Hearing damage - using whistle
 

Hello

What do you think about hearing damage as a result of using a whistle often (long term)? After games where I use my whistle often (eg. head referee) I face a little tinitus noise in my ear(s). It's gone after a while (1 hour).

I use a Fox F40 whistle.
What kind of whistles do you use in order to avoid "early" hearing damages?

Thanks for your thoughts
ML99

If you work ALOT and for many, many years, you are going to have some hearing loss at some point. When it happens and how bad it gets would depend on how often you are blowing your whistle, which depends somewhat on the position you work.

The type you will have is called Tinnitus and gets worse with age. My father has it from hunting a lot when he was young until he was in his 50's. It is not very treatable and here is a link for you to learn more. http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/hearing/tinnitus.cfm

Bingo!

As I started reading I was thnking "I bet he uses a God-awful Fox 40".
Switch to an Acme Thunderer and I bet your problems will disappear.

Fox 40 would be fine if you work at a huge stadium where there is lots of noise but for a "normal" game, it's overkill.

Anybody who steps on a field with me with a Fox 40 will be pulling it out of their ***.

Thanks for your comments.

Do you mean this one: A5 - ACME WIDE MOUTH THUNDERER WHISTLE ?
http://www.honigs.com/img_item_full/A5.jpg

note to self: no bean burritos for dinner on the night before working with you. Chance of an IW increases dramatically.

One of our guys wears those little foam earplugs to prevent head pain. I imagine it helps tune out coaches as well...

That is one thing I have not thought about doing, EAR PLUGS! What a great idea. If the coach asks why, just tell them you have an ear infection and you cannot expose it to the elements. What a GREAT idea. Do you think I can get away with it?:D

Custom earplugs
 

I realized a few years ago that I was facing the same thing because of the whistle... I was having trouble hearing, getting headaches, and having trouble sleeping on days when I worked multiple games. (Using Acme, not Fox 40.)

I called a local speech & hearing clinic and got fitted for custom ear plugs, which have been great. They sit inside the ear and are flesh colored, so they're discreet enough that nobody notices. They block out most of the whistle sound, but you can still hear it when other officials blow their whistles. If you wear them, you'll definitely notice a difference at the end of the game when you take them out.

I've been wearing them anytime I work sub-varsity games or have multiple games in one day, and my hearing-related problems have vanished. (If I have a single varsity game, I go without so I can hear what the officials, players and coaches are saying more clearly... single games don't affect me as much as multiple games do.)

My health insurance covered them, but I don't think that's typical for most people... they might set you back a few game checks. Well worth it, though, in my opinion. I've seen enough hearing aids on older officials at the weekly meetings to know it's a good idea.

BTW here's a link to the make/style of ear plugs I have:

http://www.westone.com/content/186.html

They also have a link to find local audiology centers that can hook you up with a pair.

I use plugs made for musicians from etymotic research. www.etymotic.com
Your local audiologist makes a form cast of your ears from which custom fit plugs are made. I use the 15 db filters. (They have 9 and 25, too)

I suffer from tinnitus after years of games and working at a radio station ("DJ ear"). I used the foam plugs for years but I found I couldn't hear the players. The plugs filter out the crowd noise, the whistle, but not the coaches. My interaction with players and coaches has increased and has helped my overall game.

And they're deductible! $150/pr.

Our game Saturday, I blew the whistle for the first time and OOPS! Had forgotten to put them in. Man, that whistle is LOUD.

Try the Fox 40 Pearl model. Their website says that it sounds at 90 db, opposed to 115 db for the Original model. As it was said earlier, the Original model is overkill for the average game. I switched and the ringing in my ears went away. The only downside that I have seen is the that Pearl is a two chamber whiste and sounds at a lower pitch than the Original model. I wish there was a whistle with the same pitch just not as loud.

http://www.fox40world.com/products/p...etail.php?id=7

Maybe a good solution in order to avoid hearing damage:

Hammerhead - Best Whistle