Letter to the editor: Damaging noise

To the editor:

It was a stunning win for the KU basketball team against West Virginia on Feb. 13 at Allen Field House but not a win for hearing health.

With trying to set a new world record for indoor noise at a sport event, the roar of the crowd reached 130.4 decibels. According to Dr. Daniel Fink, of the Quiet Coalition, 130.4 decibels is as loud as a four-engine jet plane from 100 feet away. The point at which hearing damage may occur is about 75-78 decibels.

Undoubtedly there was some permanent auditory damage for anyone who had ringing in their ears and sound muffling the next day. The NCAA and KU should discourage such a show of fan support. Living with hearing loss is a true disability that should not be minimized.