The Scope

Patients with artificial joints can be at risk for infections, and they can be challenging to treat. Dr. Tom Miller speaks Dr. Jeremy Gililand , professor of orthopedic surgery, about how such unique infections can be caused, how they can be prevented and what measures doctors will commonly take to treat them.

Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen says if you suspect a food allergy is making it hard for you to breathe, call 911 immediately. Food allergy symptoms can range from mild itching to more severe breathing difficulty. And some food allergies can develop later in life with foods people had no problems with when they were young. Listen to find out the difference between food "allergies" and foo...

When a hospital claims to be “No. 1” in a ranking, what does that ultimately mean to you as a patient? Does a top-ranked hospital actually mean better quality of care? Dr. Robert Pendleton , chief medical quality officer at University of Utah Health, says there are more than 30 different rankings in the U.S. that are strictly for advertising and have little to do with actual quality of care, and a...

The human spine is meant to bend naturally, but an excessive curving of the spine, or kyphosis, is a condition that is either inherited or develops over time. Dr. Tom Miller speaks with Dr. Nicholas Spina , an orthopedic surgeon, about why kyphosis happens to some people and what is involved with treating it, such as physical therapy. If this condition affects you, learn some tips and activities t...

It can be a shock to find your first gray hairs on your head, especially if you are only in your 20s. But women's health specialist Kirtly Jones, MD , says a few gray hairs are perfectly normal, even for women in their late 20s and early 30s. Find out what is normal, and what is not, when it comes to signs of "wisdom" in your hair.

Finding a lice infestation in your child's hair can cause panic. Lice are tiny gray insects that feed on your child's blood and can easily be spread to and from other children at school or daycare. Pediatrician Dr. Cindy Gellner says the good news is the infection can be treated with over-the-counter lice shampoo. If you suspect your child has lice, learn some tips to contain and prevent the infes...

A positive HIV diagnosis is not something to be taken lightly, but with modern treatments, the diagnosis is no longer a death sentence. Today’s HIV-positive patients can expect to live long and happy lives—even without taking 20 pills a day. HIV specialist Adam Spivak, MD , talks about how HIV treatment and care have advanced throughout the years, and how specialists at an HIV/AIDS clinic can help...

Has your child gotten something stuck in his or her ear that both your kid and you can't seem to get out? For those hard-to-grab objects, emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen says you should consider either the ER or urgent care because there’s a chance you could push it in further. Find out what you should do for all those other times when a foreign object gets stuck in your child’s ear.

Today, couples have many options to increase their chances of getting pregnant, including many natural approaches to improved fertility. Women’s health expert Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones speaks with Dr. Joe Stanford , a professor in the department of family and preventive medicine, about what couples can do to naturally improve, or hurt, their chances of getting pregnant. If you're planning a fam...

In the battle against your child's acne, parents often wonder about the efficacy of treatments. Does washing the face help prevent acne? Will popping pimples make them go away faster? Pediatrician Cindy Gellner, MD , addresses five realities and misconceptions surrounding the treatment of childhood and teenage acne.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a potentially serious lung condition that could impact your life. But you may have never heard of it. In fact, your doctor may not have even come across it. It’s relatively rare, with one in 1000 Americans likely to develop the condition. According to Dr. John Ryan , director of the CTEPH program at University of Utah Health, the symptoms ca...

Sometimes we eat something we wish we hadn't. Emergency room physician Troy Madsen, MD , says food poisoning generally takes about six hours to take effect, but most people get through it all right. Learn about the symptoms of food poisoning and things you can do to help yourself get through it.

Advancements in physical therapy treatment methods and technology have led to quicker and more effective recovery. In fact, modern methods may have a patient learn to stand before they sit. Randy Carson , physical therapist at University of Utah Health, takes us through the history of physical therapy and what you can look forward to in the future.

Not all fractures show up clearly on an X-ray—especially in children whose growth plates can disguise breaks. Tom Miller, MD , talks to Joy English, MD , about how doctors identify growth plate fractures, why they may go undetected, and what steps parents should take if their child is still in pain despite a “normal” X-ray.

Interested in starting a career in nursing? There’s no better way to know what to expect in the position than to hear from someone in the field. Matthew Anderson, an intensive care nurse at University of Utah Health, joins The Scope to describe what his daily schedule is like as an ICU nurse and what he finds most rewarding in his work.

It is that time of the month when your hormones are supposedly out of whack—everything annoys you, and it feels like a shark is attacking your abdominal area. As much as you do not like it, you know menstrual cramps are normal. But what if it seems like this time is the worst out of all the other times? As much as 29 percent of women experience severe menstrual cramps that are bad enough to requir...

As a new parent, you’ve probably taken steps to baby-proof your home. Covers on the outlets. Locks on cabinets. But have you considered some of the less obvious burn dangers in your home? Annette Matherly with University of Utah Burn Center discusses the three top burn dangers in your home and how you can protect your new baby from them.

If your child were to suffer a burn, would you know what to do? You may remember “stop, drop, and roll,” but what do you do after the fire is out? Can you treat the burn at home or will it require a trip to the emergency room? Annette Matherly with University of Utah Burn Center has step-by-step instructions on what you should do to treat your child’s burn.

If your baby is cranky and can't sleep, should you try a different formula? Are colicky babies just hungry? Pediatrician Dr. Cindy Gellner challenges some myths around cranky babies with feeding issues and explains why gassiness isn't such a bad thing and why crying doesn't necessarily mean it's time for a feeding.

In science, you may never know where your research will take you, and the results might be a surprise. Wesley Sundquist, Ph. D knows this as well as anyone. Dr. Sundquist is a University of Utah Professor of Biochemistry, and his research on how viruses function may hold the key to a new “delivery system,” which could allow for the transfer of small molecules between cells. On this episode of The...

You have sprained your ankle. Maybe you twisted it during a run. Maybe you suffered a minor fall while skiing. It hurts and is swollen and needs some relief. Are you supposed to put it on ice or apply heat? Emily Harold, MD , sports medicine physician at University of Utah Health, has the answer, as well as the step-by-step treatment you should use to heal your sprained ankle.

A jammed finger can be a common sports injury, and it is usually nothing to worry about. But, if the pain in your finger lingers, you probably should have a physician check it out. Tom Miller, MD , speaks with hand surgery specialist Nikolas Kazmers, MD , who says fingers that are actually broken or dislocated are more easily treated early rather than later. Learn how to tell when your jammed fing...

If you or your young athlete experiences abdominal pain in the upper left side after a collision, seeking immediate medical attention can be crucial. Emergency room physician Troy Madsen, MD , talks about the serious, potentially life-threatening risk of a spleen injury. Dr. Madsen guides listeners through recognizing spleen injury symptoms and shares insights on when a visit to the emergency room...

Whether you want a child, many children, or none at all, couples today have a spectrum of choices including everything from proactive, technical approaches to more natural methods of family planning. Women’s expert Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones speaks with Dr. Joseph Stanford , a professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and president of Intermountain FertilityCare Services , who ass...

Newborns don’t come with a detailed instruction manual, which can leave parents terrified when their baby’s body does bizarre things. On this episode of Debunking Old Wives’ Tales , we cover five of the normal, yet strange, symptoms that your new bundle of joy may be experiencing. From excessive crying to spontaneous eye goop to all the alarming things that can happen with a belly button, pediatri...