The Scope Radio

When you’re admitted to the hospital, there are two types of observation statuses that your doctor can categorize you as. One of these will cause a significant increase in how much you’ll be billed. Dr. Tom Miller and Russell Vinik discuss the questions you have about your medical bill, and tell you why your observation status could affect your billing.

When you say allergies most people think of springtime: flowers, grasses, trees, pollens. But winter allergies can also be a problem. From St. John's Medical Center in Jackson, Wyoming, Dr. Martin Trott talks about why allergies happen year-round, and you'll be surprised to find out some of the things that can cause allergies in the wintertime.

Most of the time you take your kids to the doctor only when they’re sick, but is this the best mindset? If you could prevent your child from feeling unwell and miserable, wouldn’t you? From Teton Valley Health Care in Driggs, Idaho, family nurse practitioner Kristen Coburn talks about well-child checkups and preventive steps you can take to keep your kids healthy year-round.

Most of the time you take your kids to the doctor only when they’re sick, but is this the best mindset? If you could prevent your child from feeling unwell and miserable, wouldn’t you? From Teton Valley Health Care in Driggs, Idaho, family nurse practitioner Kristen Coburn talks about well-child checkups and preventive steps you can take to keep your kids healthy year-round.

It has become faster and cheaper than ever to sequence the human genome. So, why doesn't everyone know their genetic code and what it might tell them about their health? Dr. Gabor Marth, co-director of University of Utah's new Center for Genetic Discovery talks about the stumbling blocks that have so far prevented this from happening, and how the center will overcome them.

A heart attack affects men and women in the same way, but the different sexes experience the symptoms differently. Many women even dismiss the symptoms. Dr. John Ryan talks about why women’s symptoms are different, what symptoms women should look out for and why women shouldn’t dismiss heart disease as just a man’s health concern.

What is the biggest health threat to women worldwide? The answer will likely surprise you. The good news: there is a way to completely eradicate it. Dr. Kirtly Jones tells you what it is and what we all can do about it.

Organ donations often come from people who’ve died unexpectedly in accidents or from natural causes, but healthy, living people can give certain organs, such as kidneys, too. People donate organs for various and sometimes surprising reasons. Transplant surgeon Dr. Jeffery Campsen discusses live kidney donations, how safe they are for donors, and how they improve recipients’ lives. He also talks about how live donor kidney chains increase the number of lives saved.

Bones, as strong as they may be, can definitely fracture and break when too much force is being put on them. Most bone fractures and breaks are obvious, but there are some that aren’t as easy to diagnose – you might feel pain, but you won’t see it. So how do you know if you need to get an x-ray? From Teton Valley Hospital in Driggs, Idaho, director of medical imaging Marjean Barnett talks about the common injuries that can happen in areas surrounded by mountains and valleys, and how to tell if you have a fractured or broken bone.

According to emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen, chest pains are one of the most common problems seen in the ER. While there’s always the chance that chest pains indicate a heart attack, you’ll be surprised to find out what percentage of those cases are false alarms. Dr. Madsen talks about what you should be looking out for if you have chest pain, and tells whether those signs and symptoms are serious enough for a trip to the ER.

If you have a family history of cancer, you may have considered genetic testing to see if you actually have the mutation that causes the disease. It’s a very useful tool, but there are many other considerations such as who should be tested, interpreting the results and what happens next.In this interview, Dr. Saundra Buys from Huntsman Cancer Institute answers many questions you might have about genetic testing for cancer, including why you should consult with a genetic counselor first, the types of cancers that testing can effectively uncover and how that information can help you.She also talks about a recent survey conduced by Harris Interactive for University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute that found 34% people surveyed would not seek genetic testing even if they had a family history of cancer. She’ll cover what the concerns are and other takeaways from the study.

Over 90 percent of your body is water. It’s usually not too hard to get the amount of water you need in the summertime – but in the wintertime, it can be a little more difficult. Registered dietitian Julie Metos talks about the importance of staying hydrated in the winter and introduces ways to obtain water that you may not have thought about. She also discusses what counts and what doesn’t count towards your total daily water intake, as well as what type of water is the best.

Headaches may be one of the most common illnesses; almost everyone gets them. But what do you do when headaches are so severe and debilitating that they become migraines? Dr. Tom Miller discusses the two types of headaches that are most common, what triggers them, preventions and treatments, and how to distinguish between the two. He also talks about the potential dangers of migraines if left untreated or treated incorrectly.

Asthma causes people to have shortness of breath, wheezing, or repeated coughing episodes, and it’s commonly diagnosed at a young age. Dr. Cindy Gellner talks about the signs and symptoms of asthma in children and discusses what can trigger an asthma attack. She also addresses the popular questions of whether asthma is related to allergies and if it can be cured.

When you think about scald dangers, you likely think about that boiling pot of water on the stove or hot cup of coffee. But, because the temperature needed to cause a severe scald is so surprisingly low, there are many other situations that you might not have even considered dangerous, especially for kids and the elderly. Annette Matherly, education, outreach and burn disaster coordinator, talks about the causes of scald injuries that come into the University of Utah Burn Center and how to prevent them. She’ll also tell you why noodles are dangerous, how most scalds happen in the bathtub, and give you some things to do around the house to prevent burn injuries that take seconds to happen and last a lifetime.