The top 6 causes of whistling hearing aids

It’s a call we get often… “My hearing aids are whistling and even my loved ones can hear it”. There are so many different reasons this could be happening but we’ve compiled the top 6 for you here.

The wrong fit

Getting used to your hearing aids can take a while and until you are used to inserting them, you may not be getting it quite right. Your audiologist will help you to perfect your insertion of the hearing aid and once this is sorted, the whistling should stop if that was the cause. It can take a little while to ensure you have been fitted with the correct dome (if applicable) for you. Obviously if it doesn’t fit quite right in your ear, sound can escape resulting in feedback and whistling. If you believe this is the case, your audiologist will be able to help you rectify the issue.

Obviously, your hearing aids need to be the right fit for your ear.

Earwax

If you have a build-up of earwax in your ear, this can cause a whistling sound in your hearing aids. Earwax can be safely and easily removed by your audiologist. You shouldn’t ever try to remove the wax yourself as inserting anything into your ear could cause infection.

Excess earwax an be removed easily by a hearing healthcare professional.

Dirty hearing aids

Wax, skin and other debris can block your hearing aids if they aren’t regularly cleaned. This can cause you to experience a whistling sound. You should have a daily and monthly cleaning routine for your hearing aids to ensure they are always at their best. Keeping them clean will also ensure they are performing at their highest possible level and help them to last longer. Your wax filters and domes (if applicable) need to be changed every 4 weeks.

High volume

If you are finding yourself turning up the volume on your hearing aids often, it might be time to schedule an appointment with your audiologist. It could be that there’s been a change to your hearing and your aids need adjusting to reflect the change. Whenever you turn up the volume very high, it may cause you to experience feedback and whistling.

Damaged shell

If there has been damage caused to the outside of the hearing aid shell, it may no longer fit properly in your ear. Consequently, it can also cause sound to “leak out” of the hearing aid which can cause feedback and whistling. If this has happened to your hearing aid, you will need to book in with your audiologist to get it repaired.

Low battery

If you have hearing aids that use a disposable battery, you might find that some functions stop working properly if the battery is low. Occasionally this can cause feedback. This is simply resolved by changing the battery.

If you need any further advice on your hearing aids, or feel it’s time you get booked in for a hearing consultation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.