What brand and model of hearing aid are you using? Which ear is giving you feedback and what does it sound like? The reason I ask is that in the normal 3-4 kHz feedback prone range your hearing loss is not real bad.
Have phonak B90s BTE.
What are the foam inserts? Yeah, I think Custom ones are the way forward.
Phonak has great feedback control but sometimes the pro doesn’t use it, and lowers gain instead.
Also, the domes may not be the right size and may not be sealing.
Custom molds are comfortable and fit completely in the ear canal.
The only way I know to reduce the feedback is the whistleblock and even when this is on the highest setting, it doesn’t stop it. Happens when I walk past walks or even turn my head whilst sitting at my pc. Are there other ways to stop the whistling with phonak target?
Are you doing the programming?
Like Don, Phonak has excellent feedback control. I have never had issues with feedback using Phonak aids.
Looking at your audiogram my guess is you need closed domes or custom molds with very little venting.
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Some have tried them and been very happy. No guarantees, but it’s pretty cheap to try them.
Is that the feedback slider setting on every program? That should take care if it. Are you pushing the domes in all the way? They should go in your ear canal until the wire or tube is against your head. If they are the Bolero I would also check to make sure the tube is pushed together with no leaks.
IMO, something is odd here. For HAs calibrated to the loss indicated in your audiogram, I don’t think you should have much feedback even with small-vent domes. Are you able to ask an Aud or fitter about your feedback problem?
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So do you use those instead of the domes?
I have no experience with them. I’ve seen some on the forum speak highly of them but I didn’t find any comments with a quick search. Yes, the idea would be to use instead of domes. It’s quite possible they wouldn’t work with your particular receivers. And I’m just guessing about the cause of your feedback. As others have commented, your loss shouldn’t be that tough to provide feedback free gain for.
I had feedback, just one ear. Tried many domes and finally went to a smaller closed dome. It just slides in easily and securely- no more problem. Perhaps not usual but an easy fix if it works for you.
It looks to me from this Phonak Acoustic Coupling Guide, that there are six options for the BTE models. The Power Dome may be worth a try in the problem ear first.
Open Dome
Closed Dome
Power Dome
SlimTip Hard
SlimTip Soft
Traditional Earmold
It may be best to discuss trying a different type with your fitter.
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And it’s my left ear. It’s a high pitch feedback
What methods, other than whistle block to you use to stop feedback on phonak target? And yes, I’m doing the programming, but even when I use the settings set up by audiologist, still get feedback. It’s mostly when I turn my head whilst at the pc
It seems the more low frequency gain I give myself, the more feedback
Strange, because your left ear seems a little better, and in the 3-4 kHz feedback range the loss is really not that bad. Also strange that more low frequency gain would cause a problem. I’m thinking it must be a poor fit of the acoustic coupling. If it was the type of coupling you should have it in both ears.
I thought that if the ear is not closed up enough, that low frequency can get out, unlike high freq? And what do you mean by coupling? Do you think its the structure of my left ear that is creating the feedback?
Which B90 aids do you have?
Have you ran feedback manager?
Did you use audiogram direct to set the aids up?
You may consider starting fresh using a new client. Reset the aids using the factory setting and go from there.
Have you read the Phonak tutorials?
My understanding is that most feedback is caused by sound produced by the hearing aid “leaking” back to be picked up by the microphones on the hearing aid. The leaked sound then gets reamplified setting up a loop that locks in at some frequency and creates the feedback whine or whistle. I believe it typically happens in the 3-4 kHz range. By controlling the size of the vent you can control this effect to some degree. However if the fitting leaks around the dome then it is uncontrolled and you can get feedback. That is why I think it may be simply the way your dome fits in one ear. My thoughts would be to try the power dome in the problem ear to see if that helps.
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