Holi Colors Can Cause Ear Infections! Doctors Share Safety Tips

As we welcome the auspicious festival of Holi at 14th March, 2025,it is also crucial to be mindful and wary regarding the fact that while we indulge in the feast of colours and make merry ,it might make affairs awry once that spurt of paint-infused water attacks our ears with the arsenal of water guns. 

Sagnik Bhaduri,reporter at BongJournal, holds an informative repertoire with Dr. Snehasish Barman , secretary of AOIWB(Association of Otolaryngologists of India,West Bengal)who speaks about the precautions one must adhere while indulging in the festival of colours.

While playing with colours a major risk factor involved is that of our hearing organs getting ingested with colour-infused water. It is crucial that if such an untoward incident happens one is to immediately consult a doctor or specialist rather than try to poke our ears with any solid object or our fingers. If your eardrum is otherwise healthy and functioning it is not concerning provided you do not poke it with external objects,” said Dr. Barman. 

Further, he added, “If one’s ears are already ruptured or are assimilated with impacted earwax , any kind of congestion in the ears due to assimilation of colours may lead to severe ear infection or damage. Regarding the necessary precautions to be taken, we stressed upon the importance of guarding the ears and eyes with sunglasses and caps to prevent any such mishap and also be careful with the usage of water balloons for they pose the danger of causing blunt trauma which may damage eardrums. 

“Children often owing to their carefree nature are at most risk for any kind of colour coming in physical contact with their eyes or ears. However, due to the environment of fun and frolic during such a festival even adults also are vulnerable to this. Also individuals who have ear-related afflictions already must be strictly careful,” added Dr. Barman.