Be Careful of the Roar of the Crowds

11Jun09 Be Careful of the Roar of the Crowds

The United States is considered a haven for sports fanatics, who have just about every sport they can follow being played somewhere in the country practically at all times. Whether it is for a high school team, college alma mater, or for one of the many professional teams, a number of venues, including the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, provide a haven for sports lovers.

One of the reasons people love to attend sporting events so much is the roar of the crowds, the bands and drums, the entertainment, and of course, the reactions, whistles, horns, cheers, chants and screams whenever your favorite team — or the opponents — score. Players cite the same reasons as well for why they love to play in front of large crowds.

But, if you’ve ever left a sporting event with a ringing in your ears, felt head pressure, or feel like you have earplugs in (but you don’t), then quite possibly your ears are taking a temporary time-out from the action. The result is what is referred to as a temporary hearing loss.

Determining what is considered an excessive and potentially dangerous noise level is difficult. Some hearing specialists say that sounds louder than 85 decibels are potentially hazardous to your hearing. This means that an extended exposure to any sound louder than a normal conversation can potentially be hurting your hearing. By comparison, a lawn mower is considered about 95 decibels. The roars of sporting events have been recorded at 108 decibels in previous studies.

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, an estimated 30 million Americans are regularly exposed to dangerous noise levels. That is an increase of 10 million from just a few years ago. These numbers include many young people who, due to environmental noise exposure, experience diminished hearing in their teens and 20s.

Why no one is saying you shouldn’t go to your favorite sporting eventóor concert or car raceóyou should do what you can to protect your hearing. Keep your ears at their optimal by wearing ear plugs. Also consider supplements like ProHieran for promoting overall hearing wellness.

Learn more about ProHieran here.