Hearing aid advice
Why does my hearing aid whistle?
Find out what causes that high-pitched squeal and what to do about it. If you need help, ask for a free appointment with an audiologist in West Bromwich who can check your device.
Why a Hearing Aid Whistles and How to Stop It
A whistling hearing aid is usually reacting to sound leaking back into its own microphone. Here is what causes that loop and how to stop it.
What feedback actually is
A hearing aid works by picking up sound through a small microphone, making it louder, and sending it into your ear canal. When some of that amplified sound escapes and reaches the microphone again, the device amplifies it a second time. That cycle repeats fast enough to produce a high-pitched whistle or squeal. Audiologists call this acoustic feedback.
It happens most often when the path between the speaker and the microphone is too open. The sound does not have to be loud to cause the problem. Even a tiny amount of escaping audio can start the loop if the conditions are right. Feedback is not a sign that the hearing aid is broken. It is a physical reaction to the way sound moves around the device.
A loose fit lets sound escape
The piece that sits inside your ear, whether a dome or a custom mould, needs to seal the ear canal properly. Over time, the shape of your ear can change slightly. Weight loss, ageing, or even the natural elasticity of skin can mean a dome that fitted well six months ago now leaves a gap.
When there is a gap, amplified sound leaks out along the side of the fitting instead of travelling down toward the eardrum. That escaped sound reaches the microphone and starts the feedback loop. Pushing the hearing aid back in firmly sometimes stops the whistle temporarily, but if the fit has genuinely changed, the problem will keep returning. An audiologist can measure the ear canal again and supply a larger dome or order a new custom mould that fills the space correctly.
Wax blocking the ear canal
Ear wax is one of the most common reasons a hearing aid starts whistling without warning. Wax builds up gradually, and you might not notice any change in your own hearing until the canal is partly blocked. But the hearing aid reacts much sooner.
When wax narrows the ear canal, the amplified sound has nowhere to go. It bounces off the blockage and travels straight back out to the microphone. So a device that worked quietly last week can start squealing every time you put it in. Clearing the wax usually solves the problem immediately. Specialist clinics in West Bromwich offer safe ear wax removal using microsuction or irrigation, which clears the canal without pushing wax deeper. Once the path is open again, the sound travels where it should and the feedback stops.
Tubing and component wear
Behind-the-ear hearing aids use a thin plastic tube to carry sound from the main body of the device down into the ear. That tubing hardens over time. It can also crack, stretch, or pull away from the earmould. Any of those faults creates an opening for sound to escape before it reaches the ear canal.
Replacing the tube is straightforward work for a specialist. They cut the old tube to the correct length, attach a fresh one, and check that the connection is tight. If the whistle started suddenly and the fit feels the same as usual, worn tubing is a likely cause. Moisture inside the tube can have a similar effect, so leaving the hearing aid in a drying pot overnight sometimes helps. But cracked or stiffened plastic needs to be swapped out rather than dried.
Covering the microphone by accident
Feedback often happens in specific moments rather than all day. Putting on a hat, pulling a scarf up, hugging someone, or resting your head against a chair back can all cover the microphone. When something reflects the output sound directly back into the input, the whistle starts instantly and stops as soon as you move away.
This type of feedback is normal and does not mean anything is wrong with the device. Modern hearing aids include feedback cancellation software that detects the loop and adjusts the signal to prevent the squeal. But even good software has limits when the microphone is completely covered. Being aware of which movements trigger the sound helps you manage it. If the whistle happens constantly without anything near your ear, the cause is mechanical rather than situational, and a specialist should look at the fitting.
Stop the whistling for good
Send your details and a local audiologist will contact you to arrange a check. There is no charge for the enquiry and no obligation to book.
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