Derrick Coleman, Flozell Adams, and Reed Doughty have more than the NFL in common. They’ve each made a name for themselves as NFL players, but what ties them together beyond the sport is their hearing health, or more specifically, their hearing loss.
It can be hard to imagine young, fit football players in the prime of their life as having any kind of health issue, but hearing loss is one of those conditions that isn’t obvious when you’re watching your favorite football star in action on the field.
Part of the reason you may not have known that these football heroes have a hearing loss, is that they’ve found ways to live their lives to the fullest, despite their condition.
Tackling hearing loss head on
Reed Doughty, formerly of the Washington Redskins, has had a hearing loss since he was a child, but found ways to cope, from lip reading to memorizing hand signals used by the defensive line and linebackers. But in the end what made the biggest difference was finally getting fitted with hearing aids in both of his ears. Doughty is now a major advocate of using hearing aids to treat hearing loss.
Derrick Coleman is also a supporter of making hearing health a top priority. Formerly a player for the Seattle Seahawks and now with the Arizona Cardinals, Coleman has been living with a hearing loss since he was diagnosed at age 4 and was the first deaf NFL player to play in the Super Bowl.
Former Dallas Cowboy offensive tackle Flozell Adams didn’t let the partial loss of hearing in his right ear prevent him from having a long and successful football career, including a staggering five Pro Bowl selections.
For Coleman and Doughty, we know that their hearing loss was something that came up in childhood, but hearing loss can strike at any age. One of the biggest culprits is noise-induced hearing loss. And when it comes to noisy situations, the Super Bowl definitely ranks up there.
Healthy hearing through the Super Bowl season
The cheers at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium are certain to get loud at this February’s Super Bowl. If you’re going to the big game, you can protect your ears by wearing earplugs or ear defenders.
Any sounds above 85 decibels can damage your hearing. To put that in context, a regular Monday night game at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium reached a record-breaking 142 decibels. So who knows how loud the Super Bowl will get.
Even if you’re watching from home, Super Bowl parties are notoriously vocal events as everyone roots for the team they’re backing. So keep the TV volume at a reasonable level; this will help keep the hollering around the TV down too.
We’re here to help
If you think you might already have a hearing loss or want to get your hearing checked out just to be sure it’s all in good working order, then get in touch with us at Clarity Hearing. We’re partnered with all the leading insurance companies, so if you need hearing care, we can help you find out what your insurance will cover. Simply click here to find your nearest hearing center in Houston, Conroe, or The Woodlands; then book an appointment with one of our Audiologists to make sure your hearing stays healthy.
