The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Din can cause hearing loss

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 07, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Din can cause hearing loss

Sahana Charan

Studies show that noise levels during the festival can reach a deafening 130 dB

Prolonged exposure to noise causes hearing impairment
95 per cent of the firecrackers violate pollution norms

Bangalore: Deepavali may be a time for pulling out all stops in celebrations. But it can also be a harrowing time for some people, especially the elderly and small children as noise reaches unbearable levels.

“Studies in the last couple of years in Bangalore have shown that the noise levels during Deepavali touch a deafening level of 130 dB (decibel). Prolonged exposure to any noise above 90 dB causes hearing impairment of a permanent nature. Noise also causes high blood pressure, heart attack, sleeplessness, and increase in anxiety, annoyance, irritability, and changes in the gastrointestinal functions. Sudden noise at levels greater than 115 dB can cause rupture of the eardrum resulting in permanent deafness,” says M.S.J. Nayak, senior audiologist and Managing Director of Nayak’s Hearing Care Clinic.

Young victims

He says that 95 per cent of the firecrackers violate the noise and pollution norms, according to studies done by the Central Pollution Control Board’s National Physical Laboratory. “At least two per cent of people exposed to cracker noise develop hearing loss. Children are the biggest victims of cracker induced hearing loss as their defence mechanism is not fully developed to withstand the increased intensity of noise. Trees are coated with smoke, which blocks their photosynthetic process. Birds and animals have to cope with loud blasts and toxic smoke, leading to their disappearance from the city.” Mr. Nayak recommends that noise pollution norms must be enforced at the place of manufacture itself. It should be made mandatory for manufacturers of crackers to mention the noise level of each type of crackers along with the maximum retail price. This will allow people to choose less noisy and safe crackers.

“Crackers should not be bunched together and burnt and firecrackers should be lit in an open space from a distance. Care should be taken to use earplugs while bursting crackers and to move at least 15 metres away after burning crackers,” he says, adding that it is advisable to get hearing checked immediately if there is a ringing sound in the ears or difficulty in hearing after bursting crackers.

Alarming facts

Studies carried out by the Dr. S.R. Chandrashekhar Institute of Speech and Hearing and the Nayak’s Hearing Care Clinic in Bangalore last year during Deepavali brings out these alarming facts about the crackers. Laxmi Pataki burst at a distance of 15 feet, generates a sound of 136 dB. Similar figures for other crackers are: atom bomb (134 dB, 30 feet), parrot bomb (106.8 dB, 15 feet), triple shot (105 dB, 15 feet) and aane pataki (109 dB, 15 feet).

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