It’s a tough pill to swallow, for many, coming to grips with and acknowledging the reality of hearing loss. Nevertheless, you pushed on and went to a hearing expert for a hearing aid fitting session, because you recognized that’s what was best for your health. Most likely, you immediately realized the benefits one receives by wearing a hearing aid, including the ability to treat tinnitus, hear speech (even amidst the buzz of background noise), and the possibility of recovering from cognitive decline.

But sometimes, amongst all those life-changing benefits, you get one loud, piercing and shrieking downside. Your hearing aids whistle. Feedback is the more familiar term for this whistling. It’s like what happens when a microphone comes too close to the sound system, the only distinction is this time it’s directly in your ear. Fortunately for you, this is a problem you can correct 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

Probably the most prevalent reason for feedback or whistling in the ear involves the positioning of your hearing aid in your ear or the earmold connected to it. The sound can escape and reverberate through the microphone of the hearing aid if it doesn’t fit right. Depending on how poorly the fit is and how much sound has escaped, the result of the leakage can be either a continuous or a sporadic squealing. With some hearing aid models, a plastic tube will connect the actual device with the earmold. In time, the earmold can become unseated from its proper position due to shrinking, cracking and hardening. This movement can cause whistling, but you can improve the issue by switching the plastic piece.

2. Remove Excessive Earwax

Earwax is really good for our bodies, even though, ironically, we usually think of it as unwelcome or even nasty. Dirt and other things are prevented from getting into the ears by this gooey substance which acts as a defense. While your ears will self-regulate how much earwax you hold, through actions like chewing or talking, there are times when an accumulation of too much earwax can have negative repercussions. Feedback will inevitably happen if you put a hearing aid on top of an excessive amount of earwax. Due to 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 circles and passes through the microphone once more. 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 buildup, however, the best strategy is to have your ears properly cleaned by a hearing care expert.

3. Uncover the Microphone

Often the most apparent answer is the most practical. How often have you seen someone try to take a photo with the lens cap on their camera and watched as they became temporarily puzzled about why the picture didn’t develop? The same concept is applicable here. Whistling can happen when something is covering the device. You may even get the same result by covering the microphone with your hand or another object, like if you hug someone and bury your ear into their shoulder. This issue should be easy to correct just by uncovering the hearing aid.

Here’s a bonus tip: Think about getting a new hearing aid. Some causes for concern are being relieved by modern hearing aid models and manufacturers are integrating new technology all of the time. 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.