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James Gallagher visits a podiatrist to analyze how his footwear impacts his gait, learning about common foot problems like bunions and plantar fasciitis, the effects of shoe trends, and how shoes can affect the whole body. Later, Dr. Vanessa Apea clarifies what genital herpes is, its prevalence, transmission, symptoms, and addresses the significant stigma and myths, offering advice on management and discussing risks like those in pregnancy.
James Gallagher discusses the risk from H5N1 bird flu in the UK as a poultry worker in the West Midlands is infected and looks to the US where the disease is spreading in cattle. He's joined by virologist Dr Ed Hutchinson from the University of Glasgow to discuss how the virus is evolving, whether we are edging closer to bird flu becoming a pandemic and how it's being handled in the US as President Trump's government takes office. Also, you've been sending in your questions on embarrassing healt...
Pasteurising milk makes it safer, but are there any benefits to drinking it “raw”? James heads to a dairy farm to investigate the evidence and see if anything is lost in pasteurising milk. Guests: Professor Marion Nestle, food policy expert, New York University Dr Ellen Evans, food safety expert at Cardiff Metropolitan University Jonny Crickmore, Fen Farm Dairy and chairman of the Raw Milk Producers Association Professor Markus Ege, researcher, University of Munich Presenter: James Gallagher Pro...
From kombucha to cold water swims, sleep to supplements, so many things are claimed to help enhance your immune system. We investigate the evidence, and ask if it's possible to avoid catching a virus this winter (and still leave the house). Plus, James braves 3.9 degree water to see for himself if cold water swimming has any affect on our immune systems. Guests: Margaret McCartney - Resident GP and expert in evidence-based medicine John Tregoning - Professor in Vaccine Immunology at Imperial Col...
It has been a cold start to the year and for many that means the heating's on, windows are shut and we're drying clothes inside the house. For many people, mould becomes a major concern in winter and the health problems mould can cause have been under more scrutiny since the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died in 2020 from long-term exposure to mould at his home in Rochdale. At Imperial College London a study called WellHome is underway to monitor levels of mould and other indoor pollutan...
In the UK, around a third of British children have tooth decay. Just among the under-fives, it's a quarter - a figure that rises significantly in the most deprived areas. Tooth decay can cause speech development issues, embarrassment for children and in 2023, 15 million school days were missed due to tooth pain or treatment. There’s a financial cost too – in 2023 in England alone tooth extractions under a general anaesthetic cost the NHS £41 million. And it's totally preventable. So, how can we ...
Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy is calling for more prostate cancer testing after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Prostate cancer can often present without symptoms, and for people like Sir Chris, this can mean it isn't diagnosed until it has spread and become incurable. Unlike breast, bowel, or cervical cancer, there is currently no national screening programme that routinely invites men for prostate cancer testing. Instead, men over 50 can request what's known as a PSA blood test from the...
The first drugs to slow Alzheimer's progression have been making headlines around the world. For researchers in the field, the arrival of these two therapies called Lecanemab and Donanemab is testament to decades of advancements in the field of Alzheimer's research because for the first time they go further than modifying the symptoms and have been shown in trials to slow down cognitive decline. For patients and families these treatments offer hope that the amount of quality time they'll have to...
Have you ever thought about how you breathe? For many of us, the 20,000+ breaths we take each day go underneath our conscious awareness. But every now and then, a short-lived spout or a chronic case of breathlessness can remind us just how vital good breathing is for our health. But can we all breathe “better”? Some wellness trends suggest so... James Gallagher gets to grips with mouth-taping: the practice of taping the mouth shut during the night to promote exclusive ‘nasal breathing’. Many cla...
There are so many campaigns now to stop stigma and embarrassment - from Davina McCall talking about the menopause to Idris Elba campaigning for black men to get their prostate checked. And when we asked for your stories of how embarrassment impacts your health, our inbox was flooded with stories of incontinence, IBS, genital problems, skin issues, fertility troubles, fatty lumps and more - along with the huge and varied ways these issues are affecting your lives. So, how does embarrassment affec...
