There are a couple of kinds of vacations, right? There’s the kind where you cram every single activity you can into every waking second. This kind will leave you more exhausted than when you left but all of the adventures will be recalled for many years to come.
Then there are the relaxing kinds of vacations. These are the trips where you might not do, well, much of anything. Perhaps you drink some wine. Perhaps you spend a day (or two, or three) on the beach. Or possibly you spend your entire vacation at some sort of resort, getting pampered the entire time. These kinds 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 kind of vacation you take.
Hearing loss can spoil a vacation
There are some unique ways that hearing loss can make a vacation more difficult, especially if you don’t know you have hearing loss. Many individuals who have hearing loss don’t even recognize they have it and it eventually creeps up on them. They just keep turning the volume on their television up and up and up.
But the impact that hearing loss can have on a vacation can be minimized with some proven strategies, and that’s the good news. The first step, of course, will be to make an appointment for a hearing screening if you haven’t already. The more ready you are ahead of time, the easier it will be to diminish any power hearing loss could have over your fun, rest, and relaxation.
How can hearing loss effect your vacation
So how can hearing loss negatively impact your next vacation? There are actually a few ways as it turns out. And while some of them might seem a bit insignificant at first, they have a tendency to add up! Some common illustrations include the following:
- You can miss out on the radiance of a new place: Your experience can be rather dull when everything you hear is dull. 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: Maybe you miss your flight because you didn’t hear the boarding call. And as a result, your entire vacation schedule is thrown into total disarray.
- You can miss important moments with friends and family: Perhaps your friend just told a great joke that everybody enjoyed, except you couldn’t hear the punchline. When you have neglected hearing loss, you can miss significant (and enriching) conversations.
- Language barriers become even more difficult: Dealing with a language barrier is already difficult enough. But understanding voices with hearing loss, especially when it’s really noisy, makes it much harder.
A number of these negative outcomes can be averted by simply using your hearing aids. So, taking care of your hearing needs is the ideal 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 true! But it does mean that, when you have hearing loss, a little bit of additional planning and preparation, can help make sure your vacation goes as easily as possible. Whether you have hearing loss or not, this is definitely practical travel advice.
Here are a few things you can do to ensure hearing loss doesn’t negatively effect your next vacation:
- Keep your hearing aids clean: Before you leave on your travels, make sure you clean your hearing aids. This can help prevent issues from developing while you’re on your vacation. Keeping your hearing aids on their regular maintenance is also a good plan.
- Do a little pre-planning: When you need to figure things out on the fly, that’s when hearing loss can present some difficulties, so don’t be overly spontaneous and prepare as much as you can.
- Bring extra batteries: Having your hearing aids die on the first day is no fun! Remember to bring some spare batteries. Now, you might be thinking: can I have spare batteries in my luggage? Well, possibly, check with your airline. You might be required to put your batteries in your carry-on depending on the type of battery.
Tips for traveling with hearing aids
Once all the planning and preparation is done, it’s time to hit the road! Or, well, the airways, maybe. Many individuals have questions about flying with hearing aids, and there are definitely some good things to understand before you go to the airport.
- Is it ok to fly with hearing aids in? You won’t have to turn your hearing aids off when you hear that “all electronics must be off” spiel. Having said that, you may want to activate flight mode on hearing aids that rely heavily on wifi or Bluetooth connectivity. You may also want to let the flight attendants know you have hearing loss, as there may be announcements during the flight that are difficult to hear.
- If I use my hearing aids more than normal, is that ok? Hearing aids are designed to be worn every day, all day. So, any time you aren’t in bed, taking a shower, or going for a swim (or in a super loud setting), you should be using your devices.
- Will I be able to hear well in the airport? 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 device is specifically made to help people with hearing aids hear their environment better.
- When I go through the TSA security checkpoint, will I need to take out my hearing aids? You won’t need 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 kind of conveyor belt or X-ray machines, make sure your hearing aids do not go through that belt. Your hearing aids can be damaged by the static charge that these conveyor type X-ray devices generate.
- Will my smartphone be helpful? Your smartphone is extremely useful, not surprisingly. You can utilize your smartphone to get directions to your destination, translate foreign languages, and if you have the correct kind of hearing aid, you can use your smartphone to adjust your settings to your new environment. You might be able to take some strain off your ears if you can utilize your phone like this.
- Should I be aware of my rights? Before you travel it’s never a bad plan to become familiar with your rights. If you’re dealing with hearing loss, you’ll have lots of rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. But essentially, it boils down to this: information has to be accessible to you. So if you feel like you’re missing out on some info, let an airport official know that you have hearing loss and they will most likely offer a solution.
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. So be prepared for the unexpected and try to have a positive mindset.
That way you’ll still feel like your plans are on track even when the inevitable obstacle happens.
Of course, the other side to that is that preparation can make a difference. With the correct 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 frequently starts by having your hearing tested and making sure you have the equipment and care you require. And whether you’re on 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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