Are you beginning to hear an annoying high pitch noise coming from your hearing aids? Feedback is a very common issue with hearing aids but it’s not something that can’t be fixed. Understanding how hearing aids work and what might be the reason for that constant high pitched whistling noise will get you one step closer to eliminating it. But exactly what can you do about it?
What Exactly Are The Functions of Your Hearing Aids?
Hearing aids, at their core, are actually just a microphone and a speaker. When a sound is picked up by the microphone, the speaker then plays it back in your ears. But there are complex functions in between when the microphone picks up the sound and when the speaker plays it back.
The sound is then transformed into an analog signal to be processed after being picked up by the microphone. A high-tech digital processing microchip then turns the analog signal to digital. Once the signal is converted to digital, the numerous features and settings of the hearing aids kick in to amplify and clean up the sound.
The digital signal processor then transforms the signal back to analog and forwards it to a receiver. You’re ears don’t hear these electrical signals which were once a sound. The sound waves, that the receiver converts the signal back into, are then transmitted through your ear canal. Elements in the cochlea turn it back into an electrical signal that the brain can understand.
Incredibly all of this complicated functionality happens in a nanosecond. So if your hearing aid is so advanced why does it still feedback?
Feedback Loops And How They Happen
Feedback doesn’t just happen in hearing aids. If there is a microphone, it is likely that there is some amount of feedback. Essentially, the microphone is picking up sound which is produced by the receiver and re-amplifying it. The sound wave enters the microphone, goes through the processing and after that the receiver turns it back into a sound wave. A feedback loop is then created when the microphone picks up the sound again and re-amplifies it. The hearing aid hates hearing itself over and over again and that makes it scream.
What Causes Hearing Aid Feedback?
There are several things that might become a problem which could cause this feedback loop. If you turn your hearing aid on in your hand before you put it in, you will get one of the most common causes. As soon as you press the on button, your hearing aid starts to process sound. The feedback is caused as the sound coming from the receiver bounces off of your hand and right back into the microphone. If your hearing aid is snuggly inside your ear before turning it on, you will have resolved this particular feedback hassle.
Feedback is sometimes caused when your hearing aid doesn’t fit properly. Loose fitting devices have a tendency to be a problem with older hearing aids or if you’ve lost weight since having them fitted. If that’s the case, you should head back to where you got it and have the piece adjusted so it will fit your ear properly again.
Feedback And Earwax
Hearing aids definitely have issues with earwax. Earwax accumulation on the casing of the hearing aid keeps it from fitting properly. And we already learned that a loose fitting device can be the cause of feedback. If you consult your retailer or maybe if you read the users-manual, you will find out how to safely clean this earwax off.
Maybe It’s Just Broken
This is your next thing to think about when you’ve tried everything else. Feedback will certainly be caused by a broken or damaged hearing aid. The casing may have a crack in it somewhere, for example. Don’t try to fix it yourself. Instead, take it in for expert repair.
When is Feedback Not Actually Feedback
Hearing aids can make other noises that sound like feedback but are in fact something else. There are things that can go wrong with your hearing aids, like a low battery, which will give a warning sound. The sound should be carefully listened to. Is it a tone or a beep, or does it really sound like feedback? Consult your users-manual to see if your device comes with this feature and what other warning sounds you should pay attention to in the future.
It doesn’t matter what brand or style you have. Typically, the actual cause of the feedback is quite clear regardless of what brand you have.
