Vuvuzela Playing Ruptures World Cup Fan’s Throat

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South Africa fans wave their Vuvuzela horns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria --- Image by © Catherine Ivill/AMA/Corbis

One more reason to ban the buzz.

It’s hardly surprising that the wearisome horns that have marked the 2010 World Cup from its onset have caused injury to fans’ hearing and patience. But now a vuvuzela has actually injured one of the, uh, “musicians” after a 29-year-old South African woman ruptured her throat blowing a vuvuzela.

Yvonne Mayer, an insurance salesperson from Cape Town tried her hand at playing the horn for the first time, blowing as hard as could. She soon noticed a pain in her throat but didn’t think much of it. Yet when her throat continued to hurt the next day she visited a doctor who told her the unexpected news—by blowing too hard she’d actually torn her throat.

Mayer reported that the doctor laughed as he diagnosed her, saying it was the first vuvuzela injury he’d ever seen. And while Mayer’s throat only took about two days to heal, she claims she’s off of the African horn and won’t likely play one again.

That’s one less horn to worry about. Hey, at least it’s a start. (via the Daily Mail)