A major 7-year study just found that hearing aids significantly reduced dementia risk — but didn't improve memory test scores. This week, Dr. Garrett unpacks why those findings aren't in conflict, and what they mean for anyone living with untreated hearing loss. The research, published in Neurology in February 2026 by Monash University, followed 2,777 older adults over seven years. Hearing aid users showed similar annual cognitive test scores — but meaningfully lower dementia rates. Dr. Garrett explains why: cognitive test scores capture current function while dementia risk accumulates slowly, invisibly, through mechanisms like effortful listening load and social withdrawal. He also breaks down a Framingham Heart Study analysis that found the strongest protective effect in people under 70 — and what that means for the "I'll wait until it gets worse" approach most patients default to. If you've been watching the dementia-hearing research closely — or you're trying to figure out what to tell a parent who keeps putting this off — this episode gives you the clinical framework to make that case.

Visit our online learning center.

If you are in Northern Utah and would like an appointment click here.

Most tinnitus patients who also have migraines have never been told the two are related — let alone that one may be driving the other. In this episode, Dr. Layne Garrett, Au.D., FAAA, CH-TM explains the central sensitization framework and why so many patients cycle through specialists without answers. Published research places the co-occurrence of tinnitus and migraine at 26-47%. Vestibular migraine — which can present without headache — is among the strongest predictors of tinnitus distress. A 2026 literature review from UC Irvine proposed that this triad be formally recognized as otologic central sensitivity syndrome. These may not be three diagnoses. They may be three symptoms of one overreactive nervous system. Dr. Garrett breaks down the trigeminal nerve's role in connecting migraine biology to inner ear excitability, walks through a patient case that illustrates how the right question changed the clinical picture entirely, and explains what a tinnitus evaluation that includes this framework actually looks like.

Visit our Online Learning Center here.

If you are in Northern Utah and want to schedule an appointment click here.

Being told you need two hearing aids instead of one can raise an honest question: is this actually necessary, or is it just an upsell? It's a fair thing to wonder, especially when hearing aids represent a real financial commitment. In this episode, Dr. Layne Garrett of Timpanogos Hearing & Tinnitus walks through why bilateral fittings are recommended so often — and it has nothing to do with moving more units.

The short version: your brain doesn't process sound from one ear the way it processes sound from two. When both ears receive input, the brain can compare signals, filter out background noise, and locate where sound is coming from — all of which lighten the mental effort of listening. Dr. Garrett unpacks how this plays out in real environments like restaurants, family dinners, and meetings, and what actually happens to the untreated ear over time when only one side gets treated.

Listeners will come away understanding the difference between "louder" and "clearer," why auditory deprivation is a real and measurable risk, and — just as important — the specific clinical situations where a single hearing aid, CROS, BiCROS, or another approach genuinely is the right call. Dr. Garrett draws on more than two decades of clinical experience in tinnitus and complex hearing loss, using REM-verified fittings and an evidence-based, whole-person approach rather than a one-size-fits-all recommendation.

Timpanogos Hearing & Tinnitus serves patients throughout Northern Utah, offering personalized hearing evaluations, diagnostics, and treatment planning in coordination with ENTs, neurologists, and mental health professionals.

For more resources, visit our online learning center. To schedule care in Northern Utah, click here.

Tinnitus can feel confusing, frustrating, and deeply isolating — especially when someone has been told to "just ignore it" or "learn to live with it." In this episode, Dr. Layne Garrett of Timpanogos Hearing & Tinnitus explains what tinnitus actually is: the perception of sound when there is no external sound source, often shaped by both the auditory system and the nervous system.

Dr. Garrett breaks down why tinnitus may begin with hearing loss, noise exposure, medication effects, ear conditions, or other disruptions in sound input, and why the brain may respond by amplifying internal sound activity. He also explains the difference between subjective, objective, and pulsatile tinnitus, including when symptoms deserve prompt medical evaluation.

Listeners will learn why tinnitus affects some people mildly while others experience major sleep, focus, and mood disruption. The episode also covers evidence-based treatment options including hearing aids, CBT, sound therapy, tinnitus retraining therapy, REM-verified hearing aid fittings, and individualized tinnitus care.

For more resources, visitour online learning center.

To schedule care in Northern Utah, click here.

Eight months ago, Dr. Layne Garrett released a first-look on the Starkey Omega AI and ended it cautiously. In this episode, he delivers the real-world verdict — built on independent lab data, eight months of patient fittings, and one story that captures exactly what this device does when it's fit correctly.

HearAdvisor, an independent acoustic testing lab, gave the Omega AI an A grade and placed it among the top prescription hearing aids for speech-in-noise performance — the number one complaint Dr. Garrett hears in the clinic. Manufacturer claims for 28% better speech intelligibility and an 8 dB SNR improvement were confirmed by an outside source with nothing to gain. Battery life (up to 51 hours), durability, and post-launch connectivity improvements are covered honestly, including what the Auracast update is actually useful for today versus in the future.

The episode's sharpest insight: surveys consistently show only about a third of clinics verify hearing aid fittings with real ear measurement — which means most patients wearing premium devices like the Omega AI got programmed on a factory default that was never built for their ears. The fitting, not the brand, is what determines results.

