Travel safety advice

Flying with a Cochlear Implant

Airport security

Metal detectors and security scanners should not damage the implant or sound processor.

However, when passing through security metal detectors and scanners the alarm may activate. If the alarm is activated, security may then use a hand-held scanning wand to screen you. The wand will not harm your Cochlear Implant, but it will beep when it passes over your sound processor. It is a good idea to let security staff know that you have an implanted medical device for hearing and carry your 'Patient Identification Card'.

You may hear a distorted sound caused by the magnetic field around the security scanner door or hand-held scanning wand.

Turning the sound processor volume down (or switching it off) before passing through security screening will ensure that those sounds, if they occur, are not too loud or uncomfortable.

Safety during a flight

Let your flight attendant know that you have a hearing loss.

If there is an emergency, they will know that you might not be able to hear messages relayed via the inflight speaker system, and can give you emergency information another way if necessary.

Holiday loan processors

A holiday loan processor can be arranged directly through your implant manufacturer.

Cochlear

Tel: +44 1932 263640

Email: uktravel@cochlear.com

Ongoing care and support - Cochlear

Advanced Bionics

Tel: +44 1223 847888

Email: info.uk@AdvancedBionics.com

Med-EL

Tel: 01226 242879

Email: customerservice@medel.co.uk

Flying with a holiday loan processor

Switch your loan processor off, keep it inside a carry-on bag and place the bag onto the conveyer belt at airport security.

Never place your processor directly onto a conveyer belt, as static electricity may build up on its surface and corrupt the settings.

The X-ray machine should not affect your programme when the processor is turned off.

A low-level X-ray is used to screen carry-on luggage. The X-ray will not harm your processor or the programmes.

Never put your loan processor into checked baggage as this could expose it to damaging X-rays.

Advanced Bionics Users

X-ray machines have the potential to damage the microphones on the processor.

the loan processor and any spare microphones (for example a T-mic) should be worn through the metal detector/scanner or examined by hand.