If you ever plan on making the road trip for a couple of Rays games at Tropicana Field, we strongly encourage you to remember to protect your hearing health. Sports events, like baseball games, are high-energy and exciting, but that also means they can get loud.
How Loud Are Sporting Events?
Any sound over 85 dB can cause damage with enough exposure. For reference, this is about the volume of passing highway traffic. Sporting events easily clear 85 dB, sometimes reaching 110 dB. When hearing damage occurs due to loud noise, it’s known as noise-induced hearing loss, or NIHL.
Baseball can be loud. One 2019 study found that the noise levels in baseball stadiums are high enough to cause hearing damage and/or tinnitus later. Their survey found that most respondents reported not considering earplugs, and one-third reported muffled speech after the game.
Use Hearing Protection
Sometimes the best solution is also the simplest: grab some foam earplugs or earmuffs and wear them while you’re at the stadium. These are easy to find at pharmacies and many grocery stores, and even better, many stadiums these days are becoming aware of the dangerous noise levels of their venues and may offer them on-site.
Pick Your Seat
If you have the opportunity to choose your own seat, try to distance yourself from speakers, pep bands and other major sources of noise. The intensity of the sound wave will decrease the further away from the source you are.
There’s not much you can do about noisy fans in your vicinity, though. If someone nearby is shouting in your ear or using an airhorn, you might be able to ask them politely to keep it down or change your seat.
Check What Accommodations Are Available
Many sports stadiums and arenas offer accessibility services for people with hearing loss. Check the venue’s website or call customer service to familiarize yourself with what’s available. Some accommodations that might be available include:
- Loop systems
- Assistive listening devices (ALDs)
- Captioning services
- Designated seating areas
How to Tell if Hearing Damage Has Occurred
If you notice any changes to your hearing after being taken out to the ball game, come see us for a hearing assessment. Changes might look like:
- Muffled hearing
- Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears
- Difficulty hearing your alarm, phone ring or other high-pitched sounds
- Frequently mishearing people
If any of these happen, make an appointment at Aaron's Hearing Aid & Audiology Center. We love sports and being part of a fan base, and we want to ensure you can enjoy the experience with good hearing health.