Things to remember when flying with a hearing aid
Dec 03, 2012 in Hearing Aids
The thoughts of a summer holiday are firmly at the back of people's minds, what with the freezing temperatures at the minute.
However, many still need to travel by plane, be it for business or pleasure, during the winter and, as such, it is important to know what to expect when it comes to travelling and flying with a hearing aid.
This is one question our expert audiologists get asked a great deal when people are having their free hearing tests and there's really quite a simple answer behind it.
Essentially, there isn't a great deal that you have to do when travelling by air, although there are some considerations you may wish to make in terms of when you actually arrive.
Right from checking in, through the security process and boarding and disembarking the plane, there are no regulations that mean you need to remove, turn off or hand over your device.
Some travellers with hearing loss choose to alter the volume on their aid as they go through the whole travelling process. So, they may want to turn the volume up to help with communication while dialling it down to combat any unwanted background noise.
In terms of actually being abroad with a device, it's important that you remember any documents or advice pieces that could help while abroad and also that you do some prior research into what facilities your accommodation has in terms of loops or hearing systems.
For hearing aids that aren't waterproof it's also wise to pack a small, portable dehumidifier in your luggage. This will ensure that moisture doesn’t find its way into your device.
Generally speaking, travelling is one of the concerns that people being fitted with hearing aids have.
However, it's really not much of a problem and once you've done it once or twice you will get to know exactly what your preferences are for travelling.