There are a couple of kinds of vacations, right? There’s the type where you cram every single activity you can into every waking second. These are the trips that are remembered for years later and are packed with adventure, and you head back to work more exhausted than you left.
Then there are the relaxing types of vacations. These are the trips where you may not do, well, much of anything. Maybe you drink some wine. Maybe you spend a day (or two, or three) on the beach. Or maybe you’re getting pampered at some resort for your entire vacation. These are the peaceful and relaxing kinds of vacations.
Everybody has their own idea of the perfect vacation. Whatever way you choose, however, neglected hearing loss can put your vacation in jeopardy.
Your vacation can be ruined by hearing loss
Your vacation can become a challenge if you have hearing loss, especially if you don’t know you have it. Many individuals who have hearing loss don’t even realize they have it and it eventually sneaks up on them. They just keep cranking the volume on their television up and up and up.
The good news is that there are some tried and tested ways to lessen the effect hearing loss might have on your vacation. Scheduling a hearing exam is definitely 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 hearing loss impact your vacation
So how can your next vacation be adversely effected by hearing loss? There are actually a few ways as it turns out. And while some of them may seem a bit insignificant at first, they have a tendency to add up! Here are some common instances:
- You can miss important moments with family and friends: Maybe your friend just told a great joke that everyone loved, except you couldn’t hear 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, your favorite vacation spot is alive with unique sounds, like bustling street sounds or singing birds.
- Getting beyond language barriers can be overwhelming: It’s difficult enough to contend with a language barrier. But understanding voices with hearing loss, particularly when it’s really noisy, makes it much harder.
- Important notices come in but you often miss them: Perhaps you miss your flight because you didn’t hear the boarding call. And as a result, your whole vacation schedule is cast into total chaos.
Some of these negative situations can be averted by simply using your hearing aids. So, taking care of your hearing requirements is the best way to keep your vacation moving in the right direction.
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. That’s not at all the case! But it does mean that, when you’re dealing with hearing loss, a little bit of added planning and preparation, can help ensure your vacation goes as easily as possible. Of course, that’s rather common travel advice regardless of how strong your hearing is.
You can be sure that hearing loss won’t have a negative impact on your vacation, here are a few things you can do:
- Pre-planning is a good idea: It’s okay to be spontaneous to some degree, but the more planning you do ahead of time, the less you’ll have to figure things out on the fly (and that’s when hearing loss can introduce more difficulties).
- Bring extra batteries: Having your hearing aids die on the first day is no fun! Always make certain you bring spares! Now, you may be thinking: can I have spare batteries in my luggage? The exact rules and guidelines will depend on which airline you’re using. Some kinds of batteries must be kept in your carry-on.
- Clean your hearing aids: Before you go out on your travels, make sure you clean your hearing aids. If you have clean hearing aids, you’re less likely to have difficulties on vacation. Keeping your hearing aids on their regular maintenance is also a smart plan.
Tips for traveling with hearing aids
Once all the planning and preparation is done, it’s time to hit the road! Or possibly it’s the airways. Before you go out to the airport, there are a few things about going on a plane with hearing aids you should definitely know about.
- How useful is my smartphone? Your smartphone is extremely useful, not surprisingly. You can use your smartphone to find directions to your destination, translate foreign languages, and if you have the right type of hearing aid, you can use your smartphone to adjust your settings to your new environment. If your phone is capable of doing all that (and you know how to use all those apps), it could take some stress off your ears.
- Do I have some rights I should know about? It’s a good idea! Generally, it’s good to familiarize yourself with your rights before you travel. If you have hearing loss, you’ll have many rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Basically, you have to have access to information. Speak with an airport official about a solution if you feel like you are missing some information and they should be able to help.
- 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 installed throughout many areas. This is a basic wire device (though 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 fly with hearing aids in? When they tell you it’s time to turn off your electronic devices, you won’t be required to turn your hearing aids off. That said, you might want to enable flight mode on hearing aids that rely heavily on wifi or Bluetooth connectivity. Some of the in-flight announcements could be hard to hear so be certain that you tell the flight attendant about your hearing loss.
- When I go through the TSA security checkpoint, will I be required to take out my hearing aids? You won’t be required to take your hearing aids out for the security screening. 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, be certain that your hearing aids do not go through that belt. Conveyor-belt style X-ray machines can produce a static charge that can damage your hearing devices.
- Is it ok to use my hearing aids longer than normal? Hearing aids are designed to be used every day, all day. So you should be wearing your hearing aids anytime you aren’t in a really noisy setting, swimming, or showering.
Vacations are one of life’s many adventures
Vacations are hard to predict with or without hearing loss. At times, the train can go off the rails. So be prepared for the unforeseen and try to have a good mindset.
That way you’ll still feel as if your plans are on track even when the inevitable obstacle happens.
But you will be caught off guard less if you make good preparations. When something goes wrong, with the correct preparations, you can keep it from going out of control.
For those with hearing loss, this preparation frequently begins by getting your hearing tested and making certain you have the equipment and care you require. And whether you’re taking vacation number one (sightseeing in the city), or vacation number two (chilling on a tropical beach somewhere), this guidance will still hold.
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