There are two kinds of vacations, right? There’s the type where you cram every single activity you can into every single moment. These are the vacations that are recalled for years later and are packed with adventure, and you head back to work more worn out than you left.
The other kind is all about unwinding. These are the trips where you may not do, well, much of anything. Perhaps you drink some wine. Maybe you spend a day (or two, or three) on the beach. Or maybe you’re getting spoiled at some resort for your entire vacation. These are the restful and relaxing types of vacations.
There’s no best to vacation. But neglected hearing loss can jeopardize whichever kind of vacation you take.
Your vacation can be ruined by hearing loss
There are a few distinct ways that hearing loss can make a vacation more difficult, particularly if you don’t recognize you have hearing loss. Many people who have hearing loss don’t even recognize they have it and it eventually sneaks up on them. They just keep cranking the volume on their television louder and louder.
The nice thing is that there are a few tried and tested ways to lessen the effect hearing loss could have on your vacation. Scheduling a hearing exam is definitely 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 impacted by hearing loss
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 little insignificant at first, they have a tendency to add up! Here are a few common instances:
- You can miss important moments with family and friends: Everyone enjoyed the great joke that your friend just told, but unfortunately, you missed the punchline. Important and enriching conversations can be missed when you have untreated hearing loss.
- The radiant life of a new place can be missed: When what you’re hearing is muted, your experience could be muted also. After all, your favorite vacation spot is alive with unique sounds, like active street sounds or singing birds.
- Important notices come in but you often miss them: Perhaps you’re waiting for your train or plane to board, but you never hear the announcement. And as a result, your whole vacation schedule is thrown into total chaos.
- Language barriers are even more tricky: Dealing with a language barrier is already hard enough. But deciphering voices with hearing loss, particularly when it’s very loud, makes it much more difficult.
Not surprisingly, if you’re wearing your hearing aids, some of these negative impacts can be mitigated and decreased. Which means the best way to keep your vacation moving in the right direction and stress free is to take care of your hearing needs before you start.
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 nowhere near the case! But with a little extra planning and preparation, your vacation can still be enjoyable and relatively hassle-free. Whether you have hearing loss or not, this is obviously good travel advice.
You can be sure that hearing loss won’t have a negative impact on your vacation, here are a number of things you can do:
- Pack extra batteries: There’s nothing worse than your hearing aid dying the first day because your batteries went dead. Always make certain you bring spares! Now, you might be thinking: can I bring spare batteries in my luggage? Well, possibly, consult your airline. Some types of batteries need to be kept in your carry-on.
- Clean your hearing aids: It’s a good plan to make sure your hearing aids are clean and functioning properly before you hop on a plane, train, or automobile. This can help avoid issues from developing while you’re on your vacation. Keeping your hearing aids on their regular maintenance is also a smart idea.
- Pre-planning is a smart idea: It’s okay to be spontaneous to some degree, but the more planning you do beforehand, the less you’ll need to figure things out on the fly (and that’s when hearing loss can present more obstacles).
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. Before you go out to the airport, there are a number of things about flying with hearing aids you should definitely know about.
- Will I be able to hear well in an airport? That will depend, some airports are very noisy during certain times of the day. But most modern airports will have a telecoil device setup throughout many areas. This device is specially made to help individuals with hearing aids hear their surroundings better.
- If I use my hearing aids more than usual, is that ok? Most hearing specialists will recommend that you wear your hearing aids all day, every day. So you should be using your hearing aids whenever 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 extremely helpful! Once you land, you can utilize this device to change the settings on your hearing aid (if you have the right kind 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 could take some stress off your ears.
- Should I know my rights? Before you leave it’s not a bad plan to get familiar with your rights. Under the American Disabilities Act, individuals with hearing loss have many special rights. But basically, it boils down to this: information must be accessible to you. Speak with an airport official about a solution if you feel like you’re missing some information and they should be able to help.
- Is it ok to take a flight with hearing aids in? When they announce that it’s time to turn 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 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 throughout the flight that are hard to hear.
- When I go through the TSA security checkpoint, will I be required to remove my hearing aids? You can keep your hearing aids in when you go through the security screening process. It’s generally a good plan to tell the TSA agents that you’re wearing them. Never let your hearing aids go through an X-ray machine or conveyor belt. Conveyor-belt style X-ray machines can create a static charge that can damage your hearing aids.
Vacations are one of life’s many adventures
Whether you have loss of hearing or not, vacations are hard to predict. At times, the train can go off the rails. That’s why it’s essential that you have a positive attitude and manage your vacation like you’re embracing the unanticipated.
That way you’ll still feel like your plans are on track even when the inevitable obstacle occurs.
Of course, the other side to that is that preparation can make a difference. When something goes amiss, with the correct preparations, you can keep it from getting out of control.
Getting a hearing test and making certain you have the right equipment is commonly the beginning of that preparation for individuals with hearing loss. And whether you’re taking vacation number one (sightseeing in the city), or vacation number two (relaxing on a tropical beach somewhere), this advice will still hold.
Want to make sure you can hear the big world out there but still have concerns? Make an appointment with us for a hearing test!