How to Keep Your Hearing Aids Safe During Football Games
The football season is in full swing. There’s nothing like being at the stadium cheering on your favorite team as they rush down the field to make a touchdown. It’s fun, it’s exhilarating, and it’s a weekly routine. However, there is something that can eventually be harmful to your health at a football game other than the numerous hot dogs and beers: the sound!
Football games can be extremely loud. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks cheer on the “12th Man” as one of their most important pieces of their offense. Who is the “12th man?” The crowd. They participate not by running plays or kicking field goals, but by screaming their hearts out in support of their team. Football stadiums can get super loud. In 2014 the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd was during a 2014 Kansas City Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium. Sound levels reached up to 142 decibels, which is louder than an airplane taking off.
Typically, football stadiums average between 80 and 90 decibels during a game. This level of noise can be classified as dangerous since it falls within the “loud” and “extremely loud” categories. At this level, protection is recommended. Some ways you can protect your ears during a game is to simply wear earmuffs. During colder games, this may seem like a no-brainer. Keep your ears warm and safe from loud noises.
If your team is always playing in warmer weather like California or Florida, wearing earmuffs may not be the right thing for you. One of the cheapest and easiest ways to enjoy the game while saving your hearing is to simply put in ear plugs. These can be purchased at your local grocery store and will drastically lower the surrounding volume.