From the Front Lines

Should you go to the ER if you have a really bad toothache? Find out in this episode of ER or Not with emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen from the University of Utah Hospital.

If your child plays outdoor sports, it's important to make sure their body doesn't get too warm. Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about the difference between heat exhaustion verses heat stroke. Learn what heat stroke is, what it does, the symptoms, and what to do if your young athlete appears to have it.

During the summer months, heat exposure can be common. But could it be life-threatening? According to emergency physician Dr. Troy Madsen, heatstroke is an extremely dangerous condition that can lead to organ and brain damage. Learn how to identify the symptoms of heatstroke, prevent overheating, and determine when it's time to call 911.

For those who are experiencing a panic attack, a trip to the emergency room might feel necessary. And while ER doctors can give medication to help calm you down, most panic attacks are probably not something you absolutely need to go to the ER for. Emergency physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about the reasons for when a trip to the ER is a must in the case of panic attacks.

The ER is for emergencies—we know this. But which health conditions classify as "emergencies" can be confusing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, especially, it's important to know the guidelines of coming into the ER. Emergency physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about the ABC(and D)s of when you should go to the emergency room.

You or somebody you know suddenly becomes confused. What does it mean? There are a number of things that could cause this confusion. But if there are other symptoms that appear with confusion, this can be quite serious. Dr. Troy Madsen shares about what this confusion can mean. He also shares what to do if this confusion kicks in.

Sitting for long periods of time may be as harmful to your health as obesity and smoking. On today’s Health Hack, Dr. Troy Madsen has a few ways you can get up and moving throughout the day to stay healthy.

Generally, people who are young and healthy aren't necessarily prone to dying—but, there are still exceptions. Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about the top three health conditions that can kill people who are otherwise healthy and the warning signs that may be overlooked or mistaken for other conditions.

What would you do if you develop a urinary tract infection while traveling abroad? On today’s Health Hack, emergency physician Dr. Troy Madsen explains why bringing an antibiotic with you when traveling may save your vacation.

Your child stuck something small deep up their nose. So far up there, you can’t seem to retrieve it. Emergency physician Dr. Troy Madsen shares a useful—but kind of gross—health hack that may save you a costly trip to the emergency room.

If you’re struggling to lose weight, today’s Health Hack may be for you. Dr. Troy Madsen explains how cutting one large soda a day can lead to losing up to a pound a week.

Nausea is a very common condition in the emergency room. But according to Dr. Troy Madsen, there's actually not much an ER doctor can do to help with the symptoms. Save yourself a trip to the ER—on today's Health Minute, learn what over-the-counter medication may ease your nausea at home.

An ingrown toenail can be extremely painful and, in some cases, require antibiotics and a procedure. On today’s Health Hack with Dr. Troy Madsen, learn how to stop an ingrown toenail before they even start.

Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen shares a recent eye-opening study about using over-the-counter pain relievers rather than opioids. Learn how to safely treat your pain on this Health Hack.

Three or four servings of fruit and vegetables may be all you need in a day for significant health benefits. Dr. Troy Madsen shares some easy ways to get your daily recommended servings on this Health Hack.

Broken bones hurt all the way up until you get a cast on it. On today’s Health Hack, emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen explains how to make a simple DIY splint to help immobilize an injured limb while you wait for treatment.

It's not uncommon this time of year to slip and fall on the ice. If you do, should you go to the ER? Emergency medicine physician Dr. Troy Madsen answers that question and also tells you how he would try to fall to minimize potential injuries.

Chronic lower back pain is one of the most common types of pain in the United States. Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen says yoga can reduce lower back pain and may be a cheaper alternative to the typical treatments of physical therapy and painkillers for relief.

As the weather gets colder, some people experience nosebleeds. When is a nosebleed serious enough to go the ER and when can you take care of it yourself? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about why the cold, dry air may cause nosebleeds and how to properly take care of a nosebleed at home.

Have you stubbed your toe bad enough you think you may have broken it? Save yourself an expensive trip to the ER—emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen explains how you can do the same procedure you'd receive at an urgent care.

The presence of electric scooters are increasing in a lot of cities, and with them comes the increase in related injuries coming into ERs. Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about who's actually getting injured by electric scooters, the types of injuries, and how you can prevent yourself from ending up in the ER.

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.

Sometimes when you pay the doctor a visit, he’ll hold a little flashlight up to your eye and joke that he's looking into your soul. But what are doctors really trying to find when they look into your eyes? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about the situations that would cause him to pull out his little flashlight, and you might be surprise to learn that the two top reasons have nothing to do with the eye itself.

Playing novice electrician? Stuck something in an outlet you shouldn’t have? Emergency physician Dr. Troy Madsen explores the potential health risks you may face after experiencing even just a minor electrical shock. And spoiler: You should go to the hospital.

You may think you know what to look for in pink eye: red itchy eyes, goopy discharge, swelling. But are you sure? Dr. Troy Madsen explains how pink eye can be very difficult to diagnose and that even those telltale symptoms could be a sign of something as simple as allergies. We cover the signs you should be looking for and the treatment options if you think you or your child may have pink eye.

You need to urinate but it’s hard, if not impossible, to go. Should you make a trip to the ER? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen says it depends on the patient. If you’re a 65-year-old male, you need to go in. For everyone else, it might be worth waiting to visit an urgent care. What could be causing your inability to go, on this episode of ER or Not.

High blood pressure can be a reason for concern, but is it worth an expensive trip to the ER? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about when a trip to the ER for high blood pressure is needed, and how you can relax to reduce your blood pressure.

