The Scope

Emergency physician Dr. Troy Madsen breaks down the numbers on the five most common reasons people go to an ER. He talks about when to visit the emergency room versus when to visit urgent care or your primary care physician. He also advises to err on the side of caution when it comes to certain pains in the body.

Counting calories and obsessing over carbs... Having strict rules and saying, “I can never eat that.” Is there a difference between an eating disorder and eating too healthy? Nick Galli, Ph. D., from the University of Utah’s Department of Health Promotion and Education, talks about listening to your body and giving it the nutrients it needs. He also discusses why fad diets that cut out essential n...

From drain cleaners to dishwasher pods, many household products can cause devastating harm if swallowed. So what should you do if your child—or anyone—drinks something they should not? Michael Moss, MD , from Utah Poison Control Center , explains why this is usually a 911 situation, how poison control can help on the way to the ER, and what not to do in the moment.

Headaches are a major public health issue. Everything from your daily caffeine intake to the amount of sleep you get can contribute to headaches. Dr. Tom Miller and nurse practitioner Susan Baggaley , M.S.N., discuss the differences between daily headaches and migraines and offer advice on when a headache is severe enough for a visit to the doctor. They also talk about treatment and recovery optio...

The short-term consequences of child abuse and neglect often are seen in physical injuries to a child’s body. But the long-term mental consequences, which can be extremely dangerous, are not always visible. Psychiatrist Dr. Jason Hunziker talks about the long-term mental harm and consequences of child abuse. He also discusses why some children in the same abusive environment exhibit different sign...

Every child is different. But how can parents tell if the difference in their child stems from autism? Dr. Jeffrey Anderson talks about autism’s effects on the brain, and why personality differences in autistic individuals should be considered a gift rather than a disease. He also discusses the signs and symptoms of autism for parents to recognize.

You just got someone else’s blood on you. Now you’re wondering if you need to go to the ER or whether you can wipe it off and go on with the rest of your day. Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks through the scenario and factors that will make a difference in the decision of whether to pay the ER a visit.

You may think alcohol is the furthest thing from your child’s mind. But chances are, either your teenager or her friends will have had a drink or two by the time they finish high school. Studies show more than half of American high school seniors drink at least once a week. Dr. Cindy Gellner addresses why teenage drinking is such a huge problem and offers advice on how to prevent or stop your teen...

If someone in your family has lost vision to macular degeneration, you may be wondering if you are next—and what, if anything, you can do about it. Tom Miller, MD , talks to Paul Bernstein, MD , from the Moran Eye Center, about what causes age-related macular degeneration, who is at risk, and the specific habits that can help protect your eyesight. From nutrition to supplements to UV protection, l...

What happens if you swallow a toothpick? Is it dangerous? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen tells you if this is a problem serious enough for the ER.

You’re recovering from an eating disorder. Life is good and you’re getting healthier. The question now is, can a relapse happen and what might trigger it? Nick Galli from the University of Utah’s Department of Health Promotion and Education talks about the things to do, or not do, on the road to recovery from an eating disorder. He also discusses treatments for relapses and whether or not a full r...

Talking to aging parents about advance directives might feel uncomfortable, but it is an essential step to ensure their wishes are honored during unexpected medical situations. Anna Beck, MD , from Huntsman Cancer Institute, shares why this conversation is critical after age 65, how to approach it with compassion, and tips to overcome resistance. From understanding the role of a surrogate to focus...

Did you forget to do the most important thing for your advance directive? Dr. Anna Beck from Huntsman Cancer Institute tells you what an advance directive actually is, and the most important thing to consider when making one. She also talks about how to bring the sensitive topic up to your family.

An abnormal screening mammogram can feel alarming—but most callbacks are not cancer and are simply part of getting a clearer picture. Knowing what happens after a recall, why additional imaging is common, and when biopsies are recommended can help reduce fear and uncertainty. Tom Miller, MD , talks with Nicole Winkler, MD , about what an abnormal mammogram result really means and why follow-up tes...

Cesareans account for 33 percent of U.S. births, an increasingly high number compared to the international 17 percent. Which is safer, cesarean birth or vaginal birth? Dr. Kirtly Jones answers this question and tells you the pros and cons of having a c-section. Plus, you’ll be surprised to find out the dollar amount that goes into U.S. health care for the c-sections that could have been a natural...

As regretful spring breakers are recovering from binge drinking escapades, it may be hard for them to appreciate that there is a positive side to the nausea, sleepiness, and stumbling. Dr. Sharif Taha, a professor of neurobiology and anatomy, discusses his work showing that there is a certain brain region involved in learning from a bad hangover experience. The work could one day help identify tho...

Until recently, physicians thought a colonoscopy was 100 percent accurate. New research from the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute shows it is not. Dr. N. Jewel Samadder talks about what the research discovered and what doctors and patients need to know to get the best result possible.

You think broke your arm. Is that a reason to go to the ER? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about what to do if your arm is broken or you think it might be broken.

Without treatment, Hepatitis C can lead to liver failure and death. If you are a baby boomer born between 1945-1965, there is a significant possibility you have the disease. Dr. Robin Kim talks about Hep C, why all boomers should get tested as soon as possible, and about two new recently developed drugs that are very effective at treating Hepatitis C.

Is your child ignoring you, or do they have a real hearing problem? Hearing loss in kids can be subtle, often mistaken for inattention or learning difficulties. ENT specialist Jeremy Meier, MD , explains the warning signs parents should watch for, the biggest threats to children's hearing, and how to prevent long-term damage.

All the chemicals are out of the children’s reach and your pills secured in a locked medicine cabinet. You think you’ve poison-proofed the house, but there’s still something you may have overlooked. Marty Malheiro from the Utah Poison Control Center tells you the top three reasons people call poison control, and the number one reason might surprise you.

The little bits of dirt that you breath into your body could affect your baby. Even though your lungs filters out dirt, and the placenta filters out all the other bad stuff, air pollution can still get to your baby. Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones discusses air pollution and its effects on pregnancy and your unborn baby. She also talks about what pregnant women should be avoiding in order to prevent the e...

We all love the feeling of the sun on our skin and maybe even a little bit of that golden tan. But then we’re reminded that somebody dies every hour in the U.S. from skin cancer. Most skin cancer cases are completely avoidable. Dr. Glen Bowen from Huntsman Cancer Institute talks about why he believes skin cancer is an epidemic problem. He’ll also talk about how to balance the desire to be out in t...

The common and obvious assumption when you see red in the urine is that it’s blood, and it’s bad. A variety of reasons can cause blood in the urine, but the first question to ask is 'is it really blood?' Dr. Tom Miller and Dr. Blake Hamilton discusses what you should do if you notice the color of your urine changing from clear or yellow to red, and you’ll be surprise to find out that red urine can...

Do mammograms happen at 30, 35, 40, 45? There can be a lot of confusing information about mammograms out there, including when women should be scheduling their first one, and how often mammograms should happen. From Teton Valley Hospital in Driggs, Idaho, director of medical imaging Marjean Barnett addresses some of the confusion surrounding mammograms, and tells you why getting one too early migh...