Aren’t there a couple of kinds of vacation? One type is full of activities the whole time. This type will leave you more exhausted than when you left but all of the adventures will be remembered for many years to come.
The other kind is all about relaxing. You may not even do much of anything on this kind of vacation. Perhaps you drink some wine. Maybe you spend a day (or two, or three) at the beach. Or maybe you’re getting pampered at some resort for your whole vacation. These are the restful and relaxing types of vacations.
There’s no best to vacation. Whichever method you prefer, however, neglected hearing loss can put your vacation at risk.
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. Many individuals who have hearing loss don’t even recognize they have it and it eventually sneaks up on them. On all their devices, the volume just keeps going higher and higher.
The nice thing is that there are some tried and tested ways to lessen the impact hearing loss might have on your vacation. Making an appointment for a hearing test is obviously the first step. The more ready 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 your vacation be effected by hearing loss
So how can hearing loss negatively effect your next vacation? There are actually a few ways as it turns out. Individually, they may not seem like that big of a deal. But when they start to compound it can become a real problem. Some common illustrations include the following:
- Language barriers are even more tricky: Dealing with a language barrier is already difficult enough. But neglected hearing loss can make it even harder to understand voices (especially in a noisy situation).
- You can miss significant moments with family and friends: Perhaps your friend just told a great joke that everyone loved, except you couldn’t make out the punchline. Significant and enriching conversations can be missed when you have untreated hearing loss.
- The vibrant life of a new place can be missed: Your experience can be rather lackluster when everything you hear is muted. After all, your favorite vacation place is alive with unique sounds, like active street sounds or singing birds.
- Essential notices come in but you frequently miss them: Perhaps you’re waiting for your train or aircraft to board, but you don’t ever hear the announcement. This can throw your entire vacation timing out of whack.
A number of these negative outcomes can be prevented by simply using your hearing aids. Which means the proper way to keep your vacation moving in the right direction and free of stress is to take care of your hearing needs before you go.
How to get ready for your vacation when you have hearing loss
That doesn’t mean that you can’t go on vacation if you have hearing loss. That’s nowhere near true! But it does mean that, when you have hearing loss, a little bit of extra planning and preparation, can help make sure your vacation goes as easily as possible. Whether you have hearing loss or not, this is obviously practical travel advice.
You can be certain that hearing loss won’t have a negative effect on your vacation, here are a few things you can do:
- Pre-planning is a good plan: When you have to figure things out on the fly, that’s when hearing loss can introduce some difficulties, so don’t be too spontaneous and prepare as much as possible.
- Keep your hearing aids clean: It’s a good idea to make sure 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. Keeping your hearing aids on their regular maintenance is also a good idea.
- Pack extra batteries: Having your hearing aids quit on the first day is no fun! Always make sure you bring spares! Now, you may be thinking: can I have spare batteries in my luggage? Well, possibly, check with your airline. You may be required to put your batteries in your carry-on depending on the kind of battery.
Hearing aid travel tips
Finally, it’s time to hit the road now that all the preparation and planning have been done! Or, well, the airways, maybe. Before you go out to the airport, there are some things about flying with hearing aids you should definitely be aware of.
- Will I be able to hear well in the airport? How well you can hear in an airport will depend on what airport it is and what time of day. But a telecoil device will normally 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 loud and chaotic.
- Is it ok to use my hearing aids longer than normal? Hearing aids are meant to be used every day, all day. So you should be using your hearing aids anytime you aren’t in a really loud setting, swimming, or showering.
- Can I use my hearing aids while I’m on the plane? You won’t have to turn your hearing aids off when you hear that “all electronics must be off” spiel. But it’s a good plan to enable flight mode if your hearing aid heavily relies on Bluetooth connectivity or wifi. Some of the in-flight announcements may be hard to hear so make sure you let the flight attendants know about your hearing loss.
- When I go through the TSA security checkpoint, will I need to remove my hearing aids? You won’t be required to remove your hearing aids for the security screening. It’s generally a good plan to let the TSA agents know you’re wearing them. Don’t ever 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 aids.
- How useful is my smartphone? Your smartphone is really useful, not surprisingly. After you land, you can utilize this device to change the settings on your hearing aid (if you have the correct type of hearing aid), find directions to your destination, and even translate foreign languages. If your phone is capable of doing all that (and you know how to use all those apps), it may take some stress off your ears.
- Do I have some rights I need to know about? Before you travel it’s never a bad idea to become 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. So if you feel like you’re missing out on some information, let an airport official know that you have hearing loss and they will most likely offer a solution.
Vacations are one of life’s many adventures
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 unexpected 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 amiss, with the correct preparations, you can keep it from spiraling out of control.
For individuals with hearing loss, this preparation frequently begins by having your hearing tested and making certain you have the equipment and care you need. 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).
Still have some questions or concerns? Call us today!
