The World Cup is back! After four long years, we are finally reunited with the best players in the soccer community, playing for their home country in an epic month-long tournament. This time around it is hosted in Russia and games will be played in 11 different cities around the country.
So why is your audiology office posting a blog about the World Cup, you are probably asking yourself. Because of the impact these large sporting events can have on your hearing.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Noise-induced hearing loss is hearing loss caused by exposure to (you guessed it) loud noises. Anything over 85 decibels can cause this type of hearing loss.
- Exposure to sound over 85 dB (busy Los Angeles traffic) can cause damage within 8 hours
- Exposure to sound over 100 dB (power mower) can cause damage within 15 minutes
- Exposure to sound over 120 dB (rock concert) can cause damage instantly
An easy way to protect yourself from this type of hearing loss is to watch all the games from the comfort of your living room. That way you can control the volume of the television. But who wants to do that? Watching the games with people, whether that is at a friend’s home, a sports bar or even for a lucky few in Russia, gives you a whole new experience.
The Worst Offender
Besides for the cheers from the crowd, there is one thing across sporting events that can do serious damage to your hearing – vuvuzelas. These plastic horns can produce sounds up to 127 decibels. To combat the guaranteed ear damage vuvuzelas can cause, FIFA has made a change.
The official celebratory noisemaking device for World Cup 2018 is wooden spoons, which will provide a safer, but every bit as fun, percussive sound.
Protect Your Hearing
In addition to eliminating particularly dangerous noise makers, there are other ways to protect your hearing. Besides for avoiding the noise all together, wearing hearing protection is the next best thing.
Your Los Angeles audiologist offers custom-made earplugs. These earplugs are crafted from a mold of your ear, thus ensuring they will perfectly fit the unique contours of your ears. This guarantees a snug, proper fit and dependable protection from hearing loss and other auditory problems.
So go out and celebrate, just don’t forget your hearing protection. Contact your Los Angeles audiologist today to get started.