Feedback—that irritating whistling, squealing or buzzing sound—is a common complaint among hearing aid users. It’s been a big enough nuisance for some to stop wearing their hearing aids, even though they need them. The good news is that, as hearing aid technology develops more every year, feedback is becoming less of a problem.
What Is Feedback?
A hearing aid has a microphone outside the ear and a speaker inside the ear. Feedback occurs when a sound emitted from the speaker leaks out of the inner ear and back into the microphone. Essentially, it “feeds back” into itself and reamplifies through the speaker, causing a shrill sound.
What Is Feedback Cancellation?
Feedback cancellation methods are becoming more sophisticated as digital technology moves away from analog sound. These systems detect when a feedback sound loop is about to occur and work to stop it before the sound gets reamplified.
Modern hearing aids detect feedback using digital signal processing, which can recognize the unique sound wave pattern of feedback and cancel it out. This process works continuously in the background, so you don’t have to constantly adjust your settings.
What Hearing Aids Have This Feature?
The answer is: most of them do! Some highlights include:
Feedback Is Still a Major Issue for Me. What Should I Do?
One of the most common reasons for feedback is poor fit. Our ears change over time, and wear and tear are also natural; hearing aids need regular maintenance to perform at their best. If feedback is a significant issue, visit Certified Hearing Aid Consultants to get your hearing aid serviced.