Traveling With Hearing Aids: Packing, Security, Flights and Holidays

Before you go: a quick check-up

If your trip is long, or your hearing aids have been sounding different, it helps to have them checked before you leave rather than while you are away. A short visit lets the audiologist clean the device, change worn domes or wax guards and confirm the settings still suit your hearing.

If your hearing aids are still in their first year, the periodic warranty visit every three months includes a hearing test (audiogram), programming and free maintenance, so it is worth timing it around your travel dates where you can.

Packing list for traveling with hearing aids

Put everything for your hearing aids in one small pouch in your hand luggage, not in checked bags, so it stays with you if a suitcase is delayed.

• Your hearing aids' case. Use it every time the hearing aids are out of your ears, including at night in the hotel.
• Charger and cable (rechargeable models). Without it, a rechargeable hearing aid stops when the charge runs out. Danavox describes its Premium Charger as powerbank-style, with an onboard battery for up to three days of on-the-go charging without a power outlet, which some travellers find useful. Ask our team whether it is compatible with your hearing aids.
• A plug adapter. Check the socket type at your destination so you can charge every night.
• Spare batteries (battery models). Bring more than you expect to need, in the exact size your hearing aids use. In our catalogue, battery models use zinc-air sizes 10, 312, 13 or 675 depending on the model, and the wrong size will not fit.
• Cleaning supplies. A soft cloth, a brush, and spare domes and wax guards. On models with exchangeable microphone filters, bring spares of those too.
• Accessories you use daily. A remote control or a remote microphone, with its charger if it has one.

Our article on hearing aid batteries and charging has more on keeping batteries and chargers in good condition.

Airlines often set their own rules for power banks and spare lithium batteries. If you carry a portable charger, check your airline's current rules before you fly.

At airport security

Rules differ between countries and airports, so follow the instructions of the security staff where you are. As one example, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) states that travellers are not required to remove hearing aids or cochlear implants for screening, and that a pat-down or device inspection may be needed if a medical device sets off the walk-through metal detector or body scanner.

Practical tips that help at any airport:

• Tell the security officer that you wear hearing aids and may not hear every instruction.
• Keep your hearing aids in so you can follow what is said, unless you are asked to remove them.
• If you place a charger or spare batteries in a tray, keep them together in a small bag so nothing goes missing.

On the plane

Keeping your hearing aids in during the flight helps you follow boarding calls, crew announcements and conversation. Let the cabin crew know you have hearing loss, especially if you are travelling alone, so they can make sure you get important information.

Cabin noise can make speech harder to follow. If your audiologist has set up a program for noisy places, this may be the time to use it, and you can ask at your next visit whether one would help you.

If you notice a sudden drop in hearing during or after a trip, do not wait until you are home: seek medical care the same day.

At your destination: heat, beaches, pools and humidity

Holidays bring the conditions hearing aids like least. A few habits protect them:

• Never leave hearing aids in a hot car or in direct sun on a beach towel or windowsill. NIDCD advises keeping hearing aids away from heat and moisture.
• Take them out before swimming, showering or wudu. Many models in our catalogue are IP68-certified, a rating for resistance to dust and water, but resistance does not mean they are made for swimming.
• Keep sand and sunscreen away. Remove the hearing aids before applying sunscreen or spray, and clean your hands before putting them back.
• Dry them at the end of the day and store them in their case or charger.

In humid places, sweat and moisture are a daily factor. Our tips on heat, sweat and humidity apply on holiday as much as at home.

Travelling with someone who wears hearing aids

Often the person wearing hearing aids is a parent or a child in the family. It helps if one companion takes charge of the small hearing aid pouch, agrees on a fixed place for the case and charger in each hotel, gives a reminder to charge or change batteries each night, and sits where the wearer can see their face in crowded airports and restaurants. Keep hearing aids and small batteries out of reach of young children in hotel rooms.

If something goes wrong while you are away

Most problems have simple causes. Before assuming the hearing aid is broken:

1. Check the charge, or put in a fresh battery of the correct size.
2. Look for wax in the receiver, dome or sound outlet and change the wax guard.
3. Make sure the dome or tip is seated properly if the hearing aid whistles.
4. Restart the hearing aid as you were shown at your fitting.

Our hearing aid troubleshooter walks you through these checks step by step.

If a problem remains, think carefully before having the hearing aid opened or reprogrammed elsewhere. Every Danavox hearing aid from Jordan Hearing & Speech comes with a one-year warranty from the date of purchase that covers manufacturing defects and maintenance. It does not cover breakage, misuse, cut wires, or hearing aids dropped into liquids, and it applies on condition that the hearing aids are not programmed at another hearing centre and no repair is attempted by a technician outside our centre. You can call or WhatsApp us on +968 9171 8373 for advice.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to take my hearing aids out at airport security?

It depends on the country and airport, so follow the instructions of the security staff. The US TSA, for example, states that travellers are not required to remove hearing aids or cochlear implants, though a pat-down or device inspection may be needed if a medical device sets off an alarm.

Should I pack hearing aid batteries and chargers in checked luggage?

Keep them in your hand luggage so they stay with you if a suitcase is delayed. Airlines have their own rules for power banks and spare lithium batteries, so check your airline's current rules if you carry a portable charger.

Can I wear my hearing aids during the flight?

Yes, most people keep them in so they can hear announcements and conversation. Tell the cabin crew that you have hearing loss so they can make sure you receive important information.

What if my hearing aid gets wet on holiday?

Take it out, dry the outside with a soft cloth, and do not use a hair dryer or heater. If it does not work normally once dry, contact us. Note that hearing aids dropped into liquids are not covered by the warranty.

Book an appointment

Planning a trip? Book an appointment for a check before you travel. As part of our Danavox hearing aid fitting and follow-up service in Bousher, Muscat, we can clean and check your hearing aids, and our team can tell you which chargers and accessories work with your model.

Related articles

• Everyday Care for Your Hearing Aids
• Hearing Aid Sounds Weak or Silent? A Step-by-Step Checklist
• Sudden Hearing Loss in One Ear: Why It Needs Urgent Medical Attention

Sources

• TSA — Disabilities and medical conditions
• NIDCD (NIH) — Hearing aids
• Danavox product and accessory details as published in our hearing aids catalogue on this site.

This article is general information and does not replace advice from a qualified professional.