Helpful tips and tricks
Advice on how to do everyday activities with a cochlear implant
Tips – travelling with a CI
If you travel for leisure or business and you have a cochlear implant, these tips might help you prepare for stress-free hearing when you’re travelling.
When making reservations
Some accommodation venues have 'Accessible' room options, which might provide you with useful tools such as visual alarms or specialised telephones and doorbells.
When packing
Keep everything important as close to you as is possible. This means batteries, chargers, drying system, accessories and back-ups. If these things are in your carry-on/hand baggage, you won’t lose your hearing if you lose your luggage.
If traveling internationally, bring along the appropriate power converters - or bring enough disposable batteries to last for your trip; just in case they're difficult to find at your destination.
Print out a copy of your audio processor’s map, or bring a digital version along on a USB stick.
When traveling
If you have to go through security check, let the ticketing agent know that you use a hearing implant or hearing aid when you’re checking in.
Most people don’t know about cochlear implants, so you can’t assume that they’ll be able to guess. If you tell them, they can include it in your profile.
Make sure to keep your cochlear implant identification card in your wallet.
You can walk through the metal detector without processors. Let the security staff know that you have cochlear implants as they might set off the detector, and inform the staff that you won’t be able to hear when you’re not wearing your processors.
If you are travelling alone, let your flight attendant know that you have a hearing loss and that you might not hear everything on the speakers. This way, they can get emergency information to you. You do not need to turn off your audio processors during take-off or landing unless otherwise instructed by the flight staff. Cochlear implants, and hearing aids, in general, should not interfere with navigational systems.
Restaurant tips for CI users
Restaurant noise is the #1 complaint of dinners according to the 2018 Zagat survey. The combination of a noisy environment and multiple speakers can make it hard for individuals—especially those hard of hearing—to participate in the conversation while dining out.
So, here are some tips and tricks for dining out.
- Make an early reservation to avoid the rising wave of sound as the late evening approaches.
- Choose restaurants with carpeting, cork or acoustic ceiling tiles, curtains, tablecloths, seat cushions and other noise-absorbing features to dampen the noise level.
- Pick a booth or corner table if possible.
- Strategically choose your seat around the table to see everyone's faces.
- Remember that sometimes the best seat is the one beside a friend or loved one who can help fill you in on parts of the conversation you may miss.
Playing sports with a cochlear implant
Whatever your sport of choice, you should always
- Protect your implant system
- Protect your head from impact
- Prevent moisture damage by protecting the sound processor from sweat during use and by using a drying system every day
- Follow all instructions and warnings
(Boxing, rugby, judo, karate, etc.)
Cochlear implant users are strongly advised against sports in which physical injury, pressure or blows to the head are likely or inevitable.
(Cycling, horse riding, sailing, skiing, etc.)
It is possible to participate in these sports. However, you should:
- Wear a helmet to protect your implant against any impact
- Make sure you choose a high-quality, comfortable helmet that can be easily adjusted. It is important that no pressure is directly applied to the implant area or the scar
Take care of your implant
- Many water sports do not present any risks for cochlear implant users as long as the sound processor is removed. Swimming, diving in shallow water down to 3m deep, sailing, etc. when not wearing the sound processor
- If you wear goggles or a diving mask, make sure that the elastic is not too tight over the site of the implant under the skin
- Recreational scuba diving is not recommended at depths below 20m. Excess pressure may damage the implant. Moreover, users of cochlear implants are strongly discouraged from engaging in professional deep sea diving activities
- Always wear a helmet for boating activities, sailing or canoeing
- If you have a Neuro 2 sound processor and want to go swimming or do water sports, use the Neuro 2 Swim Kit. It is fully waterproof and can be used in all kinds of water. The Swim Kit is waterproof down to 3 metres for up to two hours
