Put down the vuvuzelas

Aamrie · Post by **Aamrie** » Wed Jun 30, 2010 12:59 am

Here's your random intelligence from John Tesh....put the vuvuzelas down....

http://tesh.com/ittrium/visit/A1x97x1y1 ... x1f25dx5x1

Vuvuzelas Are Hazardous to Your Health

Everyone’s buzzing about vuvuzelas – the plastic horns World Cup soccer tournament fans blow to cheer their teams on. As annoying as it is to hear on TV, for those in the stands, their hearing is at risk, and that’s not all.

According to ABC news, researchers from the University of Pretoria discovered that people suffered hearing loss after one 90-minute soccer match in a stadium full of vuvuzelas! When they measured the sound, they found one vuvuzela blast was a roaring 130 decibels. To give you an idea of how loud that is, imagine a snowblower sitting right by your ear. The vuvuzela is even louder! In North America, when workers are exposed to 130 decibels, they’re required by OSHA to wear ear plugs! Guess what? Vuvuzelas have been such a big hit at the World Cup, they’re coming to North America! The Florida Marlins handed out 15,000 of them at a game last week, and Amazon is selling them for $7.

So, if you’ll be anywhere near a vuvuzela, pick up some earplugs! In fact, that’s a good idea before any sporting event. At a National Hockey League championship game, researchers found the roar of the crowed was above 120 decibels - the level of a jet plane taking off. Another reason vuvuzelas are hazardous to your health? They’re great germ projectors! It’s just like if someone sneezed on you, and if that someone has a chest or throat infection, they can infect dozens or even hundreds of others in the stadium. If you have to have a vuvuzela, don’t blow it anywhere near anybody else’s face and don’t share it with anyone you wouldn’t be willing to kiss. It’s like sharing your toothbrush – you’ll be passing your germs back and forth. Finally, beware of “vuvu lips.” That’s when your lips get swollen and puffy from blowing on the plastic mouthpiece. To prevent vuvu lips, doctors suggest putting baby oil or Vaseline on your lips to cut down on friction. If you already have vuvu lips, put a cold can of soda against them to help reduce the swelling.