Hearing aids occasionally whistle. Just like your phone does when it gets too close to the radio. What causes it and what you can do about it are detailed below.
If you wear hearing aids, you will eventually experience whistling. It can happen with something as simple as wearing a scarf. Hearing aid feedback is what causes the whistling.
What causes hearing aid feedback?
Hearing aid feedback occurs when sound that was supposed to enter your ear canal escapes and returns to the hearing aid microphone. The sound is then reamplified, causing your hearing aids to whistle.
This feedback can occur in a variety of settings, such as when you put on your hearing aids in the morning and remove them in the evening, or when someone hugs you. This is completely normal because your hearing aids are reacting to the sound that is bouncing back from your surroundings.
Hearing aid feedback may also indicate that something is wrong with your hearing aids or that they need to be cleaned. In that case, you should seek the advice of a hearing care professional.
What causes the whistle in my hearing aids, and what can I do about it?
Although many hearing aids include feedback cancellation, this does not completely protect you from feedback. Whistling hearing aids can be caused by a variety of factors. Here are the most common causes of feedback and how to deal with them.
1. A poor fit: Your ears, like the rest of your body, change over time. They may even alter their shape. If they do, the earmolds will become loose and will no longer seal properly. This means that the sound travels from your ear to your hearing aids. And this generates feedback. Get new earmolds fitted to your ear to fix it. Weight gain or loss can also have an impact on your ears and the fit of your earmolds.
In general, if your hearing aids are not properly seated in your ear, sound can escape and re-enter the hearing aid microphone, so make sure they are snugly seated in your ear. You can always ask someone to double-check it or see your hearing care professional.
2. Excessive volume: It can be tempting to turn up the volume on your hearing aids at times. However, turning it up too loud can cause the sound to re-enter your hearing aids, resulting in whistling. Reduce the volume of your hearing aids and avoid reaching the point where the sound becomes so loud that it causes feedback.
3. Broken tubing: The tube that connects to the earmold in some hearing aids can harden and shrink. Sometimes the tubing begins to pull on the earmold, causing it to no longer fit properly. That means you need to get a new tube.
4. Excessive earwax: Your hearing aids help you hear by delivering sounds to your ear canal. However, if the ear canal is clogged with too much earwax, sound cannot enter. As a result, it bounces back into your hearing aids, causing them to whistle.
Excessive earwax can also block your ear canal and cause earaches or damage your hearing, in addition to causing problems with your hearing aids. Get your ears cleaned by a professional, and while you're at it, check for clogged receivers or vents.
5. Loose or displaced microphones: Loose or displaced microphones can also cause hearing aid feedback. This is something that your hearing care professional can assist you with.
If you continue to have issues with hearing aid feedback and can’t figure out why, seek the assistance of a hearing care professional.
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