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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

Diagnostic Limits And New Tools

Imaging and biopsy of the living inner ear are extremely limited due to its tiny size and location.
New diagnostics (liquid biopsy, AI genetic interpretation) are advancing precision diagnosis.

Manage Tinnitus With Sound And Evaluation

Don't fixate on tinnitus; use background sound and distraction to reduce its perceived intensity.
Seek medical evaluation to rule out asymmetric hearing loss or treatable causes first.

Cochlear Implants Can Relieve Tinnitus

For severe hearing loss with tinnitus, cochlear implants often reduce or eliminate tinnitus.
Improving peripheral input lets the brain recalibrate and often reduces phantom sounds.

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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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Protocols: An Operating Manual for the Human Body

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Protocols provides simple, powerful, and evidence-based solutions to life’s most common challenges. Designed to improve your mental health, physical health, and performance, these guidelines are customizable, allowing you to adapt them to your specific needs. With his clear and engaging style, Dr. Huberman explains the scientific principles behind each protocol and how they can deliver immediate, effective results. Protocols is your essential road map for achieving optimal health.

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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*This experience may not be representative of the experience of other clients of Wealthfront, and there is no guarantee that all clients will have similar experiences. Cash Account is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. The Annual Percentage Yield (“APY”) on cash deposits as of September 26, 2025, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. Funds in the Cash Account are swept to partner banks where they earn the variable‭ APY. Promo terms and FDIC coverage conditions apply. Same-day withdrawal or instant payment transfers may be limited by destination institutions, daily transaction caps, and by participating entities such as Wells Fargo, the RTP® Network, and FedNow® Service. New Cash Account deposits are subject to a 2-4 day holding period before becoming available for transfer. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments are not bank deposits, bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value.

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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