Excess use of vehicle horns leads to permanent deafness: ENT doctors

Excess use of vehicle horns leads to permanent deafness: ENT doctors
x
Highlights

Excess use of vehicle horns with high noise leads to permanent deafness, warns the ENT doctors. Thousands of truck drivers, auto rikshaw drivers, traffic constables, petty workers working along the roadside shops and workers in industrial Auto Nagar are suffering from hearing problems due to high level of sound pollution.

Excess use of vehicle horns with high noise leads to permanent deafness, warns the ENT doctors. Thousands of truck drivers, auto rikshaw drivers, traffic constables, petty workers working along the roadside shops and workers in industrial Auto Nagar are suffering from hearing problems due to high level of sound pollution. Though there are no exact figures how many people are suffering from deafness or hearing problems in Vijayawada city, but the cases related to hearing impairment and deafness are increasing every year.

Noise exceeding 80 decibels has ill effects on the ear and mind. In order to create awareness on the ill effects of sound pollution, National Horn Free day will be observed on the last Wednesday of April every year. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) calls for the observation of a ‘No Honking Day’ or ‘No Horn Day on April 26 in Vijayawada. The Indian Medical Association, Vijayawada has decided to create awareness on the sound pollution and ill effects on the people in the city.

Indian Medical Association (IMA), Vijayawada zone convener and senior ENT Dr Singari Prabhakar along with other doctors spoke to the media persons at the IMA hall on Monday. Dr Prabhakar said unnecessary use of horns by vehicle users is increasing in the city, and cautioned that it would lead to many health hazards like permanent deafness, head ache and hyper tension.

He said the noise levels are exceeding 80 decibels in many parts of the city like Benz circle, K Market, parts of MG Road, Eluru road etc. He said that 30 per cent of the cases received by ENT hospitals are related to hearing problems due to increasing noise pollution, he added. Traffic constables who spend eight hours a day on busy roads are the biggest sufferers of sound pollution, he added. Men and women working in industries that manufacturers some steels products, metal products are too prone to permanent deafness, Dr Prabhakar said.

Dr S Kesava Rao Babu, president IMA, Vijayawada, said that high levels of decibels may cause hyper tension, head ache, anxiety etc. He added that the police are not taking action on the vehicle users who cause excess noise pollution by using big horns with decibel levels of 200 or more. He said that truck drivers and auto rikshaw drivers are suffering hearing problems for long time of service.

He said the police can take severe action like suspension of license or seizing vehicles for use of high decibel horns, but there is no response in the city. Dr KSK Murthy has said that the IMA creates awareness on the ill effects of sound pollution and appealed to the people to avoid unnecessary use of horns with high decibel levels on the roads.

Show Full Article
Print Article
More On
Next Story
More Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENTS