January/February Noisy Planet Newsletter

Enjoy Super Bowl Sunday…and Protect Your Hearing

Super Bowl 50 will be here soon, and many of us will be gathering together to watch the big game. Cheering on your favorite team, whether in person at a stadium or watching from home, can be fun but it can also get pretty loud. In fact, did you know that during a game last fall against the New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills attempted to break the record for the world’s loudest stadium during a game? That record belonged to the Kansas City Chiefs, whose fans created noise levels at 142.2 decibels, which is as loud as a jet airplane engine at takeoff. Although the Patriots-Bills matchup did not break the record, the noise level at the stadium reached 124.8 decibels—louder than an ambulance siren!

Whether you are lucky enough to have tickets to the game or are planning to attend or host a party, Noisy Planet reminds you to practice healthy hearing habits. Hearing protectors, such as earplugs and earmuffs, can protect your hearing and still let you enjoy the game.  Earplugs are small and easy to pack, but try different hearing protectors before the big game and find which you prefer.

If you are watching the game at home, keep the volume at a safe level. Scientists have found that prolonged exposure to noises at or above 85 decibels can cause gradual hearing loss. Turning the volume down is an easy way to protect your hearing and helps lower the competing noise levels in your home, especially during game day.

Whether you are rooting for the Denver Broncos or the Carolina Panthers, Noisy Planet wants you to have fun, be safe, and protect your hearing! For more information about hearing protectors, including tips on using ear plugs, check out our Sound Advice on Hearing Protectors for Young Ears fact sheet.

Comments or suggestions? If you have a helpful hearing-related comment or tip, send it to NPInfo@nidcd.nih.gov. We may post it in a future issue for everyone to read. You can also share it on our Facebook page.

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Are you looking to stay current on the latest tips to protect your hearing? Join Noisy Planet on Facebook and learn about additions to the Noisy Planet website, and activities for parents and their preteens.

Share the Love

Love your ears and share healthy hearing messages with your loved ones this Valentine’s Day. Noisy Planet invites you to post our Valentine’s day shareable image, which is available in English and Spanish.

Noisy Planet has many more images with tips and prevention messages that are freely available for you to share any time of the year. Just click on the thumbnail image to see the full graphic with embeddable code, or click on one of the sharing icons to post the image on social media. We hope you will share the love for healthy hearing!

Noise in the News

Have you ever heard of tinnitus (you can say it 2 ways: "tuh-NIGHT-us" or "TIN-uh-tus")? It is that buzzing or ringing sound in your ears that can happen after you’ve been exposed to loud noises, such as a loud concert. For some people, the buzzing may go away a few hours after the exposure, while for others the phantom sound may persist for a lifetime. Learn more about tinnitus in Noisy Planet’s Noise in the News story or in this fact sheet from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), founder of Noisy Planet.

Noisy Planet in the Community

It’s a new year, and the Noisy Planet team would like to reach a new audience in the Washington, D.C., metro area with our classroom presentations and community events. If you teach 3rd-7th grade or lead an aftercare center or summer camp, the Noisy Planet Team would love to come to your school or site for a presentation/in-school field trip about noise-induced hearing loss! Our 45-minute presentation features hands-on activities and a lesson about sound, the parts of the ear, and how too much noise can damage your hearing permanently. If you're interested in a presentation, please contact NPinfo@nidcd.nih.gov.