What to Do If Your Hearing Aid Makes a Whistling Sounds

Experiencing feedback or a whistling noise can be difficult for hearing aid wearers. It’s important to remember that hearing aids are not supposed to make these sounds. If you do encounter this, it’s a sign that there could be an issues and you may need a repair. If you’re wondering why your hearing aid is producing a whistling sound, this will walk you through the steps to address it. Alternatively, discussing the issue with a hearing health professional can provide you with insights and solutions, helping you to resolve the problem.

Check For Damage

Damage to the device itself, both internally and externally, can result in a whistling sound. This is due to how the sound is received and transmitted. If you can’t see any visible damage causing the problem, it might be that something else is at play.

Check for Blockages

Hearing aids work by transmitting sound into the ear canal. But if this sound cannot reach the ear canal for any reason, you might be left with a whistling sound as it has nowhere to go. The reason it has nowhere to go could be due to buildup of earwax or a blockage in the tubing, stopping the sound. Check that there isn’t any earwax buildup, or something lodged in the hearing aid. If you notice there is a blockage, do not try and remove this yourself, schedule an appointment with your hearing health professional.

Check The Position

A poorly fitted or incorrectly worn hearing aid will produce the type of sound you’re experiencing, as it’s not in the correct position to transmit sound to your ear. Firstly, remove the hearing aids, check they’re in the right ear if you wear two hearing aids and then reinsert them. If your hearing aids are not fitted correctly or the fitting has become looser, visit your hearing health professional to help you get the right fit to enable the devices to work correctly.

Ill-Fitting Earmolds

Ill-fitting earmolds are a common problem experienced by many hearing aid wearers. Over time, the tubing can change shape, or your ears can change shape or they simply become worn. This can result in problems with how you hear sounds and the functionality of your hearing aids. For example, a loose seal can cause an air leak, resulting in a whistling sound. A shriveled or split tube can cause distortion or high-pitched noises.

The Volume Is Too High

Turning the sound up on your hearing aids might seem like it will help you hear better, but your hearing aids are expertly tuned to provide the right level of sound for your hearing loss. Turning the sound too high causes it to have nowhere to go, and the sound is forced back into the device or the ear. This can result in whistling and feedback.

If you have recently experienced a whistling sound when wearing your hearing aids, your hearing aid may need repaired. A hearing health professional can find the cause of this sound and fix these issues.