5 Ways To Prevent Hearing Aid Feedback

Hearing aids allow for those who are affected by hearing loss to maintain a regular lifestyle and enjoy life with friends and family, but as with any other tech, they are not without their occasional issues. It can be frustrating to hear whistling, buzzing, or other high-pitched noises in your ear—the tell-tale signs of hearing aid feedback. There are a variety of solutions for feedback to help address what’s causing your case of hearing aid feedback.

What’s causing hearing aid feedback?

Some of the most common causes of hearing aid feedback are easily addressed. These are some of the most common reasons your hearing aids are giving feedback, and how you can resolve the issue.

Your hearing aids are poorly fitted

If your hearing aids are poorly fitted—whether through your ears changing over time or purchasing hearing aids with an incorrect fit—this can create feedback in the microphones. If the fit of your earmolds isn’t sealed properly, the sound can move away from your ears back into your hearing aids, causing feedback. 

The best solution for this is to get new earmolds that fit properly. Additionally, if your hearing aids are simply not in your ears correctly, this also allows for escaping sound, and as a result, feedback.

Your volume is too high

If you’re prone to turning up the volume too much on your hearing aids, this can be a cause of your hearing aids producing feedback. If your hearing aids are too loud, this can cause the sound to re-enter your hearing aids. If you’re finding you’re having trouble hearing at the level they should be, it’s advised to speak to an audiologist. 

Your tubing is damaged

If your tubing is broken or damaged, it won’t carry the sound well from your hearing aids to your ear, and this can cause feedback. The tube can also harden and shrink, in which case it will then need to be replaced to prevent your hearing aids from creating feedback. 

Your hearing aids have too much earwax

If you’re prone to excessive earwax, or you’re experiencing a bit of buildup, this can cause your hearing aids to create feedback. As your ear canal becomes blocked, the sound cannot travel from your hearing aids to your ears, and instead bounces back. Practice safe earwax removal or speak with a healthcare professional to get your ears cleaned if you think this is the issue you’re dealing with. 

Your microphone is dislodged

If your hearing aid’s microphone is dislodged or loose, this can cause feedback if the equipment is not placed properly. For this issue, it’s suggested to speak with a hearing professional to solve this problem.

Additional hearing aid troubleshooting

It’s important to understand how your hearing aids work by reading the instruction manual, as it’s possible some sounds might be indicative of low battery or other issues, rather than being feedback. If your hearing aids are producing static, rather than feedback, you might take them in for a checkup, as this can mean they’re in need of a service rather than a small at-home fix.

If you’re still struggling to figure out the issue, aren’t sure what’s causing the issue, or simply need advice, you might speak to your hearing care professional to help stop feedback, and prevent your hearing aids from providing feedback in the future. If you own a pair of Lexie Lumen hearing aids, simply call (779) 212-7334 and speak to a  Lexie Expert. They can help answer any questions you might have.