Let the games—and hearing protection—begin

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This post originally appeared on Starkey.com

Hourra! The 2024 Summer Olympics start today in Paris, France!

What’s not to love about the longstanding international competition series that brings together many different nations to celebrate athletic achievements? From basketball and diving to trampoline-gymnastics and volleyball—such captivating events will prompt thousands worldwide to gather and cheer on the incredible athletes of their home countries.

Some will watch from the comfort of their living rooms. Others may join like-minded folks at a sports bar or pub. And a very lucky bunch will be applauding from the stands of Paris, itself.

After all, sporting events offer positives we can’t help but want to be a part of: The camaraderie with fellow fans is definitely one of them. But there’s also that palpable excitement that fills the air when we’re watching with them at a sports complex or other venue—cheering in unison, enthusiastic broadcaster announcements, bursts of energetic music throughout the event, and so on.

Noise awareness is essential at sporting events

Besides being a lot of fun, what else do these sports competition characteristics have in common? Noise.

Whether you’ll be watching the Olympics or sticking to your regularly scheduled major league sports this summer, now is a great time to become more aware of noise levels around you and protect your hearing from noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

NIHL can occur when excessive loud noise damages your hearing either immediately (if it’s sudden or impulse, like a siren or firecracker) or over time (if it’s continuous and higher volume, like stadium noise or even music from earbuds).

Unfortunately, NIHL is permanent and irreversible. But there are steps you can take to help prevent hearing damage from occurring in the first place.

Know your noise levels

Wherever you’re watching a sporting event, it’s a good idea to understand what the noise levels are around you. According to the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association, safe noise levels are considered to be 70 decibels (dBA) or lower. Sounds at 85 dBA or higher can cause hearing loss if you listen to them for more than eight hours in one sitting.

So, if you’re watching the athletic competition…

  • From your living room: TV audio is a generally safe, 70 dBA. That said, you’ll just want to be mindful about keeping the volume low—particularly if others are watching with you.

  • From a sports bar, restaurant, or pub: Research has shown that the average dBA for mainstream restaurants is 78 dBA, and for bars, 81 dBA. So, you may want to consider limiting your time spent watching in this type of setting, or wearing hearing protection while there.

  • From a stadium or other sports complex: Noise levels in live sporting venues can range from a whopping 94 to 110 dBA. And because just 14 minutes spent at 100 dBA can cause hearing damage, you will definitely want to consider moving away from the noise or wearing hearing protection if you plan to stay for the entire competition.

How to know what your environment’s noise levels are and whether they are safe? Simply download the free, easy-to-use SoundCheck Live app to your smartphone.

SoundCheck Live can instantly tell you if sound levels are safe or harmful—wherever you are—using a built-in sound level meter. This monitors sound in real time and shows the current, average, and maximum sound levels in decibels on one easy-to-follow screen. That same screen will also indicate whether sound levels are OK or loud, or if hearing protection is recommended.

Speaking of…

Wear hearing protection

Aside from leaving a loud sporting environment completely, the best way to help protect your hearing from excessive noise is by wearing hearing protection devices.

Worn in (earplugs) or on (protective earmuffs) your ears, hearing protection devices are designed to physically block sound waves from entering the ear so fewer decibels of sound can get in and potentially cause damage.

Hearing protection devices like SoundGear Phantom are gold medal standard for spectating your favorite competitions. Custom molded to fit your ear, SoundGear Phantom devices feature advanced digital technology that delivers instant noise suppression when loud sounds occur and cutting-edge hearing enhancement in between loud sounds.

So, you’ll be able to hear what you need to (like conversations with fellow fans, of course) while protecting your hearing. Explore SoundGear’s hearing protection selection here.)

Thanks to sound-level meter technology and hearing protection devices, you can enjoy the 2024 Summer Olympic Games—and any other seasonal competitions that mean the world to you—while keeping your hearing safe in sound.

Let the games begin!

Learn more about your hearing health today - schedule a hearing test or learn more about your devices at Chicagoland Hearing.