123 Kolkata: A 69-year-old was rushed to a south Kolkata hospital on Wednesday after he complained of chest pain and fainted after being startled by nise from a cracker. He was diagnosed with tachycardia. Another septuagenerian sought treatment at the emergency of another hospital, complaining of breathlessness after a similar incident near his New Alipore home.
Sudden noise from bursting crackers triggers an adrenaline rush that could push up the heart rate or blood pressure in elderly patients or those with a history of cardiac ailments, according to Charnock Hospital Head of Emergency Nishant Agarwal. "Any sudden stimulus can upset the system, and those with an artery blockage or hypertension are prone to these conditions. Even healthy elderly citizens suffer from breathlessness after being startled by a sudden loud noise. Often, these are the precursors of a heart attack," Agarwal said.
Octogenarian Bijay Bhushan Mukherjee, a retired govt employee from Ranikuthi, said, "I have to keep my windows shut all the time as I have breathing distress. I have suspended my evening walk as well." Tangra resident Maya Patra (76) has to wear earplugs to muffle the sound of crackers being burst on the road. "The smoke and loud sound cause anxiety," she said.
Infants are suffering equally. Gargi Chakraborty from Mullick Bazar said, "My five-year-old daughter is getting traumatised by the sound of crackers. Diwali is a celebration of lights, but some revellers deviate from this."
Since Tuesday evening, BP Poddar Hospital has received several patients with chest pain and panic attacks after a sudden bout of cracker bursting near their homes. Firecrackers can have a significant impact on cardiac patients, especially those with conditions like hypertension, arrhythmias, or a history of heart attacks, said Souvik Goswami, clinical administrator at BP Poddar. "The sudden sounds and flashes associated with fireworks can trigger a stress response in the body," Goswami said. "If they do experience symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations, or shortness of breath, they should seek medical help immediately. Apart from the sound, smoke from firecrackers also has a serious detrimental effect on our health, especially in people with underlying respiratory conditions like asthma, COPD, etc," added Goswami.
Sudden noise hovering at 90 decibel or more can cause a gush of blood to the heart or brain, causing stress to the cardiovascular and neurological systems, said M S Purkait, medical superintendent, Techno India DAMA Hospital. "Elderly people and patients with health issues come to us with heavy stress. For them, a free and low noise environment is imperative. Even a noise level above 50 decibel can trigger an 8 mm-10 mm rise in BP. Every year, it is noticed that after such festivals, usually there's an acceleration of 7% - 8% in the number of cardiac and neurological cases," he said.