@thebraintumorsurgeon: How ear plugs and noise-cancelling headphones can decrease your risk of dementia: Decibel levels inside the cabin of a plane hover around 85dV and can reach 110dB during takeoff and landing. While short infrequent exposure is unlikely to be harmful, over time these noisy environments can cause hearing loss, which is highly correlated with dementia risk. A 2014 study of flight attendants showed increasing hearing loss with time on the job, along with other adverse health measures (McNeely et al 2014) What’s happening inside your ear: When sound exceeds ~85 dB, it starts mechanically stressing the hair cells in your cochlea. The first response is a Temporary Threshold Shift, which means hearing dims, tinnitus (ringing) kicks in, and it typically clears within 16–48 hours. But even short exposures like this can lead to permanent hearing loss. All it takes is minutes in a loud environment to trigger this event. Kujawa & Liberman (J Neurosci, 2009) showed even those “recoverable” exposures cause permanent, rapid loss of hearing nerve function leading to hidden hearing loss. With repeated exposures, those temporary shifts become permanent. Hair cells die. And more alarming, they cannot regrow. What does that have to do with your brain? The Lancet Commission on Dementia (2020 & 2024) identified hearing loss as the single largest modifiable dementia risk factor from midlife. A meta-analysis of 1.5M people found dementia risk rises 16% for every 10 dB of hearing loss. What can you do? Use noise-cancelling headphones when on a device to prevent raising the volume, and invest in foam earplugs that cost $1. Fashion-conscious wearers can invest in decorative ones shown here. The importance of hearing is why I focus on hearing-preserving treatments for brain tumors affecting the hearing nerve (acoustic neuromas). Because protecting hearing IS protecting your brain. Share with people you know who are frequent flyers or long travelers, and care about their brain health. I use ear plugs usually, but I forgot them this time and used some wired earbuds in a pinch and they definitely helped. #brainhealth #hearingloss #dementia #airtravel #neurosurgeon

Dr. Rupa Juthani

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Region: US

Monday 24 August 2026 20:35:23 GMT