What is hearing aid feedback?
What is hearing aid feedback? Hearing aid feedback is created when extra noise from hearing aids is generated. This extra noise usually manifests as squealing or whistling. This squealing and whistling usually only happens when the hearing aid is being used. In this blog we’ll discuss how to stop hearing aid feedback.
Sources of Hearing Aid Feedback
So what exactly causes hearing aid feedback? Built-in mechanisms in the hearing aid react poorly sometimes. Sound is turned into electricity, and then the hearing converts the electricity which becomes electric signals. These signals are digitized and transmitted into the ear, at which point the brain processes the digitized signals as sound. Settings on the hearing can differ wildly. The sounds picked up by the hearing aid can either be amplified (made louder) or modified (made clearer). Whichever the settings the user chooses, signals are still sent from the receiver to the ear canal.
Feedback enters the picture when the microphone on the receiver constantly picks up sound. Feedback can be painful and annoying. The constant sound is detected and the speakers amplify it, resulting in a feedback loop. The feedback loop is what produces the whistling or squealing noises that you hear.
The most frequent incidents (when it happens) of hearing aid feedback include:
- Eating
- Talking
- Putting on a hat
- Combing hair
Hearing aid vents, holes that are put into the hearing aids themselves, are occasionally sources of hearing aid feedback. The vents are designed to release amplified noise from the ear canal as a form of relief. But of course, other problems can present themselves. These problems pop up as more common sources of hearing aid feedback. What sources would those be? Perhaps the dome on the hearing aid doesn’t fit. Or it could be that earwax and fluid has built up in the ear, causing other problems as well.
Stopping Hearing Aid Feedback
One way to stop hearing aid feedback is simple: replace the dome on your hearing aid. Imagine a cork in a wine bottle; that is how the hearing aid should fit. Be sure to keep the hearing clean, as well. Also consider changing the ear mold – this is a more drastic solution, however. Although it works, especially for people with more severe hearing loss, it can also be uncomfortable to adjust to the new ear mold.
Hearing Loss Solutions from Clarity Audiology
Clarity Audiology & Hearing Solutions offers state-of-the-art hearing solutions for any hearing loss you are experiencing. We specialize in diagnosing and treating hearing loss, fitting and programming hearing aids, and helping you hear again. Contact us today to schedule an appointment online or by calling 410-698-6594. To see what we are up to, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.