A sudden, very loud sound can cause a startle response, followed by the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline. This can temporarily increase heart rate and blood pressure and raise the heart’s demand for oxygen. (Photo: Pixabay)As Pune activist Vidyanand Bapat and citizen groups argue that the freedom to celebrate must coexist with other citizens’ right to sleep, work, study and receive medical care without extreme noise during the Ganesh festival, a top cardiac surgeon has raised concerns about the potential cardiovascular effects of excessive festival noise.Extremely loud sounds from amplified music, loudspeakers, drums and fireworks can act as a physiological stressor, particularly for older adults and people with hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure or cardiac rhythm disorders, Pune-based cardiac surgeon Dr Vijay Natarajan told The Indian Express.“The problem is not only damage to hearing. Sudden, intense noise acts as a physiological stressor. It can activate the sympathetic nervous system and stress hormones, producing a temporary increase in blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac workload,” Dr Natarajan said.Sleep disruption can further increase sympathetic activity and blood pressure, he said. In susceptible individuals, intense or prolonged noise may also trigger or worsen cardiac rhythm disturbances. “With repeated or prolonged exposure, associations have been reported with hypertension, coronary/ischaemic heart disease and stroke,” Dr Natarajan said.Why loud noise can be harder on sick peopleFor people who are already unwell—particularly those with heart disease, high blood pressure or other cardiovascular conditions—an intense noise episode can trigger the body’s stress response.A sudden, very loud sound can cause a startle response, followed by the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline. This can temporarily increase heart rate and blood pressure and raise the heart’s demand for oxygen.For a person with significant coronary artery disease, this additional physiological stress could potentially contribute to angina or other acute cardiovascular symptoms, Dr Natarajan said.Story continues below this adOlder adults may be particularly vulnerable because they are more likely to have underlying hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure or cardiac rhythm disorders. However, the concern is not limited to senior citizens. People with existing cardiovascular disease, those recovering from an acute illness and individuals whose sleep is easily disrupted may also be more affected by excessive noise.Sudden bursts of noise can be particularly disruptiveFestival noise differs from ordinary environmental noise because it can involve very loud and unpredictable bursts rather than a relatively steady background sound. When such episodes occur repeatedly, particularly at night, they can also disrupt sleep.Repeated awakenings can increase sympathetic activity and interfere with the normal reduction in blood pressure that occurs during sleep. Evidence on environmental noise has increasingly linked chronic noise exposure and sleep disturbance with cardiovascular and metabolic effects.Who should take extra care?Extra caution may be warranted for people with poorly controlled hypertension, previous heart attack, significant coronary artery disease, angina, heart failure, irregular heartbeats or arrhythmias. People who have recently undergone cardiac surgery or experienced an acute cardiac illness, those with a previous stroke, frail elderly individuals and people with significant sleep disorders may also benefit from limiting exposure to excessive noise.Story continues below this adCelebrate, but reduce excessive soundDoctors said useful measures include avoiding prolonged exposure to extremely loud sound, keeping loudspeakers away from residential areas and hospitals, avoiding unnecessarily high amplification and ensuring quiet periods, particularly at night.Elderly people and those with significant cardiac disease may also benefit from staying indoors, in a quieter environment, during periods when festival noise is at its peak.The broader concern, doctors said, is not the celebration itself but the intensity, unpredictability and duration of noise.Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More Tags:Noise