subject: Take A Hearing Test After Vuvuzelas And The World Cup [print this page] The United States and other western countries are falling behind on taking good public health precautions. When countries like the United Arab Emirates ban the use of vuvuzelas in public, their public health regulations start getting ahead of those in more wealthy countries like the U.S. Of course the U.S. has a long history of struggling to decide whether it is more important to protect its citizens from harm or whether it is more important to protect the freedoms of its citizens to do what they want. Clearly though, if the use of vuvuzelas or other loud instruments is infringing on the rights and the hearing abilities of other citizens, its important for someone to step in and do something.
Scientists have conducted studies which have shown that vuvuzelas can produce sounds in excess of 100 decibels and they sometimes even reach 140 decibels! Since the healthy range that human ears can be exposed to is limited to 80 decibels, anything that is louder than that is causing long-term hearing loss to all of those who are exposed to the noise. Of course it's one thing when those noises are unavoidable and are for the public good in other ways, such as public construction projects or public transportation systems. Yet things like vuvuzelas aren't contributing to the public good in any way. They're simply a toy that adults and children around the world have been buying over the past few months to celebrate the World Cup. At some point, the government needs to step in to protect the health of its citizens. Sure, vuvuzelas may be fun for some people, but what about the people who happen to be in a public place and have their hearing damaged by people who aren't aware that they're dangerous. Innocent people who have no choice in the matter should be protected. Clearly, the government of the United Arab Emirates recognized that and stepped in to help resolve the matter. People who don't mind damaging their own hearing can still use vuvuzelas as long as they do it in the privacy of their own home.
If you have been out watching World Cup games in public places, you've probably been exposed to vuvuzelas several times. Visit your local physician to undergo a hearing test. The process is simple, painless and quick, and by taking the test your physician will be able to help you determine whether you have experienced any hearing loss and whether there are any hearing solutions that might help you. Just as it's important to have an annual check-up, it's important to make sure your doctor checks up on the health of your ears, especially if they've been exposed to excessive noises lately. Hopefully in the future, the U.S. will start to take the hearing health of its citizens more seriously and will enact laws to protect Americans. Until then, however, its up to you to remove yourself from situations where your ears could be damaged and to make sure you are taking care of your health as best you can.
