It’s nice to take a little break from work or school to enjoy the sun in another city. If you’re among the 15% of U.S. adults with hearing loss,[1] you need to take a few extra precautions to care for your devices on the go. Let’s look at some of those tips below.
1. Pack Carefully
Whether you’re a packing-cube or a pack-everything-at-the-last-moment person, you’ll need to take extra care packing your hearing aid accessories. You should store all hearing aid accessories in your carry-on, preferably in an electronics case. Place the case as far away from any liquids as possible to prevent damage.
2. Bring Any Accessories You Use Regularly
A few common hearing aid accessories include:
- Cleaning kit
- Charging case, cords or extra batteries
- Extra wax guards
- A hearing aid dehumidifier or drying jar—a crucial addition to beach vacations
Hearing aid accessories are small, but the impact they have on device performance is massive. If you’ve used a hearing aid accessory in the last month, it should come on your vacation with you.
3. Communicate With TSA
Your hearing aids help you communicate with TSA and in-flight personnel. You shouldn’t need to remove your hearing aids to go through airport security, but it’s always smart to alert TSA to your devices.
4. Store Your Hearing Aids in Their Case
Setting your devices on your tray table puts them at risk of loss or damage. When you aren’t wearing your hearing aids, they should be in their case, in your bag.
5. Keep up With Cleanings
Vacation, while fun, definitely disrupts our routines. When you go to bed later than usual, or move from hotel room to hotel room, it’s easy to forget to clean your hearing aids. Try setting an alarm every night to remind you to clean your devices. If you only have time to wipe them down, do that. Any cleaning is better than no cleaning at all.
6. Call us for a Professional Cleaning
A professional cleaning before your vacation or a deep clean after will keep your hearing aids functioning well. Call us at Augusta – Aiken ENT & Allergy to schedule your service appointment.
[1] National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2024). Quick statistics about hearing, balance, & dizziness. National Institutes of Health. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing