Fan-Induced Stadium “Earthquakes” Risk Causing Tinnitus and Permanent Hearing Damage

(Ann Arbor, MI) With cheering, shouting, stomping, and noise makers, attendees of the January 11, 2014, Seattle Seahawks/New Orleans Saints NFL playoff football game spiked seismometers. While seismologists ponder earthquake status, hearing experts are already certain the noise was enough to cause symptoms of hearing damage, including tinnitus, or ringing in the ears.

“If you have to raise your voice for someone standing an arm’s length away from you to hear you, that means the surrounding noise is loud enough to cause potentially permanent damage including some level of hearing loss and tinnitus,” says Dr. Marjorie C. McCullagh, a nationally known expert in hearing loss prevention.

Dr. McCullagh is available to discuss the type of damage caused by football game noise and the varieties of ear protection fans should consider using if attending a game. She is deeply concerned about lasting effects of all types of noise overloads, in workplaces, leisure settings, and even in the supposedly “quiet” settings of farms. She says using noise protection at times of risk helps your whole body, not just your ears: “Blood pressure, cortisone, stress levels, and risks for cardiovascular events all go up,” she explains. “When that happens, people are more prone to headaches, fatigue, and risk of injury.”

Bio: Marjorie C. McCullagh, Ph.D., RN, PHCNS-BC, COHN-S, is an associate professor and the Director of Occupational Health Nursing at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. She is also the director of education of the National Hearing Conservation Association, and a member of the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. Dr. McCullagh has been studying hearing loss for more than 15 years, and has led significant research on hearing loss in factory workers and farmers.

Dr. McCullagh was recently featured in a Cincinnati Enquirer article "Listen up: Daily din dampens hearing." Dr. McCullagh discusses areas of day-to-day life that may cause damage and shares simple tips to protect your hearing.