For many people, admitting and dealing with the truth of hearing loss is a tough pill to swallow. 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 realized the benefits one receives by wearing a hearing aid, including the ability to hear speech (even among the buzz of background noise), the potential to recover from mental decline and the ability to treat tinnitus.

But on occasion you get a loud, piercing, shrieking negative among all the life changing positives. You get a loud squealing noise from your hearing aids. The squealing you’re hearing is more typically known as feedback. It’s just like what happens to a sound system when you bring a microphone too close, but it’s directly in your ears. Fortunately, this is a problem you can correct relatively easily. Stopping your hearing aid from whistling can be accomplished using the following suggestions:

1. The Way Your Hearing Aid Fits Can be Adjusted

Perhaps the most prevalent reason for feedback or whistling in the ear involves the placement of your hearing aid in your ear or the earmold it’s connected to. The sound can escape and reverberate through the microphone of the hearing aid if it doesn’t fit properly. The consequences of that leakage can be a whistling that’s either intermittent or constant, depending on how much sound has escaped and how poorly the fit actually is. With some hearing aid models, a plastic tube will connect the actual device with the earmold. Over time, the earmold can become unseated from its proper position due to hardening, cracking and shrinking. This movement can cause whistling, but you can improve the issue by switching the plastic piece.

2. Excessive Earwax Should be Removed

Earwax is really beneficial for our bodies, even though, ironically, we tend to think of it as unwanted or even nasty. Dirt and other substances are prevented from entering the ears by this gooey substance which acts as a defense. While your ears will self-regulate the quantity of earwax you hold, through actions such as Talking and chewing, there are times when an accumulation of too much earwax can have negative repercussions. When you put a hearing aid on top of an extreme amount of earwax, you’re bound to get feedback. Because of the blockage from earwax, the amplified sound has nowhere to go and this is the reason for the feedback. With no clear place to go, the sound comes around and goes through the microphone once more. There are a few ways to eliminate an overabundance of wax from your ears such as letting a warm shower run into your ears. However, the best idea may be to speak to a hearing specialist about correctly cleaning your ears to prevent undue accumulation and subsequent whistling.

3. Make Sure The Microphone is Uncovered

Often the most apparent solution is the most effective. Have you ever noticed someone trying to take a picture which didn’t come out, only to discover that the lens cap was still on? The same idea is applicable here. 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 result, like if you bury your ear in someone’s shoulder while hugging them. This problem should be easy to fix simply by uncovering the hearing aid.

Here’s a bonus tip: A new hearing aid might be the best choice. Some causes for concern are being alleviated by modern hearing aid models and manufacturers are integrating new technology all of the time. Give us a call if you are interested in learning about new hearing aid technology or if you are having a problem with your current hearing aids whistling.