2^nd October, 2021; 11am-12pm

Key points of HCFI Dr KK Aggarwal Research Fund Expert Round Table

• Noise pollution is considered to be any unwanted or disturbing sound that affects the health and well-being of humans and other organisms.
• Exposure to prolonged and excessive noise has been shown to cause a range of health problems such as stress, poor concentration,150 hearing problem, fatigue etc.
• We do not know the level at which we should listen to music on our phones.
• Noise is a slow poison going into our body through the auditory route.
• We are surrounded by work environment noise. Some households may be noisy.
• Noise stimulating inner ear has auditory and non-auditory effects.
• Auditory effects due to exposure to noise, both acute and chronic, blast trauma – complete rupture of tympanic membrane, gunshot injury, social festivals. Chronic auditory trauma is due to long-term exposure to noise; the upper limit in India is 90 dB. Globally this has been reduced to 85 and also 80in some countries.
• Noise-induced hearing loss is a proven fact, which is seen as typical dip at 4000 Hz on audiometry.
• Noise trauma affects every system of the body. It can precipitate hypertension, myocardial infarction, bronchial asthma, hyperacidity, tinnitus, increases anxiety, which directly or indirectly affects the body system. Noise pollution has been even reported to cause premature delivery. It affects development of children. Noise leads to fatigue and industrial accidents.
• Presbycusis is aging deafness; in India, this is occurring at an earlier age (55 years vs 70 years globally) due to cumulative effects of continuous exposure to noise and the freedom to take any medicine at any time, even without doctor’s prescription, such as aspirin, antimalarials, antibiotics especially aminoglycosides, which may be ototoxic.
• More than 100 years ago, Nobel Prize winner Bacteriologist Robert Koch had predicted that “one day mankind will have to fight the burden of noise as fiercely as plague and cholera.”
• October is noise pollution month. World Hearing Day is observed every year on 3^rd
• Four different sources of noise: industries, traffic noise, construction noise and community noise.
• About 20% of industrial workers exposed to high noise levels develop hearing loss.
• The permissible occupational noise exposure limit is 90 dB for all workers for 8 hours.
• One can listen to 115 dB dB of noise for 15 minutes daily for 6 to 7 years.
• Noise pollution is also affecting the behaviors of birds and animals.  They have started communicating in non-peak hours.
• Auditory toughening - when exposed to noise, the temporary threshold shift reduces; it may recover. 
• Temporary threshold shift occurs after 2 minutes during hearing tests. In susceptible persons, this shift is more, while in persons with normal hearing, this shift is less.
• For hearing conservation, pre-placement audiogram should be made compulsory in all noisy industry, noisy machinery gadgets should be identified. Gadgets should come with a statutory warning and must be accompanied with head phones, ear muffs. For crackers, upper limit should be 150 dB.
• Noisy areas should have plenty of trees.
• Cattle have a different sensitivity level. 
• Many bus drivers have hearing loss. Rear engine buses may protect the drivers from heat and the noise.
• According to the WHO, 1.1 billion young adults are likely to be exposed to dangerous levels of noise.
• Orthopedic surgeons and plastic surgeons can also face effects of vibrations in instruments, which leads to Dupuytren’s contracture. These vibrations can also be transmitted to the ears.
• Diesel vehicles produce more vibrations than petrol vehicles.
• Citizens should be educated about the hazards of noise pollution and its harmful effects on health. Doctors should carry this message to their patients. Hearing is health.
• Noise dose meters are available in India, which give the average noise levels the person is exposed to. There are apps (NIDCD website) to measure noise.
• https://ngms.delhi.gov.in/ is the noise pollution grievance redressal and monitoring website of Delhi government. A complaint can be lodged here. The Helpline Number is 155271
• A complete ban on crackers has been imposed in Delhi since 28^th September, which will remain in effect up to 1^st January, 2022.
• The dangers of recreational noise should be imparted as part of curricula at the school level itself.
• Hearing aids should be made available at a lower cost.

Speakers: Prof AK Aggarwal & Prof. Rangasayee R

Participants

Dr AK Agarwal

Dr Rangasayee R

Dr Arun Jamkar

Dr Ashok Gupta

Prof Bejon Misra

Dr DR Rai

Dr KK Kalra

Dr Anil Kumar

Ms Balbir Verma

Mrs Upasana Arora

Ms Ira Gupta

Mr Saurabh Aggarwal

Dr S Sharma

Prof AK Aggarwal, President - Sound Hearing 2030, Medical Advisor - Innovation, Education and Clinical Excellence, Apollo Hospitals  Ex-Dean, Professor of Excellence Department of ENT, MAMC, Ex-President DMC, Ex- Additional DGHS 

Prof. Rangasayee R, Chairman of the Audiology Committee of International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders (Malta), Technical Director and Professor at Dr. S. R. Chandrasekhar  Institute of Speech and Hearing, Bangalore,  Ex-Director and Prof. Ali Yavar Jung National  Institute for the Hearing Handicapped (AYJNIHH)