For many people, acknowledging and dealing with the truth of hearing loss is difficult to accept. Because you realized that it was best for your health, you made the decision to go and get fitted for a hearing aid by a hearing specialist. Most likely, you quickly recognized the benefits one gets by wearing a hearing aid, including the ability to hear speech (even among the din of background noise), the potential to recover from cognitive decline and the ability to treat tinnitus.
But occasionally, among all those life-changing advantages, you get one loud, piercing and shrieking downside. Your hearing aids whistle. The whistling you’re hearing is more generally known as feedback. It’s like what happens when a microphone comes too close to the sound system, the only difference is this time it’s directly in your ear. Fortunately for you, this is a problem you can fix relatively simply. Stopping your hearing aid from whistling can be accomplished using the following suggestions:
1. The Way Your Hearing Aid Fits Can be Adjusted
The positioning of the hearing aid in your ear or the earmold it’s connected to is probably the most prevalent reason for feedback. The sound can get out and reverberate through the microphone of the hearing aid if it doesn’t fit correctly. The outcome of that leakage can be a whistling that’s either sporadic or continuous, depending on how much sound has escaped and how poorly the fit really is. With some hearing aid designs, a plastic tube will connect the actual device with the earmold. As time passes, this piece can crack, harden or shrink, which unseats the earmold from its best position. This movement can cause squealing, but you can fix the problem by switching the plastic piece.
2. Remove Excessive Earwax
Earwax is really beneficial for our bodies, even though, ironically, we usually think of it as unwanted or even foul. This icky compound acts as a defense against irritants like dirt and stops them from getting into our ears. While your ears will self-regulate the quantity of earwax you hold, through actions such as chewing or talking, there are times when a buildup of too much earwax can have negative repercussions. When you put a hearing aid on top of an excessive amount of earwax, you’re bound to get feedback. This is because the amplified sound has nowhere to go due to the blockage from the wax. The sound circles back into the microphone because it has no definite exit. There are a few ways to get rid of an abundance of wax from your ears like letting a warm shower run into your ears. In order to eliminate undue accumulation, however, the best strategy is to have your ears properly cleaned by a hearing care expert.
3. Make Sure The Microphone is Uncovered
Often the most effective solution is the most evident. Have you ever noticed someone trying to take a picture which didn’t come out, only to find that the lens cap was still on? With hearing aids the same thing can occur. Anything covering the hearing aid can cause them to whistle. If you cover the microphone with your hand or another object, you get the same outcome, like if you bury your ear in someone’s shoulder while hugging them. Uncovering the hearing aid should suffice in fixing the issue.
Here’s a bonus tip: A new hearing aid may be the best choice. Some causes for worry are being relieved by modern hearing aid models and manufacturers are developing new technology regularly. Give us a call if you are interested in checking out new hearing aid technology or if you are having trouble with your current hearing aids whistling.