If you have a rare genetic disorder, new technology that allows your genetic code to be analysed means you could have a diagnosis within weeks. Before, people with rare diseases would often go their entire lives without a diagnosis. It's a revolutionary advancement but does it change how patients are treated or help improve their wellbeing? Presenter James Gallagher meets Lisa whose daughter Jaydi was born with a rare genetic disease that affects her growth, speech, eyesight and a number of othe...
Trials of a cancer 'vaccine' have begun and presenter James meets Steve, one of the first patients to trial the new treatment, Steve remembers his shock at being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in his 40s and tells the story of how he became involved in this pioneering research into tackling cancer. The vaccine is based on the same mRNA technology as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and James heads to the University of Cambridge to find out how the early work into cancer vaccines became the...
Mpox is spreading and it’s been classified a public health emergency by the World Health Organization. Presenter James Gallagher meets Professor Trudie Lang from the University of Oxford who has been working in the areas affected to discuss what it means for people in the countries it’s already reached and whether its spread can be stopped. James also puts your questions on statins to Professor Naveed Sattar, and we hear the story of Simon who works in the outdoors as a landscape manager. He was...
The episode delves into the dual nature of vaping, hearing from an individual who successfully quit smoking using vapes and discussing public health concerns about its rise among young people, social media influence, and regulatory challenges. Experts debate whether vaping acts as a gateway or diversion from smoking. Additionally, the podcast explores the persistence of verrucas, featuring personal stories, scientific explanations for their stubbornness, and practical advice on effective treatments and prevention.
The inventor of statins, Akira Endo, died this summer. When he was prescribed statins in older age for high cholesterol he refused, preferring to improve his diet and lifestyle instead. But how far can changes like these really go to reduce our bad cholesterol and our overall risk of cardiovascular disease? Our resident GP Margaret McCartney and Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine Naveed Sattar discuss. Dermatologist Dr Alexandra Banner gives us the lowdown on how to treat sunburn, including r...
From the Hay Festival, James and a panel of experts explain what we can all do to help ourselves age well. We discover what’s going on in our bodies when we age, the difference between biological and chronological age, as well as getting the audience moving for a physical test. James is joined by gerontologist Sarah Harper from the University of Oxford, biomedical scientist Georgina Ellison-Hughes from King’s College London, and doctor Norman Lazarus to understand how exercise, diet, and mental ...
As the emotional roller coaster of the Euros comes to a close and the summer Olympics begin, James joins Professor Damian Bailey for an experiment to measure the ups and downs of watching sport. We monitor brains, hearts, lungs and hormones to try to out if watching sport is good or bad for us. But is there an additional risk for sports fans attending the summer Olympics in Paris? As climate change drives the tiger mosquito northwards there are concerns over the potential spread of Dengue in Fra...
This week James visits a pub in Liverpool where he's joined by a trio of alcohol researchers who’ll watch carefully as he drinks two pints of lager. They’ll give him a few tests and talk through exactly what is going on in the body and brain from the very first sip to the minutes and hours that follow. James finds out we might be more at risk of harm than we may have thought - even if we drink below the recommended guidance of 14 units of alcohol per week. And we’re also going to answer some mor...
Last month, Catherine, Princess of Wales shared she’d been diagnosed with cancer. Describing this news as ‘a huge shock’ and at age just 42, the Princess’ disease falls into a category known as “early-onset cancer” – when the disease affects those under 50. While cases in this age group are still rare, diagnosis rates over the past few years have been growing. And scientists are now on a mission to figure out why. Receiving a cancer diagnosis at any age is devastating, but younger people living ...
How did you sleep last night? Perhaps you couldn't drift off, or maybe you woke in the middle of the night and then couldn't nod off again. In this special edition of Inside Health we're talking all about insomnia. It’s an issue that may affect many of us at some point in our lives – but for some it goes beyond a short period of not being able to sleep and becomes something more serious. You’ve been getting in touch with your questions, and James is joined by a trio of experts ready to answer to...
