How To Troubleshoot Hearing Aid Feedback

Hearing aid technology has come a long way over the last century. As sophisticated as hearing aid devices have become, there can still be issues from time to time. Hearing aid feedback is one component that can affect all types of hearing aids, whether they sit behind your ear or are worn in the canal. While the likelihood of hearing aid feedback has decreased in recent years because of the advent of digital processors, it is still important to understand how it occurs, why you hear it and what you can do to remedy this issue.

What is Feedback in Hearing Aids?

Feedback is an occurrence when the sound wave hits the hearing aid microphone after escaping the ear canal and feedback can be a number of sounds, for example, a loud buzzing hissing, screeching, or squealing. Feedback tends to come in three different ways in hearing aids:

• Electronic feedback: This occurs if there is a problem with the electrical circuits in the device.
• Mechanical feedback: This is caused by vibrations when the speaker of the hearing aid makes contact with the hearing aid casing.
• Acoustical feedback: This occurs when the sound produced by the hearing aids speaker is picked up by the microphone of the device.

What Causes Hearing Aid Feedback?

While modern hearing aids come with feedback cancellation, this doesn’t mean you will be completely free from feedback. There are a number of things that can cause your hearing aids to feedback, including the following:

• A dislodged microphone, which can result in the aforementioned acoustical feedback. Your audiologist can provide the essential fixes for this broken tubing.
• The tube connecting to the earmold can harden and shrink over time, which can result in the tubing pulling away from the ear mold, resulting in an incorrect fit. The best solution is to have your audiologist look at the device.
• If your ear canal is blocked because of too much earwax, this stops the sound from getting through, which means the sound bounces back into the hearing aids, resulting in a whistling noise.
• The volume can force the sound to enter back into your hearing aids. You should have the volume down to the point where you can comfortably hear it, but turning it up too loud causes the sound being processed by the hearing aid to get so excessive that it creates feedback.
• The hearing aid doesn’t fit properly. Your ears can change over time, including changing shape. This can cause the ear molds to become loose, and will not fit properly into your ear canal, causing the sound to get away from the ear, and re-enter the microphone, resulting in feedback. To fix this, an audiologist can check to see if the earmolds are fitting your ears properly.

Quick Tips to Fix Hearing Aid Feedback

If you have any concerns with your hearing aid and you need to give it a quick fix, here are a few things you can try yourself:

• Repositioning the hearing aids: If you have any concerns with the hearing aid feeding back, you should look at the dome or earmold. Repositioning this so it fits in your ear better can minimize or prevent feedback.
• Cleaning your ear canal: If you are experiencing feedback because of an earwax issue, it is a good idea to flush out your ear canal with an ear wax kit.
• Cleaning your hearing aid: There could be a blockage within the hearing aid, in which case, cleaning your hearing aids and also maintaining regular care of the device can make a big difference. As wax can build up on the ear molds, you should gently wipe your hearing aids every time you remove them and store them safely when not in use.
• Consider replacing your hearing aids or specific parts: Hearing mold sizes come in different measurements. An audiologist always customizes the hearing aid during the fitting process, aiming to balance the individual’s comfort with the right fit that produces the least amount of feedback. It can take time to get used to hearing aids, but if you are experiencing feedback over a long period of time, you may benefit from a larger dome size, it could be that the hearing aid tube is too short.

If you are still experiencing any issues, you should see your audiologist for a hearing aid check-up. If you are encountering issues with your hearing aids, it is your right to find a solution that benefits you. You are the person who has to wear the hearing aid, and therefore, you deserve to have your device give you the best possible support.

If you want to get in contact to troubleshoot any additional issues with your hearing aid or schedule a tune-up, you can contact the Physicians Hearing Center at (334) 441-4090 and we will be happy to support you.