More than double what our ears are built to handle
Cada diciembre, el cielo peruano se ilumina con fuegos artificiales que forman parte de una tradición profundamente arraigada, pero que pocos reconocen como una amenaza silenciosa a la salud auditiva. Los estallidos que alegran las fiestas superan los 120 decibeles, más del doble del umbral de seguridad establecido por la Organización Mundial de la Salud, y pueden dejar secuelas permanentes en quienes los celebran. En un país donde la festividad y el riesgo coexisten cada fin de año, la pregunta no es si habrá explosiones, sino si la población estará preparada para protegerse de ellas.
- Los fuegos artificiales más populares en Perú, como los 'cohetones' y la 'rata blanca', superan los 120 decibeles, más del doble del límite seguro de 55 decibeles que establece la OMS.
- Una sola explosión cercana puede provocar tinnitus, mareos, pérdida del equilibrio o incluso la perforación del tímpano, con daños que en algunos casos son irreversibles.
- Los más vulnerables —bebés, niños, embarazadas, adultos mayores y personas con hipertensión, diabetes o autismo— enfrentan riesgos amplificados durante una temporada que no da tregua.
- El Estado peruano autoriza solo siete ferias legales para la venta de pirotecnia, pero cada diciembre los vendedores ilegales proliferan y las advertencias oficiales quedan sin efecto.
- Los especialistas recomiendan mantener una distancia de 20 a 30 metros de los puntos de detonación y usar tapones de silicona o algodón como medidas de protección accesibles pero imperfectas.
Cada diciembre, familias peruanas suben a azoteas y se reúnen en calles para celebrar Navidad y Año Nuevo con fuegos artificiales. Lo que muchos no dimensionan es que esas explosiones de luz y sonido pueden dañar permanentemente el oído humano.
El problema tiene una base física concreta: el oído humano tolera sin consecuencias hasta 55 decibeles, según la OMS. Un fuego artificial típico supera los 120 decibeles, más del doble de ese umbral. Variedades populares como los 'cohetones' y la 'rata blanca' alcanzan regularmente esos niveles peligrosos en barrios de todo el país.
El daño auditivo puede ser inmediato o acumulativo. Una explosión cercana puede causar tinnitus —ese zumbido persistente que dura horas o días—, dolores de cabeza, mareos o pérdida del equilibrio. En casos graves, puede perforar el tímpano y destruir estructuras internas del oído de forma irreversible. El audiólogo Luis Verástegui Barahona señala que, aunque las sensaciones agudas se disipan con el tiempo, el daño subyacente puede ser permanente.
Algunos grupos enfrentan riesgos mucho mayores: los bebés y niños pequeños no pueden protegerse por sí solos; las embarazadas tienen mayor sensibilidad al ruido intenso; los adultos mayores suelen tener audición ya comprometida; y quienes padecen hipertensión, diabetes o autismo acumulan vulnerabilidades adicionales.
El Estado peruano intenta regular el comercio de pirotecnia —solo siete ferias están autorizadas legalmente—, pero cada diciembre los vendedores ilegales se multiplican y las advertencias quedan sin efecto. Frente a eso, las medidas de protección disponibles son modestas: mantenerse a 20 o 30 metros de los puntos de detonación, usar tapones de silicona o, en su defecto, algodón en los oídos. En una cultura donde los fuegos artificiales son parte inseparable de la celebración, esas precauciones pueden ser la única defensa real para quienes más lo necesitan.
Every December in Peru, the sky fills with fireworks. Families gather on rooftops and in streets to celebrate Christmas and New Year's Eve with explosions of light and sound. What many don't realize is that those bursts of noise—the ones that light up the night and rattle windows—are loud enough to permanently damage human hearing.
The problem is simple physics. The human ear can safely tolerate up to 55 decibels without health consequences, according to the World Health Organization. A typical firework—the kind sold at markets across Peru during the holiday season—produces noise exceeding 120 decibels. That's more than double what our ears are built to handle. Popular varieties like "cohetones" and "rata blanca" regularly hit these dangerous levels, and yet they remain common sights in neighborhoods throughout the country.
Peru's government has tried to control the trade. The National Superintendency for the Control of Security Services, Weapons, Munitions and Explosives for Civilian Use reports that only seven authorized fairs are permitted to sell fireworks legally. But enforcement breaks down every December. Illegal vendors set up shop across the country, many selling devices that authorities consider hazardous. The warnings from officials go largely unheeded as the tradition persists.
The damage to hearing can be immediate or cumulative. A single loud explosion near the ear might cause tinnitus—that persistent ringing or whistling sound that can last for hours or days. It might trigger headaches, dizziness, or a loss of balance. In severe cases, when the blast occurs close enough, it can perforate the eardrum itself, destroying the delicate structures inside and causing partial or total hearing loss that may never return. Luis Verástegui Barahona, an audiologist and director of the AudiPhone hearing center, explains that these intense detonations generate those high-pitched sensations that fade over time—but the damage underneath may not.
Some people face far greater risk than others. Infants and young children lack the awareness to protect themselves and their ears are still developing. Pregnant women experience physiological changes that can amplify their sensitivity to loud noise. Elderly people often have already-compromised hearing. People living with chronic conditions—hypertension, diabetes, autism—face compounded vulnerability. Those who already struggle with hearing sensitivity or existing ear problems are at particular risk. For these groups, a holiday season filled with fireworks becomes a genuine health hazard.
Protection is possible, though imperfect. Verástegui recommends staying at least 20 to 30 meters away from any area where fireworks are being set off. If that distance isn't feasible, silicone earplugs can reduce the intensity of the sound. Even cotton stuffed into the ears offers some protection. These are modest measures, but in a country where fireworks are woven into the fabric of holiday celebration, they may be the only defense available to those most at risk. The explosions will continue through the season. The question is whether people will take steps to shield themselves from the damage those celebrations can cause.
Citações Notáveis
Intense detonations generate ringing and whistling sensations that fade over time, but can also cause headaches, dizziness, eardrum perforation, and partial or total hearing loss— Luis Verástegui Barahona, audiologist and director of AudiPhone hearing center
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does Peru have such a strong tradition of fireworks during the holidays, despite knowing the risks?
It's deeply embedded in the culture. For many Peruvians, fireworks are inseparable from celebration—they mark the moment the year changes, the moment families gather. That tradition doesn't disappear because of a health warning.
But the numbers are stark. Over 120 decibels is genuinely dangerous. Why isn't there stronger enforcement of the seven authorized vendors?
Enforcement requires resources and political will. During the holidays, demand surges and illegal vendors multiply. It's easier to sell fireworks in a market than to police every street corner.
Who suffers most from this gap between tradition and safety?
The people who can't choose to leave—babies, pregnant women, elderly people in their homes. They don't get to decide whether to attend a celebration. The noise finds them.
Is there a way to preserve the tradition while reducing the harm?
That's the real question. Earplugs and distance help, but they're individual solutions to a collective problem. Real change would require either stricter regulation or a shift in what celebration looks like.
Do people know about these risks before they buy fireworks?
Most don't. The warnings exist, but they don't reach the person buying fireworks at a street vendor in early December. By then, the decision is already made.