There are two types of vacations, right? There’s the type 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 fun will be recalled for years to come.
The other kind is all about relaxing. These are the trips where you might not do, well, much of anything. Perhaps you drink a bit of wine. Maybe you spend a day (or two, or three) at the beach. Or maybe you spend your whole vacation at some kind of resort, getting pampered the entire time. These are the restful and relaxing kinds of vacations.
Everybody has their own concept of the perfect vacation. But neglected hearing loss can put a damper on whichever kind of vacation you choose.
Hearing loss can ruin a vacation
There are a few unique ways that hearing loss can make a vacation more challenging, especially if you don’t know you have hearing loss. Many individuals who have hearing loss don’t even know they have it and it eventually creeps up on them. On all their devices, the volume just keeps going up and up.
The nice thing is that there are a few proven ways to reduce the impact hearing loss might have on your vacation. Making an appointment for a hearing test is obviously the first step. The more prepared you are ahead of time, the easier it will be to diminish any power hearing loss might have over your fun, rest, and relaxation.
How can your vacation be effected by hearing loss
So how can your next vacation be adversely effected by hearing loss? There are actually a few ways as it turns out. By themselves, they may not seem like that big of a deal. But when they begin to compound it can become a real issue. Here are some common instances:
- The radiant life of a new place can be missed: When what you’re hearing is muted, your experience may be muted too. After all, you could miss out on the unique bird calls or humming traffic noises that make your vacation spot unique and memorable.
- Meaningful moments with friends and relatives can be missed: Maybe your friend just told a hilarious joke that everyone enjoyed, except you couldn’t make out the punchline. When you have untreated hearing loss, you can miss significant (and enriching) conversations.
- Language barriers become even more tricky: It’s hard enough to overcome a language barrier. But deciphering voices with hearing loss, especially when it’s very loud, makes it much more difficult.
- You miss crucial notices: 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 into chaos.
Some of these negative outcomes can be averted by simply using your hearing aids. So, taking care of your hearing requirements is the best way to keep your vacation on track.
If you have hearing loss, how can you get ready for your vacation?
All of this doesn’t mean that hearing loss makes a vacation impossible. Not by any Means! But it does mean that, when you have hearing loss, a little bit of added planning and preparation, can help ensure your vacation goes as smoothly as possible. Whether you have hearing loss or not, this is obviously good travel advice.
Here are several things you can do to make sure hearing loss doesn’t negatively effect your next vacation:
- Do a little pre-planning: It’s okay to remain spontaneous to some 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 challenges).
- Bring extra batteries: Having your hearing aids die on the first day is no fun! Don’t forget to bring some spare batteries. Now, you might be thinking: can I bring spare batteries in my luggage? Well, maybe, check with your airline. You may need to store your batteries in your carry-on depending on the kind of battery.
- Keep your hearing aids clean: It’s a smart idea to make certain your hearing aids are clean and working properly before you jump on a plane, train, or automobile. If you have clean hearing aids, you’re much less likely to have troubles on vacation. It’s also a good idea to make certain your suggested maintenance is up to date!
Hearing aid travel tips
Finally, it’s time to hit the road now that all the preparation and planning have been done! Or possibly it’s the airways. Before you go out to the airport, there are a few things about flying with hearing aids you should certainly be aware of.
- If I use my hearing aids more than normal, is that ok? Hearing aids are designed to be used every day, all day. So you should be wearing your hearing aids anytime you’re not in a really loud place, swimming, or showering.
- Do I need 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. Having said that, letting the TSA agents know you’re wearing hearing aids is always a good plan. If there is any kind of conveyor belt or X-ray machines, be certain that your hearing aids don’t go through that belt. Conveyor-belt style X-ray machines can produce a static charge that can damage your hearing devices.
- Do I have some rights I should know about? It’s not a bad idea! In general, it’s good to familiarize yourself with your rights before you go. If you have hearing loss, you’ll have many rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. But basically, it boils down to this: information must be available to you. Speak with an airport official about a solution if you feel like you’re missing some info and they will most likely be able to help.
- 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 need to turn your hearing aids off. That said, you may want to enable flight mode on hearing aids that rely heavily on wifi or Bluetooth connectivity. You might 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’m in the airport, how well will I be able to hear? That will depend, some airports are really noisy during certain times of the day. But most modern airports will have a telecoil device setup throughout many areas. This is a simple 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 noisy and chaotic.
- Will my smartphone be useful? Your smartphone is extremely helpful, not surprisingly. You can use your smartphone to get directions to your destination, translate foreign languages, and if you have the right type of hearing aid, you can utilize your smartphone to adjust your settings to your new environment. If your phone is prepared to do all that (and you know how to use all those apps), it could take some stress off your ears.
Vacations are one of life’s many adventures
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 good mindset.
That way you’ll still feel like your plans are on track even when the unavoidable obstacle arises.
But you will be surprised less if you put together good preparations. With the right preparation, you can make sure you have options when something goes wrong, so an inconvenience doesn’t turn into a disaster.
For individuals with hearing loss, this preparation frequently starts by getting your hearing tested and making certain you have the hardware and care you need. And whether you’re on vacation number one (sightseeing in the city), or vacation number two (relaxing on a tropical beach somewhere), this advice will still hold.
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