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Last weekend, FIFA’s World Cup kicked off in Qatar. It is the first time that the World Cup has taken place in the Winter months, although it definitely won’t feel like Winter to the players who are battling with 30 degree heat. No matter who you are supporting, it is always a great time of year for football fans with scores of games every day to get stuck into.
With the World Cup being held where it is, it feels unlikely that too many of our lovely readers will have managed to get over to a game but you may be off to the pub or a fan festival to watch some of the games. We’re here today to discuss how to protect your hearing whilst at noisy events!
The noise level in football stadiums is usually between 80-90 decibels (dB), but can reach up to 100 dB at the loudest stadiums. There are thousands of people all crammed together and are encouraged to make a lot of noise.
After attending a match, it would not be uncommon to experience buzzing or ringing in your ears. Sometimes this will disappear after an hour or so, but in more severe cases, it could be a sign of hearing damage. Unfortunately, generally by the time you notice this, it could be too late to reverse any damage done.
How is your hearing damaged by loud noise?
Inside your inner ear, you have your cochlea which houses some small hair cells. As we get older, these naturally begin to deteriorate in some people which creates a hearing loss; this is what is known as age related hearing loss. This affects mainly people over 70. Loud noise can also cause damage to these hair cells. This could happen immediately after an exceptionally loud noise or over a period of time by consistently exposing yourself to noise levels over 80 decibels.
Can you prevent hearing damage at loud events?
Yes!! Obviously wearing ear plugs will help to protect your hearing, but many people chose not to as they think it will affect their listening experience. This is not the case! Ear plugs have a noise-reduction rating (NRR) which tell you how many dB they will reduce the noise level by. NRR 22dB ear plugs will reduce the noise level by 22dB so if you were attending an event where the noise level is 100dB, this would be reduced to 78dB making the overall noise level for you a much safer level. This level would still be loud enough for you to enjoy the atmosphere.
However you chose to enjoy the games, please make sure you do so safely. If you would like to discuss any noise-related hearing loss issues, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.
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