Travel tips for people with hearing aids

It is summer again, and you might be packing up to rush to the airport. I thought it best to drop this post so you have a list to go through as part of your vacation preparation. I will keep it brief.

Related articles:

• Should I take off my hearing aids during the flight?

• What to do if my hearing aids get wet?

Preparation

What should I pack besides my hearing aids when going on a vacation?

Make sure to take the following items with you:

1. Your hearing aids (of course)

2. Hearing aid charger, if battery-powered, a few battery sheets

3. Spare earwax filters

4. The dehumidifier unit (in case they get wet)

Where can I get a dehumidifier for my hearing aids?

Please see a full discussion about dryer units and dehumidifiers for hearing aids.

At the airport

Should I remove my hearing aids when passing through airport security?

No, you don't need to remove your hearing aids when passing through the security check at the airport. Please see this article for a full review of using hearing aids at the airport and on the flight.

Can I charge my hearing aids on the flight?

Most rechargeable hearing aids use a standard USB connector to connect to the wall socket. Depending on your flight, your seat may have an option to connect your hearing aid charger and let them charge. If you do a lot of travelling, my best advice is to consider a power-pack charger for your hearing aids. Most power pack chargers, when fully charged, offer at least 3 full charges to your hearing aids.

Do I need to inform the airline crew that I use a hearing aid?

You don't have to, but it has some benefits for you. When at the airport at the check-in desk, you can inform the airline that you use hearing aids. Some airlines have an online check-in section that asks about any disability. You could do it online too. This is critical for those with severe to profound hearing loss who might have problems hearing the announcements in the transit room or on the flight, in case of losing hearing aids or for any reason that the hearing aids are not working. By the IATA's guidelines, the check-in desk needs to offer you a seat that is more visible and kind of under the supervision of the flight attendants. Also, at the time of boarding, they need to board you with the priority group, as hearing loss is indeed a disability.

Do I get a flight assistant if I am deaf checking in on a flight?

Unlikely, but your seat may be changed to allow better access for the flight crew in case you need them, or they need to communicate any emergency to you. So if your hearing loss is severe to profound or profound, my advice is to inform the check-in desk when at the airport and inform the flight attendant when in the cabin.

On the flight

Do hearing aids reduce flight noise?

Not all hearing aids offer noise reduction, so best to speak to your audiologist if you do a lot of air travel (e.g. on business trips) and noise cancellation is an important feature of your hearing aids. The other point is that in order for noise reduction of the hearing aids to work properly, they need to be fitted with power domes (similar to iPod fittings that completely seal your ear canal). The power domes or fully closed fitting work best for patients with severe to profound hearing loss. So, from a technical point, this may not be possible for your level and profile of hearing loss if your loss is only mild to moderate.

Should I remove my hearing aids to avoid damage to my eardrum due to change of the cabin pressure during the flight?

Problems rarely happen, but it depends on the fitting of your hearing aids. If your hearing aids are fitted with an open dome, or vented-closed domes, changes in cabin pressure would be easily transferred to the space between your eardrum and the dome. The same will happen in the case of IIC/CIC/ITC/ITE hearing aids with proper vent size. In such a case, wearing hearing aids is quite transparent to the changes in the cabin pressure. The same equalisation technique would sort out any impact on your eardrum even in the case of hearing aids fitted with power domes. If you are too concerned with the change in the cabin pressure, then best to remove your hearing aids for take-off and descent.

Should I switch off my hearing aids during the taxi or during the flight?

No, the magnetic wave emitted from your hearing aids is much less than the level recommended by IATA. Also, from a passenger's safety point of view, it is essential that the passenger with hearing loss is informed of the instructions of the flight crew at all times during the flight. However, IATA expects you to switch your mobile phones off or put them on Flight Mode (more in here).

I have difficulty hearing announcements at the airport, what should I do?

From the IATA point of view, hearing loss is considered a disability. At the airport, inform the check-in desk so they can offer you a seat that is more visible to the flight crew where you can also see them. At the time of boarding, you can also inform the flight crew so they board you earlier than the rest. Don't hesitate to ask the flight crew about the announcements if you are concerned about the condition of the flight.

Can I connect my hearing aids to the flight entertainment system to hear the movie soundtrack?

I absolutely agree that it would be ultimate fun if you could connect your hearing aids to the entertainment system of the flight and listen to the soundtrack of the movies straight through your hearing aids.

Here are the options to connect your hearing aids to the entertainment system on a commercial flight:

1. Bluetooth - Only a few aircraft may offer Bluetooth connectivity from the entertainment system in your seat to a Bluetooth headphone or hearing aids. If you are lucky to be on board such a flight, you can try to see if the flight entertainment system can detect your hearing aids as a Bluetooth headset or not (you need to reboot your hearing aids to place them in a pairing mode, usually only for 20-30 seconds). Such a system likely works on Classic Bluetooth. So specific hearing aids would have a better chance of this, including all Phonak and Unitron products, as well as Signia Pure Charge and Go BCT and Rexton Reach BCT. Other hearing aids use ASHAA LE Bluetooth.

2. Connecting via a hearing aid remote microphone with 3.5 mm inlet - Certain hearing aid remote microphones have a 3.5 mm inlet. You can connect any source of music, including a landline handset, laptop or a flight entertainment system, to them and viola. The soundtrack will be transferred from the flight entertainment system to your hearing aids. This would be the easiest and most practical option to listen to the movie soundtrack on a flight right into your hearing aids. Examples of such remote microphones are the Resound Remote Microphone and Phonak Roger On iN V3 (requires its docking station), and Starkey Remote Microphone Plus. Unfortunately, the Signia, Oticon and Rexton remote microphones do not have a 3.5mm inlet.

Please note that:

• If your hearing aids are fitted with open domes, the sound quality of the movie soundtrack through your hearing aids may not be very impressive. The streaming sound quality through hearing aids is much better with power domes, or at least with vented-closed domes, but not with open domes. Please consult with your audiologist if you wish to see whether you can replace the fitting strategy.

• Listening to the soundtrack of a movie through your hearing aids on a flight through any of the methods explained above does not require your mobile phone to use Bluetooth, meaning you can keep your mobile phone in Flight Mode all the time. When streaming, the rocker switch on most hearing aids works as a balance control and can increase the volume of the streaming sound. Please consult with your audiologist if your hearing aids are not set up to serve this purpose.

On vacation

What should I do if my hearing aids get wet?

Please refer to this article for a full discussion should such an incident happen.