The most popular method of treating hearing loss is using hearing aids. These tiny, custom-fit and digitally-programmed hearing aids are worn by millions of individuals every day. If you depend on hearing aids to maintain your hearing clarity at all times, you are aware of how crucial it is to identify and resolve issues swiftly.

If you wear hearing aids, maintaining their functionality is essential to experience increased audio clarity for longer. One of the most frequent problems brought up to audiologists is feedback. Feedback is characterized by a screeching or whistling sound. Even though technology advances have made it less likely that modern hearing aids would whistle or screech in your ear, you might still occasionally experience these unpleasant noises.

Finding solutions to troubleshoot feedback will ensure you can make the most of your hearing aids.

Identifying Feedback in Your Hearing Aids

When the acoustic signal – or sound wave – escapes the ear canal and meets up with the hearing aid microphone, you experience feedback. This means the sound is reamplified, which may result in a whistling or squealing sound. Occasional feedback can occur naturally when you hug someone, for instance, or if you bump your ear when getting dressed. This is normal and doesn’t last.

However, when your hearing aids pick up constant or prolonged feedback even though you are not directly interfering with the devices, this is a sign that there is something wrong.

Your hearing aids can be affected by three different types of feedback:

Acoustical feedback: The amplified sounds produced by the speaker in the hearing aids is captured by the microphone.
Mechanical feedback: The speaker hits the casing and causes vibrations.
Electronic feedback: The electronic circuits inside the hearing aids are damaged.

You can troubleshoot some of the issues and eliminate feedback in your hearing aids.

Troubleshooting Feedback From Ill-Fitting Hearing Aids

Your hearing aid not fitting properly in your ear is among the most common causes of unwanted feedback. Remove the hearing aid and re-insert it to establish if this is the case. It doesn’t take much to miss the right position, especially if you are new to wearing hearing aids.

It’s worth noting that your ear shape can affect the fitting. So, it is essential to get regular appointments with your ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist to ensure that in-the-canal (ITC) and in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids are customized to your ear shape. This is particularly important if you have lost or put on a lot of weight, as it can affect the fitting.

Troubleshooting Feedback from Excess Earwax

Excessive buildup of earwax is another typical reason why hearing aids screech or whistle. The fit of your hearing aid can be impacted if too much earwax accumulates in your ear canal. Additionally, it could obstruct your ear canal, making it impossible for sound to pass through. This wall may refract sound, which could then come back into your hearing aids and cause feedback.

It is imperative you see an ENT doctor to address earwax issues. Attempting to remove it at home can lead to further problems and could even cause damage to your ears. You can also seize the opportunity to get your hearing aids deep cleaned at the same time to remove traces of earwax on the devices.

Troubleshooting Feedback from Excessive Hearing Aid Volume

Although you may believe that putting up the hearing aid volume will stop the feedback, this can be the source of the bothersome noises. Unpleasant squeals and whistles might occur when your hearing aids are overly loud because it forces the speaker’s sound to re-enter through the microphone. Lowering the volume can be all that is necessary to avoid that response.

If you need to turn the volume up to ensure you can hear the surrounding noises, it may be time to get your hearing health reassessed by your ENT doctor. You may need new settings for your hearing aids.

When your hearing aids still have feedback

Because hearing aids are intricate and delicate machines, wear and tear do occur. If your hearing aids are clean, in good working order, not excessively loud and fully charged, there may be a bigger issue that needs professional diagnosis or treatment.

As a rule of thumb, feedback sounds you can’t troubleshoot on your hearing aids require professional repair or diagnosis services:

Mechanical feedback: The microphone could have become dislodged.
Mechanical feedback on BTE hearing aids: The tubing is cracked or damaged and doesn’t fully connect the hearing aid to the earmold.
Electronic feedback: Components inside the hearing aids could be broken.

If you have tried troubleshooting feedback in your hearing aids to no avail, we suggest reaching out to one of our specialists at ENT Physicians Inc. by calling (419) 318-4987. Our team can help fix or replace your hearing aids.