The Scope

Lots of research has been done about the benefits of skin-to-skin contact between a mother and her new baby. In this podcast, lactation consultant Elizabeth Smith talks about the many benefits for both mom and baby when they have contact immediately after birth and during feeding. While many babies get some contact when they breast feed, some moms either aren’t able or choose not to breastfeed, so...

If your heart murmur turns out to be a narrowing of the heart valve, or aortic stenosis, you might be surprised. Many patients with aortic stenosis don’t notice symptoms. What does this diagnosis mean for you? Dr. Tom Miller and Dr. James Fang discuss the treatment options.

Emergency room doctor Robert Stephen wants you to know that once you walk into the ER, you will not be turned away, no matter what. But there are times when the emergency room gets so full that special measures are taken. In this podcast, Dr. Tom Miller questions Dr. Stephen about how he continues to treat patients in the ER even when he runs out of room.

Michael Cohen was told that a pain in his chest was indigestion, and it wasn’t until two years later that he learned it was actually caused by a lung tumor. By that time the mass had grown considerably, and is now undergoing tough medical treatments that may have been avoided if the cancer were caught early. Everyone will be subject to a medical misdiagnosis at least once in their lives, sometimes...

What you eat (or don’t eat) can have an impact on your oral health. Acidic foods and sugar free sodas wear the teeth down faster than most foods, and forcing yourself to throw up can be devastating for your pearly whites. In this podcast Dr. Kirtly Jones talks with Dr. Lea Erickson about the impacts of eating disorders on your teeth and signs of eating disorders in children, friends and loved ones...

How do you know when your diabetes requires the help of a specialist? Dr. Tim Graham is a diabetes expert and he says he wouldn’t want patients to pay more to see a specialist if it’s not going to benefit them. He talks about when you should see a specialist based on your blood sugar levels and the kind of care you’re receiving from your primary care physician.

As the weather gets colder, many of us get runny and stuffy noses. But if it’s happening more than three times a year and lasts for weeks at a time, it could be something more serious than just a cold. Jeremiah Alt is an ear, nose and throat surgeon. In this podcast, he talks with Dr. Tom Miller about chronic sinusitis and how you can get treated for your perpetually stuffy nose.

What’s the biggest benefit to the Five for Life program? Men who sign up can meet with experts they normally wouldn’t get to see. Your insurance pays for a doctor visit but you can meet with several different specialists free of charge. Dr. Brian Ely talks about some of the screenings and advice you can get.

In 2013, poison control centers received 16,000 calls about children eating hand sanitizer and getting sick. Dr. Cindy Gellner warns that some hand sanitizers are twice as strong as vodka, and no parent would allow their child to have a shot of that. She provides some tips for keeping the hand sanitizer out of reach and keeping your kids safe. If you have concerns, call the Poison Control Center a...

Learning that your child has cancer is overwhelming. Soon after you learn about it, you’ll be on the receiving end of piles of information from your child’s doctor and many other people. It can be a lot to handle all at once. Dr. Jennifer Wright talks about how to process all the information and how you and your family can stay emotionally stable during this hard time.

Your teenager seems to have lost interest in their hobbies and is sleeping a lot—is it depression or just the hormones? Many of the symptoms of depression seem to be how teenagers normally act. So how can you tell if your teen really needs help? Dr. Nathan Bexfield has the answers.

More and more women are choosing to give birth in tubs of warm water. It’s a safe process that can help with pain help a new mom relax. In this podcast, certified nurse midwife Dr. Debra Penney talks about how a woman should decide if a water birth is right for her.

There are dangerous items all over the house, but what’s the most dangerous to ingest? Household bleach, Visine eye drops, or those colorful pods of laundry detergent? Barbara Crouch with the Utah Poison Control Center has the answer—and it might surprise you.

Barrett’s Esophagus is a condition that rarely requires surgery, but when it progresses to high-grade dysplasia or esophageal cancer, surgical intervention becomes necessary. Esophageal surgery specialist Courtney Scaife, MD , talks with Tom Miller, MD , about when surgery is warranted for Barrett’s Esophagus and what patients can expect during and after an esophagectomy.

If you’re experiencing severe rectal pain, you might think it’s hemorrhoids, but it could be something worse. Dr. Tom Miller and Dr. Bartley Pickron talk about how to distinguish between common hemorrhoids and more serious conditions. They also discuss treatments and relief for pain, as well as when to see a doctor.

Every parent knows how frustrating it is when their baby is crying and they don’t know how to help them. While young children can’t use words to convey what they want, babies as young as eight months can use gestures to communicate with you. In this podcast, Dr. Cindy Gellner tells you how to get started teaching sign language to your baby and provides some helpful tips to keep in mind.

Up to half of women examined with no symptoms show early signs of pelvic organ prolapse, yet many never talk about it. Childbirth, aging, obesity, menopause, and even high-impact activities can weaken pelvic support over time. The good news is that many women do not need surgery. Kirtly Jones, MD , and Jan Baker, MD, discuss how to recognize prolapse early and what you can do to stay comfortable a...

If you have been happy with the care from your family physician throughout your life, you might question whether you even need a geriatric specialist. Mark Supiano, MD , executive director of the University of Utah Center on Aging, explains why visiting a doctor who specializes in aging could be beneficial. Explore whether seeing a geriatrician is the right choice for you or your loved ones.

Most of us are familiar with the health risks associated with exposure to bisphenol-A (BPA), found in most plastics, but there is still a lot that we don’t understand. Christy Porucznik, PhD, associate professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of Utah, is researching whether BPA may make it more difficult for some couples to get pregnant. She explains why most studies up to thi...

Most people with back or neck pain recover with simple at-home care like rest, exercise, and anti-inflammatories—without ever needing surgery. Tom Miller, MD , talks to neurosurgeon Erica Bisson, MD , about how to tell the difference between typical muscle pain and more serious symptoms, when to see your doctor, and why imaging tests like MRIs are not always necessary. Learn about the red flags to...

Are you noticing a combination of neck or upper back pain and a tingling or slowing in the reaction time of your arms and legs? It could be a compression of your spinal cord, also known as cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). In this podcast, Dr. Erica Bisson, a neurosurgeon and spinal surgeon, talks with Dr. Tom Miller about CSM. Listen to learn more about what a diagnosis means for you, as wel...

The question comes up every few years but seems particularly relevant today as funding for scientific research gets tighter and the numbers of academic jobs decrase. Richard Dorsky, Ph. D., director of the neuroscience graduate program at the University of Utah, talks about how graduate programs are responding to this issue, and what could happen if these programs decrease the number of PhDs they...

As you age, the right nutrition can mean the difference between maintaining your independence or needing higher levels of care. Registered dietitian Susan Shirer explains how older adults can support their muscle strength, bone health, and cognitive function through key nutrients like protein, vitamin D, and vitamin B12. Learn how simple dietary adjustments can help you stay strong, prevent falls,...

Certain research has shown that children growing up in a family with pets have a significantly lower risk of developing allergies to animals. But as Dr. Cindy Gellner warns, that doesn’t mean you should rush out and buy a cat or dog. She talks about the research in-depth, as well as other contributors to allergies and asthma including allergens in the home, exposure in preschool and daycare, and g...

Pre-diabetes is much more common than you might think: Diabetes expert Dr. Tim Graham says about forty percent of Americans are pre-diabetic and less than ten percent of those people even know they have it. Pre-diabetes doesn’t have any symptoms, and sometimes it affects even people with healthy habits and a good BMI. But the good news is pre-diabetes is reversible. Dr. Graham talks about what it...