Fall Sports Events and Associated Hearing Loss

Be careful you don’t damage your hearing while taking in a professional sports event. Sports events can be very loud. Such an event in fall would be football, whether it is on television, at a bar, or in a stadium. Noise levels can fall into the unsafe range of hearing.

Sports and noise

Extended periods of time listening to 85 decibels (dB) or more can damage hearing. Noise-induced hearing loss often comes from watching autumn sports events, such as professional football, which ranges between 80 and 90 dB. That’s just noises on a constant continuum; it doesn’t include the noise spikes associated with certain aspects of the game, like with touchdowns. Fans often compete to be the loudest in showing their pride for their team, too. The sound barrier for sports in outdoor stadiums was broken in 2014 with the Kansas City Chiefs. The decibel level was 142.2.

But stadiums are not the only culprits for decibel levels higher than 90. Restaurants, sports bars, and home, where you can also view the games, pose a problem for safety in hearing. Most games last at least two hours, which is an extended period of time. Even at home, the television can be turned up and a group of people can be present and cheering loudly.

Maintaining safe hearing levels in these situations

It’s fine to go to loud sports events--don’t avoid them. But wear general hearing protection. Custom hearing protection is available for people who watch events throughout the season. If you listen at a bar or restaurant, choose one that is better at absorbing sound. One that has wall coverings, lower ceilings, and carpeting is more satisfactory in minimizing the amplification of sound than ones without. You can also sit at a table in the corner or by a wall, and ask the manager to lessen the volume of the television, if possible.

Keep the volume down of the television at home and use closed captioning. But no matter what the situation, keep your hearing safety in mind. If you have any questions about noise-induced hearing loss, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.

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