June 16: South African fans blow their vuvuzelas as they cheers at a beach in Durban, South Africa prior to the World Cup soccer match between South Africa and Uruguay. (AP)
A South African woman ruptured her throat while taking part in a vuvuzela-blowing competition, but said Friday she was recovering with no permanent damage.
"It took about two days to heal, by Monday I was feeling fine. I just hope there is no permanent damage, but it doesn't seem like it," said Yvonne Mayer from Cape Town, according to the Sapa news agency.
She joined the impromptu competition on the opening day of the World Cup in Cape Town. At the time, she thought the burning sensation in her throat was a cold.
After the match, her throat started burning even more, and the next day she went to the doctor.
"The doctor was really enjoying it, he just kept laughing at me and said it was his first vuvuzela injury," said Mayer.
Her physician, Scott Barker, said the wound worsened because she kept blowing after the initial tear.
Mayer blamed her own poor blowing technique and said she was now "a bit nervous" about trying it again.
The instrument drew fierce criticism for drowning out fans' singing in stadiums, hindering communication between coaches and teams, and for dominating television coverage. Experts also said it could cause permanent damage to hearing.
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