In The Air

If you are planning to travel for the holidays, a little preparation goes a long way. Whether your travel occurs over Thanksgiving weekend or Christmas break, you can expect large crowds, noisy airports and long lineups. To make sure you don’t miss anything important when you’re traveling:

• Check the website, or call ahead to find out if there are any special services for people with hearing loss. If you require a sign language interpreter, call at least two weeks in advance to make sure one is available for you.

• Tell a flight attendant about your hearing loss when you arrive, so they know to check in with you, and make sure you haven’t missed any important updates.

• Keep all your travel documents in a place where they are easy to access.

• In the airport, you can walk through the security check with your ​hearing aids, and you don’t need to turn them off on the plane when other electronic devices need to be turned off for takeoff and landing.

On The Road

If you’re traveling by car, you don’t have to worry about security checks and loudspeaker announcements. But there are still a few things you should consider:

• Get an extra wide rear view mirror for the car, so you can see more of what’s around you.

• Make sure the interior car light is working, so you can turn it on and clearly see the faces of the people you are talking to.

• Ask your audiologist about assistive listening devices that will help you hear better while you’re in the car.

What To Pack

Whether you’re visiting relatives or jetting off for a romantic getaway for two, make a list ahead of time of the things you’ll need so you don’t forget anything at the last minute. Make sure to include:

• Extra batteries for your hearing aids and assistive listening devices

• ​Hearing aid cleaning kit

• An adapter for your charger if you’re going abroad

• Assistive listening devices

• Any accessories like ear hooks, cleaning brushes or a multi-tool

• Plastic bags and a water-resistant hat if your vacation includes water activities

Visit your audiologist before your trip, and talk about where you’re going and what you’ll be doing. Working together, you can decide if any adjustments need to be made to your devices so you can hear your best on your vacation. Your audiologist may also have some tips to make sure your devices continue to work their best while you’re away.

Don’t let hearing loss put a damper on your holiday plans. A little preparation can make for a happy holiday. Safe travels!