AS Thingyan draws near, the dream of all Myanmar people is to joyfully participate in the glorious celebrations.

Everyone is contemplating how they will get around town, where they will go, how to take part at the pandals and what they will wear.

But a number of medical officers said people should be aware how to prevent nasty injuries to their eyes and ears during the festival.

Most infections caused during Water Festival can be easily treated if they are caught early.

Dr Saw Aung Hla Win, head of the Ear, Nose and Throat Department of the University of Medicine (2), said the most effective way to prevent ear injuries from pressurised water is to wear earplugs or rubber swimming caps.

“The number of patients suffering from ear problems after the festival has gone down since the government laid down rules to stop the use of water balloons,” he said.

He warned that people who failed to seek immediate medical attention risked permanent hearing impairment. “People should be aware of the damage that water can do to their ears. The most likely symptoms they will experience when their eardrum breaks will be pain and a loss of hearing,” he said.

Dr Saw Aung Hla Win said the eardrum could heal by itself within one week if the trauma that caused the breakage was minor. “People who notice that their hearing has not improved after one week should see an ear, nose and throat doctor,” he said.

He said that contaminated water could be dangerous to someone with a broken eardrum. “This is why people should only use clean water,” he said, adding that ear infections are preventable.

Dr Tin Win, an associate professor and senior consultant eye surgeon at the Yangon Eye Hospital, said eyes can also be damaged by forceful sprays of water, even though eyes have natural defensive mechanisms.

“High pressure sprays can make the nerves in the mucous membrane under the eyelid split open and can also cause abrasions of the cornea,” he said. “If the water is unclean, bacteria can enter into the eye through the abrasion and can lead to a corneal ulcer. This is difficult to cure and might well leave scars on the cornea, which will probably lead to permanent vision defects.”

He said people who notice that their eyes have become red and sore and suffer weakened vision after Thingyan should consult a doctor.

Dr Tin Win said: “Bursting membrane nerves under the eyelid is more common than corneal abrasion. People should not throw water at other people’s faces to prevent these problems.”