Docs warn pregnant women, children, asthmatics on Diwalic

Doctors at DMCH and Hero DMC Heart Institute (HDHI) have warned children and pregnant women to stay away from crackers. Even sparklers can be dangerous if used unsupervised, they said. "Do not give sparklers to a child under 5 years. Make sure that children are aware of the dangers," said Dr Daljit Singh, Principal of DMCH and professor of pediatrics.

According to Dr G S Wander, Chief Cardiologist, HDHI, "The sound of blast can shoot up blood pressure of those with hypertension and this may even precipitate stroke. While it is difficult to directly point fingers at crackers for causing heart disease in an otherwise healthy person, it is a known fact that noise pollution causes anxiety, which results in stress. Stress increases the level of certain chemicals like catecholamine, steroids and interleukin, which raise blood pressure, serum cholesterol and clotting tendency of blood, all of which increase the potential for heart attack."

Dr Sandeep Puri (professor and head of medicine) of DMCH said, "The harmful chemicals emitted through smoke are known to cause asthma, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis and other respiratory problems. The noise and dazzling light could cause optical as well as ENT related problems."

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