Chinese New Year is the time for family reunion, the most important festival of the year for all Chinese people. Some of our friends have experienced the long journey and hardship of the Spring Festival in order to go home for the New Year; some of them have just finished their busy work at the end of the year and have just taken off their heavy career burden; students have just returned home from their final exams. Everyone is looking forward to a good family reunion and a lively New Year during the Chinese New Year, and all Chinese people around the world will be immersed in the festive celebrations. At this special time of the year, don’t forget to prevent deafness when having fun. 1. Beware of firecrackers causing blast deafness. It is a traditional custom of the Chinese people for thousands of years to set off fireworks during the New Year, and it is an indispensable component of the “flavor of the year”. In the firecrackers must be careful, because this is the number one killer of deafness caused by damage to the ears! We love the lively sound and colorful fireworks of firecrackers, but they also produce powerful shock waves, which can cause serious perforation of the human eardrum, and can also cause deep damage to the inner ear through the conduction of the auditory tuberosity. This is why some people’s ears continue to “buzz” for days after firecrackers, even accompanied by ear pain and unclear hearing. Medically, this kind of ear damage caused by loud sound shock waves is called “blast deafness”. In milder cases, the symptoms can slowly recover, while severe blast deafness can lead to permanent deafness. In general, the more firecrackers are set off, the more concentrated they are and the louder they are, the more likely they are to cause deafness and the more severe the hearing damage. For those who are sensitive, even an occasional firecracker or a firecracker in the vicinity can cause deafness. 2. Avoid staying up late playing cards to induce sudden deafness. The New Year’s Eve stay up late playing mahjong is a favorite activity of many friends, friends and family get together to play cards, chat, and enjoy the festive atmosphere is also very strong. However, we should pay attention to the fact that we must avoid deafness caused by chess activities lasting too long. Why is this? First of all, the cold temperature in winter makes people less active and the blood circulation of the limbs slows down, while the traditional dishes and foods at New Year are more greasy. This is sudden deafness, and in serious cases, heart or cerebrovascular accidents may occur. 3. Stay away from noise to avoid noise deafness. For young people, they may like to get together to drink and chat or go to noisy places such as KTV, discos and bars during New Year’s Eve, and if they stay up late for a few days and do not rest well, sudden deafness and vertigo may also be induced. This is not only related to physical fatigue and easy spasm of the inner ear blood vessels leading to ischemia of the auditory and vestibular organs, but also the loss of the inner ear due to excessive environmental noise is a very important factor. Having introduced these several possible dangerous situations, how should friends prevent them? First of all, when setting off fireworks, pay attention to ear protection, try to stay away from the center of the explosion, use ear protection or cotton balls to plug the ears to isolate some of the shock waves, or use your hands to cover your ears when these conditions are not available, so as to reduce the damage to the eardrum and inner ear from the shock waves. In the unfortunate event of blast deafness, it is important to leave the noisy environment and seek medical attention as soon as possible. The main treatment medications include glucocorticoids, vitamins and neurotrophic drugs. In the case of a broken eardrum, remember not to take ear drops or water in the ear to avoid secondary infections and use antibiotics orally if necessary. Both middle-aged and old friends and young friends should ensure that they get enough sleep during New Year’s Eve, eat a diet that is not greasy, and at the same time be properly active to avoid sitting and lying down for long periods of time. For those who have basic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia, it is important not to stop taking medication because of the “taboo” of the New Year. If you experience sudden onset of tinnitus, deafness and dizziness, you should consult a doctor in time to avoid delaying the valuable treatment of sudden deafness.