When traveling to your favorite getaway you will need to take steps to safeguard your hearing aid investment. Sometimes vacations are not as free of worry as you would like. If you come up with a plan to take care of and safeguard your hearing aids properly, that’s one less thing to stress about when you travel. What sort of specific care do your hearing aids require when you are on your trip?
Start With the Essentials
First of all, you will need to bring a cleaning kit. Keep cleaning your hearing aids the same as when you are at home. A brush or pick comes with most brand name cleaning kits. When you’re not using them, you should keep them in a case for safekeeping. Also, bring along a soft cloth to wipe them down.
Extra batteries will probably be a good idea also. Chances are you’ll be wearing your hearing aids longer than normal, so it’s prudent to have a backup. Don’t overlook that replacement charger if you have a hearing aid with rechargeable batteries. Your extra charger needs to be put somewhere separate in case one gets lost.
Start thinking about what extra accessories you might want for your hearing aids like:
- Tubing
- Soft domes
- Sport clip
Prior to packing your car up double check so that you may be certain you have everything you may need. Pack your hearing aid supplies in an easy to get to place to be sure that you can access them anytime. Carry on luggage is the best place to keep these items if you are going on a plane.
An Expert Cleaning And Checkup is a Good Idea Before You Get Going
Take your hearing aids in for a good cleaning and a professional tune-up a week or two before vacation. While traveling it’s essential that they are correctly working. Ask the retailer about any warranties you may have on the hearing aids and bring any paperwork with you in case something happens. Make sure that you know the steps for filing a claim, so you don’t miss anything and possibly void the warranty.
It won’t hurt to ask if there is a retailer around where you will be staying, too. Or research hearing aid repair or retailers by yourself. Then you will know where to go if you need a quick service, a new battery or even a new hearing aid.
Some Considerations If You Are Wearing Hearing Aids at The Airport
Considering all the changing security specifications, going to the airport is often puzzling. The first thing you need to be aware of is to wear your hearing aids while walking through the security checkpoints. As you approach the security officers, advise them that you are wearing a hearing aid. most of the time, you probably won’t need to remove them when you go through the metal detector, but listen to the directions of the security officer.
It’s also not a problem if you wear your hearing aids aboard the plane. You will not need to turn them off before take off like you do a mobile device, either. When on the plane, your hearing aid may not work as well. Try to fill the void by using visual hints to the flight crew and the others near you so they understand you can’t hear. When you don’t understand what someone is saying, try cupping your ear to make them aware.
Consider Getting a Dryer or Dehumidifier
Vacations usually go right along with water fun and humidity. Just because you don’t plan on going swimming, it doesn’t mean humidity is still not a potential problem. A dryer is very important when on vacation and also year round.
Make Sure You Know How Your Hearing Aids Function
Certain features work best in one kind of setting, other features work better in a different kind of environment. In a crowded restaurant for example, or at a theme park, you will want to filter out background noise. You will get more enjoyment out of the beach when you use outdoor settings. But you have to be familiar with how your hearing aid works if you want to utilize these features.
Bring a Remote Microphone
A remote microphone will come in handy in noisy environments, when driving in the car, or if you are on a plane. You simply clip the microphone to the person who you are talking with to enhance their voice so that you can chat freely.
Call Ahead to The Resort or Hotel
Commonly, popular vacation spots accommodate for the hearing impaired. Since you won’t be using your hearing aids during the night you will want to take advantage of that. Ask them about rooms with smoke alarms that have flashing lights or shake the bed. Ask if they have special phones for the hearing impaired and televisions with closed captioning.
Going on vacation is enjoyable, but it can be frantic, too. Get your hearing aids situated before you go, so you can relax and enjoy your trip. Schedule an appointment for a tune-up today.