Noise interference to hearing aid devices has much improved over the years but you still need to know what to do if you get a problem.

Typical reported interferences to a hearing aid can be hearing feedback, a whistling sound caused by a hearing aid that does not fit or work well or one that is clogged by earwax or fluid. It is recommended to see an audiologist for adjustments.

Interference to hearing aids in the form of hearing background noise is particularly annoying. A hearing aid does not completely separate the sounds you want to hear from the ones you do not want to hear. Directional microphones are currently the best way to improve the signal to noise ratio, and thus, improve speech clarity and reduce interference noise to the hearing aid.

Directional microphone
Many hearing aids now have directional microphones, which can be a major improvement in crowded places such as restaurants and open-plan offices, because the directional microphone allows the user to focus on whoever is directly in front of them with reduced interference to hearing from conversations behind and to the sides.

It is common for a hearing aid to have both a directional microphone and an omnidirectional microphone with a switch that lets the user choose between hearing in all directions versus hearing only in the direction his or her head is facing. Some more-advanced models can electronically subtract signals  causing interference to a heraing aid so the user hears the directional signal minus the omnidirectional signal for improved background noise rejection.

Adaptive directional microphones are a further sophistication of the concept. The hearing aid processor is able to distinguish noise as opposed to speech and automatically reduce the particular noise source from a certain angle. At longer range and when there is more background noise, an FM system is currently the best technology that can bridge distance and suppress background noise and intereference to a hearing aid at the same time

Mobile compatibility
Hearing aid wearers using a mobile or have implanted hearing devices may hear a buzzing sound or experience other magnetic problems with the radio frequency interference caused by digital mobiles. Check for hearing aid compatibility and take your mobile with you to see if there is any interference with the hearing aid. Sometimes, however, the hearing aid may need to be adjusted. Talk with your audiologist.

Telecoils (T-coils), sometimes referred to as “Telephone Coils”, allow audio sources to be directly connected to a hearing aid, which is intended to help the wearer filter out background noise and eliminate interference to a hearing aid. They can be used with telephones, FM systems, induction loop systems and public address systems.

Since T-coils are effectively a wide-band receiver, interference is common. Such interference manifests as a buzzing sound, which varies in volume depending on the distance the wearer is from the source. Sources are electromagnetic fields, such as computers, electric cables, mobile phones, electric motors, airplane equipment, etc

Most digital hearing aids have some form of loudness compression system. This means it can reduce interference to a hearing aid and manage sounds of different volumes, only amplifying them as much as you need to suit your particular hearing loss.  This ensures that you always hear different sounds at levels that are comfortable for you.