Woman bursts her windpipe 'by blowing too hard'

[308Mike]

Linkarooni

The dreaded vuvuzela claims its first victim: Woman bursts her windpipe 'by blowing too hard'

By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 4:24 PM on 18th June 2010

Insurance saleswoman Yvonne Mayer, 29, was unable to speak or eat for two days after ripping her windpipe when she blew the three foot horn during a street party in Cape Town.

The next day shocked doctors diagnosed her with a ruptured throat and ordered her to rest it completely to allow it to heal.

The bizarre injury is the first known vuvuzela-related accident since the World Cup kicked off last week.

Yvonne, from Cape Town, said: 'I had never blown a vuvuzela before but was given one at work and was going to watch the first South Africa match so thought I'd take it along.

'I was walking towards the Fan Park in Cape Town and blowing it as hard as I could when suddenly my throat started to hurt.

'At first I thought I'd gone down with a bug but the next day it was worse.

'When I went to the doctor he took a look and then laughed.

'He said I'd ruptured my throat by blowing too hard, and that perhaps I had been doing it all wrong.

'After that I was told to go home and relax the whole area.

'It meant I wasn't allowed to eat or speak at all for almost two days.

'I was starving by the time I could finally eat some soup and yogurt on Monday.'

Yvonne was given a check-up after the incident at the Medi-Cross Hospital in Cape Town's Table Bay suburb.

Specialists said an initial tear in her throat caused by air pressure had grown into a wound due to her constant blowing.

Yvonne added: 'They said it would heal by itself given time but were worried that it could get infected.

'I checked with our ear nose and throat specialist who did not seem to be worried about any long-term damage. It was the first time we'd seen anything like this.

'I would urge other fans not to go over the top while blowing, and just follow what your body tells you. If it hurts, stop.

'The worst health risk with the vuvuzela is still the high volume your ears are subjected to. The best health advice I can give for England fans is to take a pair of earplugs to the game.'

Today Yvonne warned other football fans to take care when blasting their plastic trumpets.

She said: 'This happened to me on my first time.

'I thought I was blowing it right but perhaps I was trying too hard.

'They're fantastic fun and really bring people together during the soccer, but my experience has proven they can be dangerous if underestimated.

'I don't think I'd ever blow one again, because it wasn't much fun.

'Apparently they sell smaller ones these days too so perhaps I'll pick one of those up instead for the rest of the tournament.'

Her injury came as it was revealed a German fan had been diagnosed with severe tinnitus after watching his team's 4-0 over Australia.

Sven Wipperfurth, 27, of Rommerskirchen, Germany, said: 'We were watching it on TV and then suddenly someone let rip with an ear splitting blast right next to me.

'It was so loud that I passed out. When I came round I couldn't hear properly in one ear - it was just a permanent ringing.'

Now fans in Germany have been given the option by BskyB bosses to select a special filter to remove the blaring drone of vuvuzelas from their World Cup coverage.

A test by local media described the results as 'impressive'.

And internet antivuvuzelafilter.com has designed an independent filter for just 3 GBP which they claim can remove the sound of the horns from all commentary.

[Darrell]

There's gotta be a joke in there somewhere...

I was at a Broncos home game once, and had taken along a sort of siren/whistle as a noisemaker. I was tooting on it so hard it popped out of my mouth and hit a guy in the head a few rows down. Needless to say I didn't get the whistle back.

[Dub_James]

That wasn't the kind of instrument I thought this topic was about...

[mekender]

That wasn't the kind of instrument I thought this topic was about...

[workinwifdakids]

Someone should tell her 'blow' is just an expression.

[Jered]

That wasn't the kind of instrument I thought this topic was about...

I guess you got a dirty mind. I do too.

[308Mike]

That wasn't the kind of instrument I thought this topic was about...

I guess you got a dirty mind. I do too.

I figured as much, since mine's the same way - so I posted it with a title to catch attention and have been waiting for someone to come along and say: "blow is just an expression!!!!!!"

[MarkD]

There's gotta be a joke in there somewhere...

I was at a Broncos home game once, and had taken along a sort of siren/whistle as a noisemaker. I was tooting on it so hard it popped out of my mouth and hit a guy in the head a few rows down. Needless to say I didn't get the whistle back.

I would have thought you'd have gotten it back in a manner which would have eliminated any chance of passing gas silently.

[Gunnuts]

There's gotta be a joke in there somewhere...

I bet she's a hit at parties.

[Frankingun]

So, will South Africa institute vuvuzela control, for the people?