The Family Hearing Center Summer E-Newsletter

TRAVEL TIPS for Hearing Aid Users

Going on vacation soon? Before you head out, keep these tips in mind to make traveling with your hearing aids a breeze.

BOOK THE RIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS

When reserving a hotel, request a hearing-accessible room for a more comfortable stay. Hotels must provide rooms with visual notification devices, TDDs and telephone amplifiers for individuals with hearing loss.

PACK SMART

Add your daily hearing aid essentials to your suitcase, including your hearing aid case and dryer, a charger for rechargeable devices (with an adapter for international travel), domes and wax guards, extra batteries for non-rechargeable devices and a cleaning kit.

CONSIDER YOUR MODE OF TRANSPORTATION

Air Travel— Unless the airport staff tells you otherwise, you can keep your hearing aids on when you go through security. It’s also smart to connect to the airport’s loop system to hear announcements more clearly, sign up for airline text message alerts to stay informed about gate changes or delays and wear your hearing aids on the plane for better communication. Public Transportation—Take advantage of loop systems in subway and bus stations. Preplanning will also help— purchase tickets online and map your route in advance for greater peace of mind.

Car Travel— Have your hearing devices on while driving, reduce distractions by keeping windows up to minimize wind noise and avoid playing loud music. All these steps will help you stay focused so you can arrive safely.

NEW STUDY POINTS TO

Over 1 Billion Young People at Risk for Hearing Loss

Teens and young adults should think twice about cranking up the volume on their devices or attending loud concerts.

A recent study published in BMJ Global Health revealed that up to 1.35 billion people ages 12–34 worldwide could be at risk for noise-induced hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices with devices and at noisy venues.1

While hearing loss is commonly associated with getting older, noise exposure can also cause the condition in individuals at any age. Young people, in particular, are prone to listening to loud music for too long, potentially leading to noise-induced hearing loss.

To uncover the effects of unsafe listening practices on this population, study researchers examined 33 scientific articles published between 2000 and 2021 that focused on personal listening devices and loud entertainment settings. They concluded that nearly 24% of young people listen to personal music devices at an unsafe level and that around 48% attend noisy entertainment venues, putting the hearing health of over one billion at risk.1

Tips to Prevent Hearing Loss

Fortunately, people of all ages can take steps to reduce their risk of noise-induced hearing loss.

• Use Noise-Canceling Headphones—These block background noise, allowing you to listen at a lower volume.

• Follow the 60-60 Rule— Listen at 60% of the maximum volume for no more than 60 minutes daily on your device. Some devices allow you to track your listening levels in the device settings or will alert you when you’ve listened to loud sounds for too long.

• Wear Hearing Protection— Popping in a pair of earplugs at a noisy concert is an easy, effective preventative measure.

Wondering where your child’s hearing stands? Think you may have noise-induced hearing loss?