Listeners dealing with speech-in-noise difficulty, hearing aid dissatisfaction, or anyone evaluating premium hearing aids will find actionable questions to bring to their next appointment.

Find more information in my online learning center.

Schedule your appointment with one of my team members in Utah here.

Tinnitus can feel overwhelming, especially when the advice you've received is dismissive or outdated. In this episode, Dr. Layne Garrett breaks down five common tinnitus myths that continue to keep people from getting the help they need — including the idea that tinnitus will simply go away, that nothing can be done, or that tinnitus is only a hearing problem.

You'll learn why acute tinnitus and chronic tinnitus need to be understood differently, why tinnitus distress is not just about volume, and why the brain's response plays such an important role in sleep, focus, mood, and quality of life. Dr. Garrett also explains why hearing aids, sound therapy, CBT-based care, tinnitus retraining therapy, REM-verified fittings, and specialty evaluation may all be part of a more complete tinnitus treatment plan.

Dr. Garrett has more than two decades specializing in tinnitus and complex hearing loss. Timpanogos Hearing & Tinnitus provides medical-model tinnitus care for patients throughout Northern Utah.

Learn more in our online learning center.

or schedule an appointment here.

The FDA's approval of Otarmeni marks a historic moment in hearing healthcare: the first approved gene therapy designed to address the biological cause of a specific genetic form of hearing loss. But while the headlines made it sound like a broad cure for hearing loss had arrived, the reality is much more specific.

In this episode, Dr. Layne Garrett explains what Otarmeni is, how it targets OTOF-related hearing loss, who may qualify, and what the CHORD trial showed. He also explains why this therapy does not apply to most adults with age-related or noise-induced hearing loss, and why a complete diagnostic evaluation remains the best first step for understanding your options.

Dr. Garrett has more than two decades of experience specializing in tinnitus and complex hearing loss. At Timpanogos Hearing & Tinnitus, care is grounded in a medical-model approach using evidence-based diagnostics, REM-verified hearing aid fittings, tinnitus management, and appropriate medical referral when needed.

For more hearing loss and tinnitus resources, visitour online learning center.

To schedule an evaluation in Northern Utah, click here.

Tinnitus habituation is often explained poorly, leaving many patients with the impression that they simply have to "learn to live with it." In this episode, Dr. Layne Garrett explains why that phrase misses the point. Habituation is not resignation, coping, or pretending tinnitus does not matter. It is a neurological process where the brain and nervous system gradually reclassify tinnitus from a threat signal to a neutral signal.

You'll learn how the auditory system, limbic system, and autonomic nervous system interact, why tinnitus distress is often tied to the brain's threat response, and why the goal of treatment is not always silence. Dr. Garrett also explains the two stages of habituation, how CBT, TRT, sound therapy, hearing aids, REM-verified fittings, and bimodal neuromodulation can support different parts of the process, and why a proper tinnitus evaluation matters.

Dr. Layne Garrett has more than two decades of experience specializing in tinnitus and complex hearing loss. At Timpanogos Hearing & Tinnitus, the focus is medical-model care, advanced diagnostics, outcome tracking, and personalized treatment for patients throughout Northern Utah.

Explore more resources at:online learning center.

Schedule with our team in Utah here.

Hearing loss is usually described as a communication problem, but this episode explores why that picture may be too small. Dr. Layne Garrett of Timpanogos Hearing & Tinnitus explains new research connecting worse hearing with slower walking speed in everyday life, and why auditory load, listening effort, speech clarity, and SNR deficits can affect more than conversations.

You'll learn how the brain uses sound to support attention, spatial awareness, confidence, and movement — and why untreated hearing loss may quietly increase fatigue, hesitation, and caution in noisy or unfamiliar environments. Dr. Garrett also explains why a comprehensive hearing evaluation should include more than basic tone testing, especially when someone struggles to understand speech in noise.

Dr. Layne Garrett has more than two decades specializing in tinnitus and complex hearing loss, using evidence-based care including REM-verified hearing aid fittings and medical-model diagnostics.

For more resources on hearing loss and tinnitus, visit our free online learning center

To schedule with Timpanogos Hearing & Tinnitus in Northern Utah click here.

If your hearing test came back normal but you still struggle in restaurants, meetings, family dinners, or conversations in the car, you are not imagining it. A standard audiogram measures whether you can detect soft sounds in a quiet booth, but it does not fully measure speech clarity in real-world noise.

In this episode, Dr. Layne Garrett explains why "normal hearing" does not always mean normal listening. He breaks down how auditory load, SNR deficits, hidden hearing loss, central auditory processing challenges, and speech-in-noise problems can affect everyday communication even when the audiogram looks normal.

You'll also learn why QuickSIN testing, extended high-frequency testing, and OAE testing may provide a more complete picture of what is happening. Dr. Garrett also explains why a proper hearing evaluation should look beyond thresholds and include real-world listening function.

Dr. Layne Garrett and the team at Timpanogos Hearing & Tinnitus use a medical-model approach to hearing loss, tinnitus, hearing aids, REM-verified fittings, and advanced diagnostics.

Visit the Learning Center.Schedule an appointment.