The technical term for the whistling that can sometimes occur with even the best hearing aids is “acoustic feedback” or just “feedback,” and while it can be an annoyance, it does not mean your hearing aids are malfunctioning. Technological advances in hearing aids have made feedback whistling much less frequent than in past devices, but we have yet to see a hearing aid that will never whistle under certain circumstances.

Acoustic feedback occurs when amplified sound exiting the hearing aid from the speaker gets picked up again by the device’s microphone in what becomes an acoustic loop. Almost all hearing aids will create feedback when something is placed next to the microphone. For example, when wearers cup their hands over their hearing aids while they are in the ears, they will usually whistle. Properly fitted hearing aids should not whistle during ordinary wear when there is nothing near the microphone.

Common causes of feedback include: hearing aids that are not seated properly in the ear, loose fitting hearing aids, blockage in the ear canal such as earwax, and excessive jaw movement with chewing, smiling. Any time there are gaps between the hearing aid case and your ear, sound from the end of the hearing aid can leak out of the ear canal and find its way back into the microphone.

Today, most hearing aids have features built into their circuitry that reduce feedback. These systems quickly detect the feedback and eliminate it before it becomes audible to you or others nearby. If you are new to hearing aids and feedback is a concern for you, feel free to contact our office for a free consultation and advice on what me be the root cause of your hearing aid whistling. This will include a video inspection of your ear canal to see if a blockage in the ear may be the culprit.

Content provided by HealthyHearing