Stubbing a toe is painful. You might have stubbed your toe really hard, and might have even broken it. Should you go to the ER? Dr. Troy Madsen stops by to discuss whether you should go to the ER. He also discusses how to treat and care for a stubbed toe.

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.

You have a piece of food stuck in your throat. Maybe a piece of steak you didn’t chew well enough. It isn’t blocking your airway, but it’s definitely not going anywhere anytime soon. Should you go to the ER? Emergency physician Dr. Troy Madsen tells us when that lodged bit of food is an emergency and shares a surprising at-home remedy to try.

In one way or another, you find yourself punctured with a freshly sharpened No. 2 pencil. There might even be a bit of a dark spot from the graphite underneath the skin. Are you in danger of lead poisoning? Should you go to the emergency room immediately? On this episode of ER or Not, Dr. Troy Madsen settles your childhood fears about pencil-related injuries.

Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the tonsils that is relatively common. It’s contagious and can lead to a very sore throat, so the earlier it’s treated, the better. Emergency physician Dr. Troy Madsen discusses four tell-tale signs you should be looking for to determine if you have strep throat and how to treat it.

In this episode of ER or Not, we find out what sorts of trouble you could be in if you accidentally swallowed the not-so-tasty part of a chicken wing. Should you go to the ER immediately or wait for the situation to pass? Dr. Troy Madsen has the answers.

It may seem like a given—if you run long distances regularly, then you’ll eventually need a knee replacement. But from a doctor's perspective, that's actually not true. Emergency physician Dr. Troy Madsen, a runner, looks at the research on knee damage and running. He shares his findings and why he thinks running is a great way to stay healthy.

You feel a pain in your chest and left arm. You immediately start worrying that you're having a heart attack. At what point do chest pains equal a heart attack? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen shares what chest pains can mean. He also discusses the symptoms and feelings of a heart attack versus "regular" chest pain.

Diarrhea is a not-so-pleasant condition we have all experienced at one point or another. But what should you do if it lasts longer than a day? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about how to treat the problem of diarrhea and what symptoms mean you should seek your doctor’s help.

Have an extreme pain or discomfort in your stomach? Has it lasted longer than five minutes? Many sufferers avoid going to the emergency room for fear they’ll just be told it’s nothing and then sent home. As a follow-up to “ER or Not: Severe Stomach Pain,” emergency physician Dr. Troy Madsen takes us step-by-step through what physicians do when a patient with abdominal pain comes into the ER and what signs you can look for at home when deciding whether to go to the hospital.

Should you go to the ER for back pain? In this episode of ER or Not, emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen details the two symptoms you should be looking for that could be signs of something requiring immediate emergency care. The second one might surprise you.

According to pediatrician Dr. Cindy Gellner, a child coughing until they puke is actually pretty common. Children—especially those under 12 months of age—have a very sensitive gag reflex. But if vomiting after coughing happens too often, it could be a sign of something more serious. Learn the signs to watch out for the next time your child coughs.

The next time you have trouble swallowing a piece of food, try drinking a soda. On today's Health Minute, emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about how carbonation from soda can help dislodge the food stuck in your throat.

Staples, stitches, and even super glue are all options for treating large cuts. But how do emergency physicians decide what to use to get wounds back together? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about how he makes his decisions for what suture tool to use.

Emergency rooms and clinics sometimes use glue rather than stitches for smaller lacerations. On today's Health Minute, emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen share one of his favorite health hacks: using super glue to save a trip to the ER.

Somehow, you got sprayed with pepper spray. It’s in your eye, it stings, and you’re probably feeling really uncomfortable. But is getting pepper strayed a reason to go to the ER? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen says, “probably not.” Hear what you can do at home, and when a trip to the ER might be needed for pepper spray.

If you are present during an overdose, do you know what to do? According to emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen, the most important thing you should do is call 911 and seek emergency help. Learn about the myths about overdose treatment and the potential complications that can come if you attempt to take care of the problem yourself.

If you find your heart suddenly racing, is that cause for concern? Whether to worry or not depends on other symptoms and how long the racing lasts. Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about some potentially serious conditions you should be mindful of, and how ER doctors might treat them.

You’re helping friends move some heavy furniture and suddenly feel a pop in your abdomen. Maybe you have a small protrusion and think it could be a hernia. It may look scary, but is it a reason to rush to the ER? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about what exactly a hernia is, how some people live with them for years, and when it’s serious enough to seek immediate help.

A broken blood vessel in the eye can look nasty. But is it worth a trip to the ER? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about when you should seek emergency help and when you can just see your ophthalmologist.

The room is spinning, you feel off balance, and it doesn't seem to be getting better. Should you go to the ER? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen says, depending on the person, it could be a sign of stroke. Find out the risk factors to consider and learn when to seek immediate help.

If you live in Salt Lake City, you know it’s not a good idea to exercise outside during a muggy inversion. But did you know you should be concerned even on a clear summer day? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen explains how even though ozone isn’t visible, it can cause serious breathing issues. Learn the steps you can take to protect yourself this summer.

Fainting can be a scary event for everyone involved. According to emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen, 99% of the time, there are no serious health concerns. But if you're around when someone hits the floor, how should you respond? Learn the facts about fainting and what you can do when it happens.

A trip to the ER is different for patients with diabetes compared to those without. Diabetes can lead to more serious complications doctors would be concerned about, as well as influence diagnostics and potential treatments. Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen explains why it’s important your physicians know your diabetic status early with emergency treatment.