Firecrackers and festival speakers can cause permanent hearing damage in an instant. To protect your ears this Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali (8 November 2026) stay at least 4 metres from crackers, wear proper earplugs or earmuffs, keep speaker and earphone volume low, and book a hearing test if ringing or muffled hearing lasts more than 24 hours. Garba nights, Dussehra and Diwali bring family, music and fireworks. They also bring the loudest weeks of the year for your ears. Clinics see the same pattern every festive season: sudden ringing, muffled hearing after a cracker goes off nearby, and people with hearing aids who struggle in noisy gatherings. The damage is usually preventable.