Why do your hearing aids whistle?

Do your hearing aids hiss or whistle, just the way when your phone sometimes is too close to the radio.

If you or anyone you know wears hearing aids, he/she is going to experience an unwanted whistle at some stage. It can happen due to something very small like putting on a shirt. The whistling or hissing is also known as hearing aid feedback.

How/why does hearing aid feedback cause?

Hearing aid feedback causes when a sound that has to go into an ear canal leaves the ear and gets back into the hearing aid microphone. Therefore the sound gets amplified, and due to this hearing aid whistle.

This feedback can cause in different ways, for example when you wear your hearing aid in the morning and put them out in the evening, or when you hug someone. This is completely normal because the hearing aid is answering the sound jumping back from your surroundings.

Furthermore, hearing aid feedback can also be a symptom that something is wrong with hearing aids, or they require to be clean and washed off. In that situation, it’s great to consult hearing care professionals.

Many hearing aids have feedback cancellation, but this doesn’t completely guard against whistling. A number of reasons can cause hearing feedback. Here are the common reasons behind its cause and what one can do about it.

Poor fit

Like the rest of the body, changes in the ears take place over time. They might even change shape and size. The earmolds become saggy and do not sew up properly. This means the sound jumps out from the ear and gets back into the hearing aids, which causes feedback. The solution to it is to buy new earmolds that fit in your ear. In fact, fluctuation in your weight can also affect the ears and fitting of the earmolds.

Also, generally, if the hearing aids are not properly put in an ear, it gives the sound a chance to get away and re-enter the hearing aids, so make sure they should properly sit and fit tight in the ears.

High volume

It can sometimes be appealing to turn the volume up of the hearing aids. But increasing it up to loud can forcefully re-enter the sound in hearing aids, which can cause hissing. Decrease the volume of the hearing aid and avoid the loud sound and it creates feedback.

Impaired tubing

Some hearing aids tube that connects to the earmold can shrink or harden. At times the tubing begins to pull the earmold, i.e, it doesn’t fit right anymore. If you face it, then it’s time to buy a new tube.

Displaced microphones

Hearing aid feedback can also take place by dislodged or loose microphones. A hearing care professionals can help to sort out this problem.

Earwax

The hearing aids support your hearing as they send sounds to the ear canal. On the other hand, if the canal is blocked by too much earwax, then the sound cannot get into it. Due to this, it jumps back into hearing aids, and it is the reason which triggered the hearing aids feedback problem. The solution to this is, simply to visit a professional to get it clean.