If you or someone special in your life has hearing loss, there’s no need to feel limited by it. Here is a plethora of fun things to do while still keeping your hearing aids on.
1. Getting your pulse up
Getting your pulse up is great fun be it on a mountain bike, rock climbing or in the gym. Luckily, for many physical activities it’s fine to keep your hearing aids on – simply use a hearing aid retention cord.
These safety cords or lanyards attach your hearing aids to your clothing, ensuring that you don’t lose or damage your hearing aids if they fall off your ears.
2. Dance in the rain – With an umbrella!
Hearing aids are electronic devices, so it’s best not to get them wet – but that doesn’t mean you have to be afraid of water. Just avoid direct or prolonged contact.
New hearing aids are IP68 certified, so they are tested to ensure they can tolerate getting wet. In fact, all new types of hearing aids are tested by being submerged under water, and they must still work afterwards.
So get out there and enjoy the rain – just bring a hat or umbrella to keep the rain off your hearing aids, and be sure to dry them out properly afterwards by opening the battery drawers and allowing air to circulate inside – or use a hearing aid dryer.
3. Attending lectures
When wearing hearing aids, you have a range of options to help in learning situations, such as remote microphones that send sound wirelessly from the person speaking, directly into their hearing instruments. In addition, many classrooms use FM systems to transmit voice directly to your hearing aids with an FM receiver.
Find out more about using hearing aids for education
4. Enjoy a film or a play
Most modern hearing aids can help you enjoy a film or a play without any problems, while for those who still struggle, there are teleloop systems. Many theatres have a teleloop system, which picks up the sound of the performance and transmits it to hearing aids that are equipped with a telecoil. Tuning in is as simple as changing the programme on your hearing aids.
5. Eat lunch out in a restaurant
With a hearing loss, the complex mix of sounds in restaurants and cafes can make it hard for you to hear. It can negatively affect your enjoyment of the experience. Our tip is to choose one of the quieter tables, or better yet, ask for a quiet table when you make your reservation.
Another option for you is to explore our newest Oticon Opn hearing aids that present you with a natural, 360-degree sound environment. You can hear multiple speakers and switch focus whenever you want – even in noisy environments.
6. Going to a music concert
We've never had so much choice when it comes to music. Whether you prefer rock and roll or an experimental jazz concert it’s important to protect your hearing.
Simply remember to select a suitable programme such as your music programme, or possibly a setting for noisier environments. And if it gets loud, remember to remove your hearing aids and protect your hearing with earplugs.
7. Fly off somewhere new on a plane
As you prepare to travel, we have a top tip for you – especially for longer flights.
If you turn the volume on your hearing aids down to zero, they act as very effective noise cancelling earphones, helping to block out the noise of the aircraft.
And one other thing for last minute holiday plans – remember extra batteries or get rechargeable hearing aids. While hearing aid batteries are available in almost every country in the world, seeking them out in a foreign language is something you might prefer to avoid. To save time, choose rechargeable hearing aids to have full power for the day.