Loud DJ speakers can trigger heart attacks, doctors warn
Doctors warn that blaring DJ speakers at festivals and processions can raise heart attack and stroke risk, and list warning signs to watch for
Whether it is a festival, the Ganeshotsav celebrations or any big event, a DJ system is almost always switched on. Immersion processions in particular seem incomplete without a DJ and loud speakers. But this loud music can cause serious harm to the heart, doctors say.
Extremely loud and harsh noise increases the body's stress response, causing a temporary rise in heart rate and blood pressure. This can trigger a heart attack, stroke or a spike in blood pressure and cause the condition to worsen. Men and women with existing heart conditions should avoid standing in front of loud DJ speakers. If symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, dizziness or sudden loss of consciousness appear, medical help should be sought immediately.
Loud DJ music affects not just the heart but also the nervous system and blood pressure. When clots form in the arteries supplying blood to the heart muscles, blood flow is obstructed. At times the heartbeat suddenly speeds up and the heart stops pumping blood, raising the risk of a stroke. It is best to avoid standing in front of loud DJ speakers, doctors say, as it can otherwise lead to serious health complications.
Prolonged exposure to loud DJ music heightens the body's acute stress response. A sudden rise in heart rate and blood pressure disturbs the body's balance, and the risk of high blood pressure and ischemic heart disease can also increase. The heavy bass from DJ systems shakes the body internally. This noise can affect not only people with existing heart trouble but also healthy people, whose hearts could fail as well. Doctors say it is equally important to get any heart condition or irregular heartbeat checked in time, rather than blaming loud noise alone.
As heart-related trouble builds up, symptoms can include a feeling of pressure, tightness or discomfort in the chest, difficulty breathing, sudden and unexplained heavy sweating, nausea, dizziness, unexplained weakness, or chest pain spreading to the left arm, back, neck or jaw. Some children may suddenly lose consciousness. Symptoms such as bluish skin or lips and heart palpitations should not be ignored, and treatment should be sought without delay.
Loud noise does not affect only people with heart disease; children, pregnant women and the elderly are also vulnerable. Children born with congenital heart defects or irregular heartbeats should not be taken in front of loud DJ speakers, as it can harm their bodies. DJ noise can also cause permanent hearing loss.
