The Scope Radio

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.

As a new parent, you’ve probably been taking your child to their first few checkups and been surprised at how many immunizations they’ve been receiving. In some cases, your child may receive up to 13 shots in the first year. Does your child really need them all? Dr. Charles White, a family medicine physician with University of Utah Health discusses why these immunizations are so important for your newborn so they can be protected from 15 of the more dangerous diseases out there.

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 about a dozen meaningful ones. Dr. Pendleton joins The Scope to talk about which rankings you should look for when choosing a hospital and how to distinguish which ones are merely “medical merit badges.”

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 food "sensitivities.”

It can be a shock to find your first gray hairs on your head, especially if you’re only in your 20s. But women’s expert Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones says a few gray hairs is perfectly normal, even for women in their late 20s and early 30s. However, stress, genetics and other factors can play a role. Find out what is normal, and what is not, when it comes to signs of "wisdom" in your hair.

A positive HIV diagnosis is not something to be taken lightly, but with modern treatments, the diagnosis is no longer a death sentence. According to Dr. Adam Spivak, an HIV specialist at University of Utah Health, today’s HIV-positive patients can expect to live long and happy lives—even without taking 20 pills a day. Dr. Spivak joins The Scope to discuss how HIV treatment has advanced throughout the years and how specialists and medical care at a clinic can help patients manage their condition.

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 to keep your spine healthy and strong.

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 infestation.

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 family and want to improve your chances of pregnancy naturally, learn about some things you can do.

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 can easily be misdiagnosed and some patients never fully develop recognizable ones. On this episode of The Scope, find out what CTEPH is, what to look for and treatment options.

Valentine’s Day can be stressful for everyone involved. Decisions, such as where to go for dinner, whether to get a gift or not and if flowers should be sent can turn Valentine’s Day into a nightmare. But it doesn’t have to be that way. On this Health Minute, Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones has a quick, but important, suggestion on how to survive Valentine’s Day this year.

On this episode of Debunking Old Wives’ Tales, pediatrician Dr. Cindy Gellner tests your knowledge of what's true and not true about acne. From tanning to makeup to washing your face, Dr. Gellner debunks the many myths surrounding the dreaded acne problem many teenagers face.

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.

Sometimes we eat something we wish we hadn't. Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen 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.