Summer Travel and Your Hearing Health: What You Need to Know

Summer travel can be a lot of fun. It’s a wonderful way to explore the world and enjoy the warm months (or a short break from work) before returning to your routine. However, you should know that summer travel can take its toll on your ears. Road trips, air travel and even cruises can all significantly impact your auditory health. Fortunately, this post can help. Here, we outline the potential hazards you might face during your travel experience and what you can do to minimize ear health risks as you explore distant lands. Read on to learn more.

Deal with Air Pressure Changes During Flights

One of the most common issues that travelers face is ear pain or discomfort caused by changes in air pressure during flights at high altitudes. As planes climb or descend, the varying atmospheric pressure allows the cabin to expand and contract, affecting delicate structures in the ear. Pressure changes can cause pain, tinnitus, and even ruptured eardrum in people with pre-existing middle-ear issues.

Fortunately, there are mitigating strategies. To prevent this problem from affecting you on the flight, you can:

• Suck or chew on hard candy, ensuring that you swallow regularly, especially around take-off and landing
• Use ear-plugs and noise-canceling headphones to reduce high volumes in the cabin (or your car)
• Get earplugs that protect your ears against rapid pressure changes
• Take decongestants and antihistamines before you travel if you have a cold or are prone to allergies
• Don’t sleep during the ascent or descent phase of the journey, as it can disrupt the ability of your ears to adjust to changing pressure

If you have severe ear pain or bleeding from your ears while abroad, seek professional medical attention

Minimize the Risk of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

You should also be aware of the risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) from exposure to loud sounds in different environments when you travel. You may find that standards are not as high as they are in your home country. You may also encounter inherently loud events, such as noisy crowds, music festivals, concerts, and clubs.

Unfortunately, loud noises like these can permanently damage your hearing, so you need to be careful. Here’s our advice:

• Wear hearing protection in environments where the noise level regularly exceeds 85 decibels, which is about the same as a busy street
• Limit your loud sound exposure and take breaks in quieter areas
• Don’t listen to your headphones at high volume to block out the sound – use noise-canceling devices instead

Speak to or visit an audiologist if you notice muffled hearing, a ringing in your ears, or difficulty understanding speech after going traveling

Use Earplugs at the Swimming Pool

Another risk you’ll want to minimize is water getting into your ears at the swimming pool. While some overseas facilities have excellent hygiene standards, many do not. If bacteria get into your ear, they may cause infection, forcing you to visit your healthcare provider overseas.

The trick here is to wear the right kind of hearing protection. You can buy special silicone earplugs with ribs that prevent dirty water from entering your ear canal while you swim. The most effective versions are tailor-made to your ear canal, keeping your ears healthy and hygienic, no matter how long you spend swimming or splashing.

Maintain Your General Health

Lastly, you’ll want to maintain your general health when you travel abroad. When you look after yourself, your ears will also be healthier long-term (and you may put yourself at low risk of developing sensorineural hearing loss).

For instance, when traveling, you should:

• Wear a hat and sun protection and protect your ears from the sun
• Get sufficient sleep to avoid feeling tired and stressed
• Improve your sleep quality and duration to reduce the risk of feeling exhausted
• Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated in hot, tropical climates.
• Follow local health guidelines

By following these tips, you are much more likely to keep your ears in good condition while you travel. Vacations and excursions abroad put your hearing at higher risk than usual because of the new environments and unknown situations you encounter. The best advice is to go prepared. Ensure you carry hearing protection with you and understand the problems associated with flights and swimming pool usage.

If you would like to discuss how your summer travel plans might affect your hearing health, get in touch with audiologists at Gavin Audiology and Hearing Aids by calling (914) 610-3440.