Can the sound card in computers sometimes need replacing?

As some of you know my speakers have stopped working and we have checked the connections and they are all okay but a strange bleeping noise started when o/h touched the connection where the speakers plugged into the computer and when the speakers started going funny at first there was a bleeping noise. My son reckons it might not be my speakers but my sound card in my computer might need replacing - do they wear out then?

its possible foxy.

hard to tel lwithout seeing.

one thing though i am in bury from monday til thursday.lol