Aren’t there a couple of kinds of vacation? There’s the type where you jam every single activity you can into every waking minute. This kind will leave you more tired than when you left but all of the fun will be recalled for many years to come.
Then there are the relaxing types of vacations. You may not even do much of anything on this kind of vacation. Maybe you drink a bit of wine. Perhaps you spend a day (or two, or three) on the beach. Or maybe you spend your entire vacation at some kind of resort, getting spoiled the whole time. These are the peaceful and relaxing types of vacations.
Everybody has their own concept of the perfect vacation. But neglected hearing loss can put a damper on whichever kind of vacation you take.
Hearing loss can ruin a vacation
There are a few distinct ways that hearing loss can make a vacation more difficult, particularly if you don’t know you have hearing loss. Look, hearing loss can sneak up on you like nobody’s business, many individuals have no clue they have it. They just keep turning the volume on their tv up and up and up.
But the effect 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 move, of course, will be to schedule a hearing screening if you haven’t already. The more ready you are ahead of time, the easier it will be to minimize any power hearing loss might have over your fun, rest, and relaxation.
How can hearing loss effect your vacation
So how can your next vacation be negatively impacted by hearing loss? There are actually a small number of ways as it turns out. And while some of them might seem a little insignificant at first, they tend to add up! Some common examples include the following:
- Important notices come in but you frequently miss them: Maybe you miss your flight because you failed to hear the boarding call. And as a result, your whole vacation schedule is cast into absolute disarray.
- You can miss important moments with friends and family: Perhaps your friend just told a great joke that everyone enjoyed, except you couldn’t make out the punchline. Significant and enriching conversations can be missed when you have untreated hearing loss.
- You can miss out on the vibrancy of a new place: When what you’re hearing is muted, your experience may be muted as well. After all, you could miss out on the unique bird calls or humming traffic noises that make your vacation spot unique and memorable.
- Language barriers become even more tricky: It’s hard enough to overcome a language barrier. But deciphering voices with hearing loss, particularly when it’s really loud, makes it much more difficult.
Not surprisingly, if you’re wearing your hearing aids, some of these negative impacts can be lessened and decreased. Which means the proper way to keep your vacation on track and stress free is to manage your hearing needs before you go.
If you have hearing loss, how can you prepare for your vacation?
All of this doesn’t mean that hearing loss makes a vacation impossible. Not by any Means! But it does mean that, when you have hearing loss, a little bit of added planning and preparation, can help ensure your vacation goes as smoothly as possible. Whether you have hearing loss or not, this is clearly practical travel advice.
Here are a few things you can do to make sure hearing loss doesn’t negatively effect your next vacation:
- Clean your hearing aids: It’s a smart idea to make certain your hearing aids are clean and working correctly before you hop on a plane, train, or automobile. If you have clean hearing aids, you’re not so likely to have troubles on vacation. It’s also a good plan to make sure your suggested maintenance is up to date!
- Pre-planning is a smart idea: When you have to figure things out as you go, that’s when hearing loss can present some challenges, so don’t be overly spontaneous and prepare as much as possible.
- Bring extra batteries: There’s nothing worse than your hearing aid dying the first day because your batteries went dead. Don’t forget to bring some spare batteries. Now, you may be thinking: can I bring spare batteries in my luggage? Well, possibly, consult your airline. Some types of batteries need to be stored in your carry-on.
Tips for traveling with hearing aids
Finally, it’s time to hit the road now that all the preparation and planning have been done! Or, well, the airways, possibly. Many people have questions about flying with hearing aids, and there are certainly some good things to recognize before you head to the airport.
- Do I have some rights I should be aware of? Before you travel it’s not a bad idea to get familiar with your rights. If you’re dealing with hearing loss, you’ll have many rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Basically, you must have access to information. Talk to an airport official about a solution if you think you are missing some information and they should be able to help.
- Can I use my hearing aids while I’m on the plane? When they announce that it’s time to turn off your electronic devices, you won’t need 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 let the flight attendants know you have hearing loss, as there could be announcements throughout the flight that are hard to hear.
- Will I be able to hear well in an airport? How well you can hear in an airport will depend on which airport it is and what time of day. But most modern airports will have a telecoil device fitted throughout many areas. This device is specially made to help people with hearing aids hear their environment better.
- Do I need to take my hearing aids out when I go through TSA security? 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. If there is any kind of conveyor belt or X-ray machines, be certain that 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 produce.
- 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 using your hearing aids anytime you aren’t in a really noisy setting, swimming, or showering.
- How helpful is my smartphone? This will not be surprising, but your smartphone is very helpful! Once you land, you can use this device to adjust the settings on your hearing aid (if you have the right type of hearing aid), find 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 could take some strain off your ears.
Life is an adventure, and that includes vacations
Whether you have loss of hearing or not, vacations are hard to predict. Sometimes, the train can go off the rails. So be prepared for the unforeseen and try to have a good attitude.
That way, when something unforeseen happens (and it will), it’ll feel like it’s all part of the plan!
Of course, the flip side to that is that preparation can go a long way. When something goes awry, with the right preparations, you can keep it from getting out of control.
Getting a hearing examination and making certain you have the right equipment is commonly the start of that preparation for individuals who have hearing loss. And that’s the case whether you’re visiting every museum in New York City (vacation type number one) or lounging around on a beach in Mexico (vacation type number two).
Still have some questions or concerns? Call us today!