Travelling with Hearing Aids: Practical Tips for Your Next Holiday

Following many conversations with clients about their travels, and the occasional visitor to Hobart who drops in at the clinic, I have put together some practical tips for travelling with hearing loss and hearing aids in this article.

Before you go

Have your hearing aids serviced: This allows your audiologist to perform a check-up and clean of your hearing aids, and ensure they are functioning as well as they possibly can before you go away, so you can enjoy hearing at your best while on holidays. I recommend booking this at least a month before you head off; this allows for a couple of weeks in case any repairs are required, or if a major adjustment is required, there is still time for a fine-tuning appointment before your departure date.

Pack spare batteries or your charger: If you have battery-powered hearing aids, calculate how many batteries you’re likely to require, and take more than you think you need, as they may be difficult to find or expensive overseas. If your hearing aids are rechargeable, ensure you pack your charger and the right plug adapter if you’re headed overseas.

Bring spare parts: Pack a spare set of domes or wax guards if your aids use them, plus a small cleaning kit. If you’re heading on a longer trip, you may wish to bring spare receivers or tubing so these can be changed if necessary.

Check your insurance: If you have insured your hearing aids at home, confirm whether loss, damage or theft is covered by your insurance company while overseas, and list your hearing aids on your travel insurance if needed. If your hearing aids came through the Hearing Services Program and they are lost or damaged beyond repair, a replacement may be available through the program, so let us know.

Take your hearing details: For extended trips, you may wish to carry a copy of your audiogram (hearing results) and your clinic’s contact details in case something goes wrong. Even if they can’t fix a problem from a distance, they may be able to provide details of your hearing aids via email or phone, should you need to visit another provider for an urgent issue.

Flying with hearing aids

Keep them in your carry-on: Pack your hearing aids, spare batteries and charger in your carry-on bag rather than your checked luggage. I’ve spoken to a handful of clients who have come to our clinic to borrow a hearing aid charger whilst on their holiday, as they’ve had their charger confiscated by security after packing it in their checked luggage. Airlines require spare lithium batteries and power banks to travel in the cabin, and a portable charging case with its own built-in battery should be treated the same way. Keeping everything with you also means you still have it if your suitcase goes astray.

Airport security: Hearing aids are fine to wear through metal detectors and scanners, and you don’t need to take them out for screening. If you have a significant hearing loss, you may like to let airline staff know about it, as you may not hear instructions clearly.

Flight mode: Hearing aids and devices that use low-power Bluetooth can generally be used at all times onboard your flight; however, it is worth checking with your airline to be safe. Some hearing aid models feature a dedicated ‘flight mode’ that deactivates the Bluetooth streaming while maintaining access to normal hearing amplification.

Ear pressure: Changes in cabin pressure during take-off and landing can sometimes cause discomfort or a ‘popping’ sensation in the ears, in which case you may wish to remove your hearing aids during these times. Once pressure has stabilised, put them back in so you can talk with staff and fellow passengers and don’t miss any announcements.

While you’re away

Protecting your devices: Consider the environment you will be spending time in. Humid destinations, cruises, pools, beaches and sweat can cause moisture to enter the hearing aids and damage them; for these destinations, a drying kit or dehumidifier box is well worth packing. Avoid leaving your hearing aids in hot cars, or in the sun, and be aware of sandy or dusty environments, which can clog microphones and ports. It’s also a good idea to pack a secure case, which you can keep on hand for storing your hearing aids so they don’t get lost or damaged on a beach, pool deck, plane seat pocket or hotel bed.

Noisy places, tours and groups: Restaurants, markets and tours can be challenging listening environments. Where possible, try to choose quieter tables, sit with your back to the noise, and ask guides to face you when speaking. Ask about hearing loops (if your hearing aids are set up with a telecoil), headsets or transcripts.

Phone apps: Live captioning apps and translation apps can help in noisy or foreign-language situations. Examples of these include Google Live Transcribe (for Android) or NALscribe (for Apple/iOS). Recent iPhones also have Live Captions built in, under Settings, Accessibility. For translation, Google Translate has a conversation mode that works on both.

If something goes wrong

Lost or broken aids: In the unfortunate event of a hearing aid breakdown, or worse, losing your hearing aids, you may need to try to find the closest audiology provider who is familiar with your brand. Having your brand, model and serial number saved on your phone helps. If you are in one destination for an extended period, you may be able to have replacements ordered for you, and have your latest results and programming emailed from your original audiologist.

Take a backup: If you have an older pair of hearing aids, bring them as a spare in case something goes wrong.

Planning a trip?

If you’re heading away soon, book a check-up at least a month before you leave and we’ll make sure your hearing aids are clean, working well and ready to travel. You can book online or call us on (03) 6292 5607.

Visiting Hobart and having trouble with your hearing aids? Give us a call and we’ll do what we can to help.