WC FANS WARNED ABOUT DANGERS OF THE VUVUZELA

South African football fans' instrument of choice, the vuvuzela, has already caused controversy ahead of the World Cup with authorities concerned that their excessive volume could prevent people from hearing announcements should a stadium need to be evacuated. Now, new tests have shown that the instrument is so loud, they pose a more immediate health risk to fans and players.

Tested in Zurich, Switzerland, the long, plastic, trumpet-shaped vuvuzela was found to emit an ear piercing noise of 127 decibels - louder than a lawnmower (90 dB) and a chainsaw (100 dB). Extended exposure at just 85 decibels puts us at a risk of permanent noise induced hearing loss. When subjected to 100 dB or more, hearing damage can occur in just 15 minutes.

The most popular football fan instruments from across the world were tested in a soundproof studio as part of Hear the World, a global initiative by leading hearing system manufacturer Phonak to raise awareness about the importance of hearing and the consequences of hearing loss.

Second most harmful to our ears was the air-horn, popular with English football fans, which exposes our ears to damage-inducing levels of 123.6 dB. This was followed by the drum, which reached a level of 122 decibels.

Popular with supporters on the stands as well as being used on the pitch, the referee's whistle was the fourth most harmful to our ears at 121.8 dB, but passionate fans alone can be just as problematic - two singing supporters reached 121.6 dB.

Robert Beiny, UK and European Audiologist of the Year said: "To put it in perspective, when a sound is increased by ten decibels our ears perceive it as being twice as loud, so we would consider the vuvuzela to be more than double the volume of the cowbell."

• Vuvuzela - 127 dB
• Air-horn - 123.6 dB
• Samba drum - 122.2 dB
• Referee whistle - 121.8 dB
• 2 fans singing - 121.6 dB
• Gas horn - 121.4 dB
• Cowbell - 114.9 dB
• Wooden rattle - 108.2 dB
• Inflatable Fan-Sticks - 99.1 dB

He continues: "It's not just while sitting in the stands at a match that hearing damage can happen. Our ears can be exposed to damaging noise levels when in the pub surrounded by excited cheering fans, or even while at home, with people often turning the sound on their television up very loud in order to create an atmosphere when watching from their sofa.

"My advice to fans would be to enjoy the atmosphere that the World Cup creates, but also to consider their hearing. Give your ears a break from the noisy atmosphere at half time, or if you are one of the lucky ones heading to a live game, remember to take some earplugs along - once the damage is done it is irreversible, so prevention is key."

Valentin Chapero, Chief Executive of Phonak said: "Of course the sound of the crowd plays a major part in creating the atmosphere in a football stadium. But people should remember that prolonged exposure to loud noises can have a big impact therefore, it is imperative that we take conscious measures to protect our hearing before it's too late."

There are many hearing protection devices available, from formable foam plugs to ear-muffs and banded ear-plugs, but custom-made ear-plugs differ from these in one important respect - they are manufactured individually for the ear canal of their user. From an impression of the ear canal, an ear-plug is manufactured to seal that particular ear canal fully. In some custom-moulded ear-plug products, the sound attenuation is determined by the attenuating action of the integral filter, and can therefore be selected within certain limits according to the noise exposure level.

To locate a hearing health professional in your area, take an online hearing screening and for tips on preventing hearing loss, visit www.hear-the-world.com/za or call the hearing helpline on 0861-10-20-30.

Become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CanYouHearTheWorld and follow the Hear the World on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/Hear_The_World.

Hear the World is a global initiative by leading hearing system manufacturer Phonak created to raise awareness about the importance of hearing. The initiative calls attention to the social and emotional impact of hearing loss and addresses prevention of and solutions to a problem that affects more than 16% of the world's population. Bryan Adams, Annie Lennox, Sting, Plácido Domingo and other renowned personalities support the Hear the World initiative as ambassadors. In the context of the Hear the World initiative, Phonak has established the non-profit Hear the World Foundation to improve the quality of life of people with hearing loss through financial and technical assistance. The foundation is committed to the prevention of hearing loss as well as the support of people with hearing loss and their families.

PHONAK PRESENTS VUVUZELA-PROOF HEARING PROTECTION

Customised hearing systems created to tune out drone of the vuvuzela.

As part of its Hear the World initiative, the experts at leading hearing aid manufacturer Phonak helped start the debate about the risk of hearing damage from the vuvuzela when they conducted sound measurements, which found that it reached an ear splitting 127 decibels (dB) - louder than a lawnmower (90 dB) and a chainsaw (100 dB). And now they have taken things a step further.

Phonak have customised one of their state-of-the-art hearing protection systems - typically used by helicopter pilots, fire-fighters, industrial staff and security professionals - to filter out the endless drone of the vuvuzela. Several of these prototype systems have been sent to South Africa for testing purposes, with the aim of enabling journalists in the stadiums to focus on their work, stay connected to the overall atmosphere in the stadium and engage in regular verbal communication, while being protected from dangerously loud noise levels.

Continuous exposure at just 85 dB puts us at a risk of permanent noise induced hearing loss, and when subjected every working day to 100 dB or more, hearing damage can occur in just 15 minutes. Recent measurements at big games have shown the combined noise of the crowd and their vuvuzelas to almost constantly exceed 130 dB - even at a South African Premier League soccer match that took place before the World Cup, measurements conducted by the University of Pretoria indicated peaks of 137 dB, and an average of 100 dB over the match, when there were only 30 000 fans in attendance.

The prototype was made by first analysing the precise sound emitted by the vuvuzela, and then deciding on the Serenity DP dynamic hearing protection system as the base for the prototype, as its digital signal processing capabilities provide a versatile platform for experimentation with a multitude of digital filters. It works by damping impulse sounds the moment they occur, and as long as the surrounding noise is within safe limits, the system is fully transparent - ie, it will not alter the ambient sound and communication capabilities of the user.

If this prototype proves successful, and vuvuzelas take off in stadiums around the world, mass production might be an option going forward.

Hear the World is a global initiative by leading hearing system manufacturer Phonak created to raise awareness about the importance of hearing. The initiative calls attention to the social and emotional impact of hearing loss and addresses prevention of and solutions to a problem that affects more than 16% of the world's population. Bryan Adams, Annie Lennox, Sting, Plácido Domingo and other renowned personalities support the Hear the World initiative as ambassadors. In the context of the Hear the World initiative, Phonak has established the non-profit Hear the World Foundation to improve the quality of life of people with hearing loss through financial and technical assistance. The foundation is committed to the prevention of hearing loss as well as the support of people with hearing loss and their families.

To learn more about Hear the world visit www.hear-the-world.com/za, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CanYouHearTheWorld and follow the Hear the World Twitter channel at www.Twitter.com/Hear_The_World. For more information on hearing and hearing protection, call the hearing helpline at 0861-10-20-30.