Hearing aids, and their accessories, are TINY! So, when you are travelling somewhere, it’s important you are careful with them to ensure they are not lost or damaged.
Take your hearing aids with you
Travelling with hearing aids does not mean you should simply leave them behind. By leaving them behind, you can miss out on immersing yourself fully in your trip. Be sure to take your case / charging case and accessories / cleaning kit with you. You can store your aids in their case overnight so they are safe. If you are heading abroad, don’t forget to take an adapter plug if you have rechargeable aids. You will need one to plug the charger in.
If you are visiting somewhere with a hot climate, it might be worth investing in a drying kit. There are various dehumidifying cases you can purchase, electric and non-electric, which will fully dry out your hearing aids.
An example of a hearing aid drying system.
Use your hearing aids at the airport
If you’re jetting off on a plane this holiday season, you need to know when and where you can use your hearing aids at the airport.
Going through the scanners at security can be a daunting process. We have to remove everything metal and ensure we’ve given over all of your devices. Hearing aids are a tricky one to figure out considering they do have metal in and they are tiny devices. However, there is so little metal in them that they really shouldn’t set off the scanner. To be on the safe side, you should probably mention to the security team that you are wearing them but you do not need to remove them.
It’s worth knowing that most airports have T-loops now meaning you can connect your hearing aids to them if they are compatible. This can be helpful at passport control, security and check in for those with hearing aids. If you are worried about missing an announcement over the tannoy, simply speak to someone in customer relations at the airport as most have accessibility programmes. You can also check the screens in the departure lounges for information relating to your gate announcement.
Once you are on the plane, you can keep your hearing aids switched on. If you have Bluetooth enabled aids, you must ensure they are put into flight mode (in the same way any smart phones or laptops need to be). We all know how loud a plane’s engine is so some people turn the volume down on their aids to account for this. If you do this, ensure that either the flight attendant or the person you’re traveling with knows you have done this in case there is an emergency and you cannot hear the safety instructions clearly.
Keep your hearing aids sand free
If you’re going on a beach break, our advice would be to remove your hearing aids and pack them away before stepping foot on the beach. However, we do appreciate that some people rely heavily on their hearing aids and do not wish to remove them. In this instance, we would always advise that you wash your hands well before handling your hearing aids again. You must ensure any sand is washed from your hands before touching them. Sand can block hearing aids in much the same way that earwax does. If you do not wish to remove your hearing aids before visiting the beach, we would advise steering clear on windy days. On these days, the sand can get whipped up and still enter your hearing aids.
If you would like any further information or advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
