveling with hearing aids
Once all the preparation and planning is done, it’s time to hit the road! Or, well, the airways, maybe. Many people have questions about flying with hearing aids, and there are definitely some good things to know before you go to the airport.
- Do I need to take out my hearing aids when I go through TSA security? You won’t need to take your hearing aids out for the security screening. Having said that, telling the TSA agents you’re wearing hearing aids is always a good idea. Never let your hearing aids go through an X-ray machine or conveyor belt. Conveyor-belt style X-ray machines can produce a static charge that can damage your hearing devices.
- Will I be able to hear well in an airport? That depends, 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 noisy and chaotic.
- Can I wear my hearing aids while I’m on the plane? When they announce that it’s time to off your electronic devices, you won’t be required to turn your hearing aids off. Having said that, you might want to activate flight mode on hearing aids that heavily rely on wifi or Bluetooth connectivity. You might also want to tell the flight attendants you have hearing loss, as there may be announcements throughout the flight that are difficult to hear.
- Should I be aware of my rights? It’s a good idea! Generally, it’s good to familiarize yourself with your rights before you go. If you’re dealing with hearing loss, you’ll have many rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. But basically, it boils down to this: information must be available to you. So if you feel like you’re missing out on some information, let an airport official know that you have hearing loss and they should offer a solution.
- Will my smartphone be useful? Your smartphone is extremely useful, not surprisingly. After you land, you can utilize this device to adjust the settings on your hearing aid (if you have the correct type 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 can utilize your phone like this.
- If I wear my hearing aids more than usual, 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 whenever you aren’t in a really loud setting, swimming, or showering.
Life is an adventure, and that includes vacations
Vacations are hard to predict with or without hearing loss. Not everything is going to go the way you planned it all the time. That’s why it’s essential that you have a good attitude and treat your vacation like you’re taking on the unexpected.
That way you’ll still feel like your plans are moving in the right direction even when the unavoidable obstacle happens.
However, the other side to that is that preparation can go a long way. With the right preparation, you can be sure you have options when something goes awry, so an inconvenience doesn’t turn into a catastrophe.
For those who have hearing loss, this preparation often begins by getting your hearing tested and making certain you have the equipment and care you need. And that’s true whether you’re visiting 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!