Scientists are worried about ticks. They say they’re starting to pose more of a health risk here in the UK, as our climate warms and urban areas spill into green spaces. But what are ticks, what kind of disease can they cause – and how much of a problem are they? We go on a tick hunt in Richmond Park and then head back to the lab to meet the ticks we’ve collected. We find out why new species of ticks and new diseases could be coming our way - and what you can do to keep safe. Also this week, we ...
Have you ever tried intermittent fasting? As the month of Ramadan comes to an end, many Muslims are concluding several weeks of time-restricted eating. But outside of religion, many of us are now choosing to eat this way for health reasons – even UK PM Rishi Sunak does a weekly fast. Claimed benefits of intermittent fasting range from weight loss to improved immune function to maybe even living longer, but do these stack up? James Gallagher gives one of these popular diets a go whilst trying to ...
From ear-splitting aircraft noise and the drone of traffic to the hum of an open-plan office, the world around us can feel loud. But is it getting louder? And is this having any effect on our health - and even on how long we live? We find out when living close to a road, railway or airport might go from nuisance to health hazard, with potential effects on our sleep, heart health, mood and concentration. It’ll get loud as we do some tests in a lab to explore how unwanted sound might affect the re...
Delve into the science behind daily habits like caffeine consumption and napping, with experts revealing ideal amounts and debunking myths. Discover the growing trend of daytime raving and its potential health benefits compared to traditional nightlife. Ultimately, the episode highlights that quality sleep remains the most critical factor for physical and mental health.
BBC health journalist Laura Foster can’t get the first days of the pandemic out of her head; the stunned silence of the newsroom as the first lockdown was announced, the chaos and noise at the supermarket and the empty streets of London. But even though she was a reporter covering every twist and turn of the story, she still can’t remember the first time she heard about long Covid. The world was so engrossed by the immediate threat that few paid attention to what was happening around the edges; ...
It’s been referred to as puberty in reverse but what actually is the perimenopause? How do you know if you’re in it? What can you do to soften the symptoms and what can men do to help those they care about going through it? Inside Health is talking about the peri-menopossibilities and learning why it’s not as bad as you’ve been led to believe. Endocrinologist Professor Annice Mukherjee and Professor in Reproductive Science at University College London Joyce Harper are alongside Inside Health's r...
In this episode we’re taking a look at emergency medicine outside hospitals and surgeries – and meeting the people who save seriously-ill people in unusual places. Smitha Mundasad goes on a rainy walk in the hills with the Brecon Mountain Rescue Team and meets the flying medics of London’s Air Ambulance. Will she have time for a chat before they get a call-out? We also hear from Sweden where they’re making lifesaving changes before the ambulance even arrives. And from kombucha and kimchi to keff...
In 2016, Niall McCann was left with a bruised spinal cord when he crashed his speed glider into the side of a mountain at 50mph. He shares his journey to recovery and some unexpected life lessons he has had to navigate, from soiling himself in inconvenient places and not being able to control his flatulence, to having to re-learn how to have sex again. We also hear from a Brecon Mountain Rescue medic on what looked like an “unsurvivable” situation and Niall’s surgeon on fixing his “exploded” spi...
This week we’re exploring our microbial metropolis. Smitha Mundasad heads into the lab to meet the bacteria that live on her skin – and on her family’s dirty laundry – to understand what’s there, and why. She goes antibiotic-hunting around her house to find out whether bacteria on a washing up sponge, a fluffy cushion, the bottom of a shoe – and even some of her kids’ play slime – could hold the key to helping scientists find new medicines. Next, Smitha wants to find out the answer to how often ...
As the nights draw in and the spluttering sounds of coughs and colds seem to be all around us, presenter James Gallagher is getting ahead this year and stocking up his medicine cabinet. He gets some help from Inside Health’s resident GP Margaret McCartney and virologist Lindsay Broadbent from the University of Surrey to take look at a few of the nation’s best-loved remedies and find out what they will actually do to help him when he, inevitably, gets ill. Presenter: James Gallagher Speakers: Dr ...
