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Protect & Improve Your Hearing & Brain Health | Dr. Konstantina Stankovic

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Oct 13, 2025

Guest

Konstantina Stankovic

Dr. Konstantina Stankovic, a leading medical expert in hearing science from Stanford, shares her deep insights into how our ears function and the staggering impact of hearing loss on cognition. She discusses the emotional connections to tinnitus and the risks posed by environmental noise. Stankovic offers practical strategies for protecting hearing, including the role of magnesium and earplugs. The conversation touches on the link between hearing loss and dementia, the evolution of auditory systems, and the exciting potential of AI in hearing aids.

02:27:57

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Episode notes

00:00 / 00:00

Scale And Stigma Of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss affects 1.5 billion people worldwide and will likely increase by 2050.
The problem is large, underappreciated, and often stigmatized.

00:00 / 00:00

Protect The Tiny, Delicate Inner Ear

Protect your inner ear because it's tiny, fluid-filled, and extraordinarily sensitive.
Avoid unnecessary loud exposures and seek early evaluation for changes in hearing.

00:00 / 00:00

Cochlea's Frequency Map And Vulnerability

High frequencies map to the cochlear base and low frequencies to the apex.
The high-frequency end is more vulnerable to noise, drugs, and aging.

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How Hearing Works — Inner Ear Mechanics

03:30 • 7min

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Sound Waves, Frequency Mapping, and Cochlear Tuning

11:00 • 8min

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Which Frequencies Carry Farther and Projecting Your Voice

18:45 • 6min

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Sound, Emotion, and Tinnitus Origins

24:39 • 2min

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Hyperacusis, Phonophobia, and Sound Aversion

26:45 • 6min

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Noise Exposure, Temporary Shifts, and Hidden Hearing Loss

32:23 • 10min

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Protective Strategies: Earplugs and Magnesium

42:25 • 3min

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Supplements, Diet, and Tinnitus Management

45:12 • 6min

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Diagnostics: Imaging Limits, Inner-Ear Fluid, and Genetics

Tinnitus Evaluation and Evidence-Based Treatments

01:04:45 • 8min

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Headphone Use, Volume Limits, and Practical Rules

01:13:01 • 4min

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Environmental Sound Pollution and Marine Life

01:17:18 • 3min

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Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline Link

01:19:55 • 8min

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Lip Reading, AI Hearing Aids, and Cocktail-Party Challenges

01:27:49 • 4min

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Earplugs for Sleep and Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence

01:31:43 • 8min

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Shared Origins of Auditory and Vestibular Systems

01:39:56 • 4min

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Music, Frequency, Movement, and Plasticity

Medications, Environmental Toxins, and Hearing Risk

01:54:55 • 7min

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Vulnerability, Genetics, and Children’s Sensitivity to Noise

02:01:54 • 7min

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Regeneration Research: Birds, Hair Cells, and Future Therapies

02:08:58 • 6min

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Practical Takeaways: Protect, Measure, and Recalibrate

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This book delves into the purpose and power of sleep, explaining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being. Walker discusses how sleep enriches our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions, recalibrates our emotions, restocks our immune system, fine-tunes our metabolism, and regulates our appetite. He also explores the consequences of sleep deprivation and provides actionable steps to improve sleep quality, including ways to prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes, slow the effects of aging, and increase longevity.

My guest is Konstantina Stankovic, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair of Otolaryngology at Stanford School of Medicine. She explains how hearing works and why hearing loss—affecting over 1.5 billion people—impacts people of all ages. We discuss how hearing loss impairs focus and increases the risk of cognitive decline, as well as the role of menopause and other biological milestones in hearing health. We share science-backed protocols to protect your hearing and highlight risks to avoid. And we discuss tinnitus—its causes and treatment options.

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00:00 Konstantina Stankovic

03:27 Hearing Loss, How Hearing Works, Types of Hearing Loss

10:58 Sound Waves, High vs Low Frequency, Communication, Importance of Hearing

15:26 Sponsors: Wealthfront & Our Place

18:40 Sound Projection, Intensity, Speech; Moving Ears; Larger Ears

22:59 Sounds & Emotionality; Tinnitus

26:43 Painful Sounds, Hyperacusis, Phonophobia; Memory, Auditory Hallucinations

32:19 Concerts & Ringing in Ears, Hidden Hearing Loss; Tool: Safe Sound Threshold

39:15 Concerts & Protecting Hearing, Tools: Ear Plugs, Magnesium Threonate

43:44 Magnesium Food Sources & Supplements; Migraines & Tinnitus

47:30 Tinnitus; Hearing Loss, Genetic & Environmental Factors

53:19 Sponsors: AGZ by AG1 & David

56:04 Individualization; Tinnitus Examination & Treatment, Supplementation?

1:04:36 Headphones, Tough vs Tender Ears, Children, Tool: Safe Sound Levels

1:09:41 Compounded Damage, Concerts & Hearing Loss, Tool: Ear Plugs

1:12:59 Transitioning Environments, Hyperacusis; In-Utero Hearing

1:15:56 Dogs & Sea Animals, Sound Pollution

1:19:54 Hearing Loss, Dementia & Cognitive Decline; Tool: Slow Speech & Face Listener

1:26:26 Sponsor: Joovv

1:27:38 Lip Reading; AI-Enhanced Hearing Aids

1:30:12 Sleep, Tool: Earplugs; Hearing Yourself Speak, Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence

1:36:54 Hearing & Balance, Vibrations; Sound Therapy

1:42:05 Music, Dance, Hearing & Frequency Map; Cochlear Implants

1:48:20 Sponsor: LMNT

1:49:52 Hearing & Social-Cognitive Development, Mental Health; Cochlear Implants

1:56:07 Men vs Women, Estrogen; Hearing Loss, Environment, NSAIDs

2:01:52 Environmental Toxins, Heavy Metals, Plastics; Tool: Heating Plastic

2:06:39 Tool: Avoid Regular NSAIDs Use; Birds & Hair Cell Regeneration; Cancer

2:12:05 Head & Neck, Lymphatic System & Surgery

2:14:44 Adult Auditory Plasticity, Music & Language

2:17:37 Splitting of Senses, Podcasts, AI & Human Progress

2:22:20 Prevent Hearing Loss & Recap

2:25:09 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

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