Wearing Earplugs at Concerts Can Protect the Brain from Dementia Risk

Illustration of earplugs. (freepik)

JAKARTA - Using earplugs when watching a concert is often considered trivial. In fact, this habit has an important role, not only to protect hearing, but also to protect brain health from the risk of cognitive function decline, including dementia.

Neurosurgeon from the United States, Rupa Juthani, explained that exposure to high-volume sounds, even for a short time, can damage the delicate nerves in the ear. He mentioned that sounds above a certain threshold have begun to put a dangerous pressure on the hearing system.

"When the sound exceeds about 85 decibels, it starts to put mechanical pressure on the hair cells in the cochlea. The first response is a temporary loss of hearing, tinnitus appears, and it usually recovers in 16-48 hours, but short exposure like this can also cause permanent hearing loss," he said, as quoted from Hindustan Times.

He added that the condition of ringing ears or hearing that feels muffled after a concert is not just a temporary effect, but an early sign of injury to the hearing nerve.

A number of studies also show that even seemingly mild impacts can lead to permanent damage. A study by Kujawa and Liberman (2009) revealed that exposure to loud noise that appears to recover can still cause rapid hearing nerve function disorders.

"With repeated exposure, these temporary disorders will become permanent. Hair cells die and, more worryingly, they cannot grow back," explained Juthani.

Furthermore, he emphasized that hearing loss is one of the largest modifiable risk factors for dementia, especially after middle age. Based on a large-scale analysis, the risk of dementia increases with decreasing hearing ability. "A meta-analysis of 1.5 million people found that the risk of dementia increased by about 16 percent for every 10-decibel hearing loss," he said.

According to Juthani, the noise level at concerts is generally in the range of 100 to 110 decibels, which is high enough to accelerate hearing nerve damage. Therefore, the use of earplugs is a simple but important step to reduce this risk.

He also added that many professional musicians use special earplugs that maintain sound quality while protecting hearing. "Protecting hearing means protecting the brain," he said.

By using earplugs, noise exposure can be suppressed to a safer level, so that it not only maintains hearing function, but also overall brain health. Juthani also reminds, if you start to feel the signs of hearing loss, you should immediately consult a specialist ENT doctor for further treatment.