Why Do Hearing Aids Whistle? Understanding Feedback and How to Fix It – Hearing aids are life-changing devices for an individual suffering from mild to moderate hearing loss. People lose their ability to detect sound due to old age or continuous exposure to the high pitch, frequency sounds/ noises, which causes temporary to permanent damage to the parts of the ears. In such a case, a hearing device helps the user to understand and communicate and play their part in social life. These are electronic devices made artificially and mechanically, so they are bound to malfunction in one way or another. This causes a problem for a person using it and can hinder their daily life. These issues with the hearing aids can be a hearing aids whistle, or Feedback.
In this blog, we will discuss why Do Hearing Aids Whistle? Understanding Feedback and How to Fix It. To avoid any miscommunication and mishap due to loss of hearing ability..
Understanding Feedback/Hearing aids Whistling.
Hearing aid Whistle or feedback is a high-pitched whistling, or a hissing sound that occurs when the amplified sound in the speaker of the hearing aid loops back to the microphone of the device, creating an irritating loop of trapped sound in the device. This occurs when the speaker and microphone are too close to each other, and the sound from the speaker is picked up by the microphone.
In normal and technical terms, the sound should go through the ear canal but is blocked by either earwax or an improper fit of the device, a crack or a break.
It can create noises in the ear such as squeal, screech, whistle, loud buzz or hiss. Which is very irritating. It’s the same as the whistling sound that happens when you’re on stage and a microphone is placed too close to an amplifier or speaker.
Types of Hearing Aid Feedback
There are mainly three types of hearing aid Feedback, here mentioned below: the types of feedback that occur in a hearing aid.
Acoustic Feedback
It is the most common type of feedback that occurs in the device; it happens when the sound supposed to travel in the ear canal is picked up by the device’s microphone. It’s caused a very high-pitched whistle sound/noise in the ear.
Mechanical feedback
It occurs due to the physical vibration caused by the internal component of the device; the internal component may be too close to the loss to cause such vibration, resulting in the resonance or whistling effect.
Electronic Feedback
Electronic Feedback occurs when there is a malfunction in the circuitry or interference within the hearing aid. It is a less common type of feedback; it creates a buzzing or static sound in the ear.
Why do hearing aids whistle?
Here are some of the most common reasons that are responsible for the Feedback effect in the hearing aid ;
Loose or poorly fitting of the hearing aid
If your hearing aid or earmold is not secured in the ear, sound can escape and leak back into the device–thus making feedback.
Earwax in the ear canal
An obstruction of your ear canal by earwax can reflect sound back out of the ear canal, creating feedback, and/or plugging up the receiver of the device, distorting the sound path.
Inaccurate insertion and fitting
If the device is fitted incorrectly in your ear canal, it will create gaps for sound to escape. It depends on the design of the aid that even a minor insertion error can generate feedback that can be annoying and frustrating.
High Volume
The high volume increases the risk of sound escaping and causing feedback in the ear canal.
Cracks or damage to the device
The Tube, microphone ports, and earmold parts of the hearing aid can crack or break and cause sound to escape into the cavities, leaving enough space to make whistles and feedback.
Aged or worn earmolds
Regular use for a long period can cause earmolds to shrink and deteriorate with time, and make them lose leading to acoustic leakage. And cause Feedback.
Proximity of objects
External object like your hand if it is too close to the hearing aid, or a scarf too close to the hearing aid or you hold your phone too close to the hearing aid, and lift your hand too far away, the action of your hand pulls the reflected sound back into the microphone, thus creating a feedback loop, this is more likely temporary however.
How To Fix Hearing Aid Feedback/ Whistle?
All the hearing aid Feedback is fixable by manual efforts or by consulting a professional, which is the best part as it saves the cost of purchasing a new one.
Here are some of the ways to fix the Feedback:
Ensure a proper Fit: visit your audiologist and get a customised fitted Aid as per the shape of your ear.
Always insert the hearing aid correctly in the ear: use a mirror or get it double-checked by someone to ensure a perfect fitting.
Keep your ear clean: avoid the earwax buildup, and perform regular cleaning.
Use it at low volume: avoid the high volume unless it is recommended by the audiologist.
Keep your hearing aid clean: perform regular cleaning of your aid to follow proper hygiene and prevent any malfunctions it
Check for physical damage: in case of any physical damage, get it repaired as soon as possible.
Avoid placing any object near the microphone. External objects like phones, hats, scarves, or hands should be kept at a safe distance to avoid any looping of the sound.
Conclusion
Being an electronic and mechanical device hearing aid always raises problems like whistling or feedback, which cause serious issues in the normal life of an individual suffering from hearing loss. In the blog, we have discussed about why Do Hearing Aids Whistle? Understanding Feedback and How to Fix It. This will help you in understanding the root cause of the defect and how you can fix it to get back to your normal daily life.
