Whistling Hearing Aids: Causes and Solutions

A hearing aid is a vital piece of equipment for many people. It enables them to hear what is going on around them and can bring a sense of normality to life. This is why, if it starts to malfunction or not work as it is intended for any reason, it can be concerning for those involved. If you find that your hearing aid starts to whistle, this can be annoying but also affect how you are living your daily life.

You may find you don’t partake in conversation as you normally would and find it hard to hear what is happening in the nearby vicinity. If you are finding yourself in a situation where you’re hearing a whistling noise in your hearing aid, please be reassured that it doesn’t mean it’s completely broken and it can be fixed. Here we take a look at just why it might be making a whistling noise and what you can do to fix it in no time at all.

What is Hearing Aid Whistling?

Hearing aid whistling is essentially noise feedback. This occurs when a sound that should have been entering the ear canal, instead reflects back and feeding through the microphone. This amplifies the noise and makes it turn to a whistling noise instead.

It Has Not Been Fitted Correctly

Sometimes you may find your hearing aid has not been fitted correctly and is too big. This additional space means there is room for air to flow through and sound to seep out, returning to the hearing aid. When this happens, as explained above, the sound bounces back and is amplified, creating a whistling noise in the ear.

There Are Issues with the Microphone

If the microphone is loose or has moved out of place from where it should be, this can cause whistling to occur. Even a slight movement to make it displaced can have a negative effect, but luckily, it’s an easy fix. Get the hearing aid checked out by an audiologist who can see if the microphone has moved and is what’s causing the whistling noise to occur.

The Volume Is Set to the Wrong Level

While it might be tempting to turn your hearing aid up to hear over the whistling, this won’t unfortunately work and it could be the loud volume causing it in the first place. Sounds that are too loud can cause feedback which makes a whistling sound. Try to keep your volume to a reasonable limit at all times to stop the noise.

You Have Excessive Earwax

If you have excessively waxy ears, this can block certain sounds from entering the ear canal. As with a couple of the points above, this blockage will cause the sound to bounce, causing feedback and making you hear the whistling noise. It’s a good idea to get your ears seen by an audiologist who can take a look at the levels of wax in your ear and remove it to help rectify the issue.

Regular ear health checkups can stop it happening again in the future. It’s important you don’t put any objects such as cotton swabs inside your ear as they can actually push the wax further in, making it harder to remove and causing more issues.

The Hearing Aid Is Blocked

As with any object that involves a tube, this can sometimes become blocked. Whether it is lodged with earwax or dust and debris, if this occurs it can make a whistling sound due to feedback from the obstruction. Get in touch with an audiologist who can either clean the tubing of the hearing aid or who can replace the parts should it be beyond repair.

Hearing whistling noises through your hearing aid, while a nuisance, isn’t a sign that there is something seriously wrong and can be fixed pretty easily. It’s important to get it checked out as soon as you start hearing the noise so nothing is exacerbated, and you can easily rectify the issue.

If you are looking for a company that you can rely on to speak about your hearing aid or get one fitted, you’ve come to the right place. Here at Quality Hearing Aid Center our audiologist team is on hand to help you with any issues you might have and to advise you going forward. Get in touch by calling our office at (248) 430-8791.