Aren’t there a couple of kinds of vacation? One type is full of activities at all times. These are the trips that are recalled for years later and are full of adventure, and you head back to work more tired than you left.
The other kind is all about relaxing. You might 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) on the beach. Or possibly you spend your whole vacation at some sort of resort, getting pampered the whole time. These are the peaceful and relaxing kinds of vacations.
Everybody has their own idea of the perfect vacation. But neglected hearing loss can put a damper on whichever type of vacation you take.
Your vacation can be ruined by hearing loss
Your vacation can become a challenge if you have hearing loss, particularly if you don’t know you have it. Many individuals who have hearing loss don’t even recognize they have it and it eventually creeps up on them. On all their devices, the volume just keeps going higher and higher.
The nice thing is that there are some proven ways to reduce the effect hearing loss might have on your vacation. The first move, of course, will be to schedule a hearing screening if you haven’t already. The more ready you are before you go, the easier it will be to diminish 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 effect your next vacation? Well, there are a couple of ways. Individually, they might not seem like that big of a deal. But when they start to compound it can become a real issue. Some common illustrations include the following:
- Language barriers become even more tricky: Coping with a language barrier is already hard enough. But deciphering voices with hearing loss, particularly when it’s really loud, makes it much harder.
- You can miss significant moments with family and friends: Maybe your friend just told a great joke that everyone loved, except you couldn’t hear the punchline. Significant and enriching conversations can be missed when you have neglected hearing loss.
- You can miss out on the radiance of a new place: When what you’re hearing is muted, your experience could be muted as well. After all, your favorite vacation place is alive with unique sounds, like bustling street sounds or singing birds.
- Essential notices come in but you frequently miss them: Perhaps you’re waiting for your train or plane to board, but you don’t ever hear the announcement. This can cast your entire vacation timing into chaos.
Not surprisingly, if you’re wearing your hearing aids, some of these negative effects can be mitigated and minimized. So, managing your hearing requirements is the ideal way to keep your vacation on track.
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. Not by any Means! 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 smoothly as possible. Of course, that’s rather common travel advice no matter how strong your hearing is.
Here are several things you can do to make sure hearing loss doesn’t negatively effect your next vacation:
- Bring extra batteries: Having your hearing aids die on the first day is no fun! Always make sure you bring spares! Now, you might be thinking: can I bring spare batteries in my luggage? Well, possibly, check with 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 correctly before you jump on a plane, train, or automobile. This can help prevent problems from developing while you’re on your vacation. It’s also a good idea to make certain your recommended maintenance is up to date!
- Pre-planning is a smart plan: It’s okay to remain spontaneous to a degree, but the more planning you do before you go, the less you’ll need to figure things out on the fly (and that’s when hearing loss can introduce more difficulties).
Hearing aid travel tips
Finally, it’s time to hit the road now that all the preparation and planning have been done! Or maybe it’s the airways. Before you head out to the airport, there are a number of things about flying with hearing aids you should definitely be aware of.
- Is it ok to fly with hearing aids in? When they announce that it’s time to turn off your electronic devices, you won’t need to turn your hearing aids off. But it’s a good plan to activate flight mode if your hearing aid relies heavily on Bluetooth connectivity or wifi. Some of the in-flight announcements may be hard to hear so be certain that you tell the flight attendant about your hearing loss.
- Do I have some rights I need to know about? Before you travel it’s not a bad plan to get 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 amounts to this: information has to be available to you. Talk to an airport official about a solution if you think you are missing some info and they will most likely be able to help.
- Is it ok to use my hearing aids longer than normal? Most hearing specialists will recommend that you wear your hearing aids all day, every day. So you should be using your hearing aids anytime you’re not in a really loud place, swimming, or showering.
- How helpful is my smartphone? Your smartphone is extremely helpful, not shockingly. 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), get 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.
- When I’m in the airport, how well will I be able to hear? How well you can hear in the airport will depend on which airport it is and what time of day. But a telecoil device will normally be installed in many areas of most modern airports. This device is specially made to help individuals with hearing aids hear their surroundings better.
- Do I have to take my hearing aids out when I go through TSA security? You won’t need to remove your hearing aids for the security screening. It’s usually a good idea to let the TSA agents know you’re wearing them. If there is any type 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.
Life is an adventure, and that includes vacations
Vacations are hard to predict with or without hearing loss. Not everything is going to go right all the time. That’s why it’s essential that you have a good attitude and treat your vacation like you’re embracing the unanticipated.
That way you’ll still feel like your plans are on track even when the unavoidable challenge arises.
But you will be surprised less if you put together good preparations. With the correct preparation, you can make sure you have options when something goes awry, so an inconvenience doesn’t turn into a catastrophe.
Having a hearing exam and making sure you have the right equipment is usually the start of that preparation for individuals with hearing loss. And whether you’re on vacation number one (sightseeing in the city), or vacation number two (chilling on a tropical beach somewhere), this advice will still hold.
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