Do you know that travelling frequently in poorly maintained noisy buses with blaring music could result in hearing loss?
The loss could be either temporary or permanent depending on the degree of noise. ENT specialist R. Anand who is treating such cases for more than three decades said people are often unable to hear clearly just after they have got off a noisy bus, been exposed to firecracker sound or even after a concert.
“It may be a temporary phenomenon, but sometimes it takes up to a week for themto get back to normal,” he said.
Not just commuters, even the drivers of these noisy buses suffer hearing loss.
Now it is the young people who are exposing t hemselves to this danger as they are constantly on the earphone listening to music even as they are travelling, says Dr. Anand.
ENT specialists have suggested that one can use noise cancelling headphones that are also known as aviation headsets.
But these are very expensive and difficult to come by. But silicon ear plugs are more easily available and affordable, though they may not cancel the noise completely.
You can get them at as little as Rs 100 a pair.
These are certainly more efficient than cotton wool, they say.
M.K. Ananth
