Inside Health

HIV testing The first over-the-counter DIY testing kit for HIV is expected to go on sale in America in the next month. It's said to allow people to screen potential sexual partners for HIV before deciding to have sex them - all in the comfort of their own home. But sexual health consultant from London's Chelsea and Westminster hospital Ann Sullivan believes that the idea is flawed as someone could be recently infected and still show a negative result. Her hospital offers an HIV test to all patients who are admitted to the Emergency Department. A positive result is picked up in around 4 people in every thousand tested. Glasgow GP Dr Margaret McCartney analyses the latest HIV figures for the UK - which are on the rise. She advises that safe sex should be practised even with a negative result to help protect people from all sexually transmitted infections.

Vitamin D and TB As much of the UK enjoys the last of the summer sun, Vitamin D is back in the headlines. The body makes its own Vitamin D with sun exposure - but supplements in tablet form can be taken by anyone who's deficient. A dose of the Vitamin D was given to patients with tuberculosis - along with the regular antibiotics - and it helped to speed up their recovery. Dr Adrian Martineau, who's a Senior Lecturer in Respiratory Infection and Immunity at Queen Mary University, London, says that the Victorian idea of giving "consumptive" patients of sunshine was spot on.

Vitamin B12 A growing number of people believe they're deficient in another Vitamin - B12. Sources of the vitamin include meat, fish and dairy products - so strict vegans can be at risk of deficiency. The vitamin is crucial in the production of red blood red cells and for the normal functioning of the brain and nervous tissue. Symptoms of low levels can include anaemia, tiredness, pins and needles, memory loss and confusion. If it's not addressed promptly the damage can be irreversible. John Hunter who's Professor of Medicine at Cranfield University sees many patients who can't absorb the vitamin because of problems with their gut like Crohn's or Coeliac disease. Another condition - pernicious anaemia - is caused by the lack of a protein required to make absorption possible. As many as 1 in 30 adults have B12 deficiency - rising to 1 in 16 in the over 65s. A blood test which is used to check levels is thought by many doctors and patients to be inaccurate. The top-up injections of B12 are usually given every 2 or 3 months, in spite of many patients saying that their symptoms return well before their next one is due. Martyn Hooper from the Pernicious Anaemia Society says that testing and treatments need to be improved - to stop patients resorting to their own drastic solutions outside mainstream medicine.

Mouth Ulcers One in 5 of the UK population will get mouth ulcers at some stage of their lives. For some, they can recur every month or so - in painful crops that can take a fortnight to heal. Some are associated with underlying problems such as inflammatory bowel disease, or vitamin and mineral deficiencies, but in many cases no cause is found. Patients like Ruth have to avoid certain foods - like chocolate and fruit - to reduce the risk of recurrence. She's had ulcers since her teens and now takes immunosuppressant drugs to reduce their impact on her life. Tim Hodgson who's a consultant in oral medicine at the Eastman Dental Institute in London has had some success treating them with drugs like thalidomide. He says that some patients fear that their recurrent ulcers could develop into oral cancer - but that simply isn't the case.

As many as 2 million people in the UK may have been misdiagnosed with high blood pressure - getting treatment they don't need. But how many of them have so-called "white coat hypertension" - where their blood pressure shoots up at the very sight of their doctor or nurse? For patients with high readings in the surgery doctors can offer "ambulatory" machines for them to take home, which monitor blood pressure round-the-clock. Bryan Williams who's professor of medicine at University College, London, led the team which drew up the latest blood pressure guidelines for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, or NICE. He says that anyone considering monitoring their own blood pressure at home should take measurements both in the morning and evening whilst sitting down - and work out the average over four days. The British Hypertension Society has a list of approved home blood pressure monitors on their website.

NICE has also just approved the use of Botox injections to help people with chronic migraine that hasn't responded to other treatments. But it's been a controversial decision - Botox is expensive, and no miracle cure. It was initially rejected and is still not endorsed by NICE's equivalent in Scotland. Consultant neurologist Dr Fayyaz Ahmad has had some success with patients at his private clinic outside Hull. One of them is Dawn Cook, who's just had her third round of injections. She's suffered from headaches since she was 7 years old.

Would you like to read your medical notes? The Government has pledged that everyone will have online access to NHS records by October 2015. So will this change the way doctors write about their patients? Professor Steve Field - who's Chair of the NHS Future Forum and one of the driving forces behind the plan - hopes that it will mean more plain English that's easy to understand. His own surgery will give patients online access early next year.

One in 4 women develop fibroids at some time - benign, non cancerous growths in the wall of the uterus which can cause heavy painful periods. Surgery might be suggested to help wtih the discomfort - using keyhole techniques via the abdomen or vagina - a procedure known as myomectomy. But in recent years some less invasive techniques have become available to help relieve symptoms.

Dr Mark Porter asks whether doctors can try too hard in the early detection of disease and investigates the overdiagnosis of hypertension. This week he discovers that as many as 3 million people who have been told they have high blood pressure may not actually have it - could you be one of them?

Dr Mark Porter finds out that some medical conditions are over-diagnosed and therefore over-treated, because of the results of certain tests.

Apart from a few cases that hit the headlines, the use of anabolic steroids is rare among the athletes in the Olympic village. But in the wider society abuse has exploded, according to an expert from Liverpool John Moores University. Jim McVeigh - who's Deputy Director at the Centre for Public Health - says that anabolic steroid abusers are the largest group using needle exchanges. Anabolic steroids are naturally occurring hormones, like testosterone, which influence growth, physical development and the workings of the reproductive system. Abuse allows athletes to train harder for longer so they become bigger, stronger and faster. But those effects will not be seen if you don't exercise or fail to eat and sleep properly. The injected steroids are often combined with tablets. There are a number of side effects like a growth in breast tissue, acne, baldness and shrinking testes - as well as longer-term health concerns for the heart and kidneys. Although they share the same umbrella term - steroids - anabolic steroids are not the same as drugs from the corticosteroid family - found in cortisone joint injections and some types of creams for eczema, sprays for hayfever and inhalers for asthma.

For the best chance of good recovery from strokes patients need to be treated within a few hours. In the Lake District new technology is giving suspected stroke patients access to specialists - using high speed broadband and video cameras. Dr Paul Davies is Consultant Stroke physician at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle. He can assess a patient's scans and other tests over a video connection - with the help of nurses and doctors treating them locally. Thrombolytic - or clotbusting treatment - can be given if the stroke is one of the 80% caused by a clot. It's important to get this diagnosis right as the other 20% are the result of a bleed - which could be potentially fatal if thrombolysis is given.

It's has been dubbed the Killing Season by some sections of the media - but Dr Margaret McCartney believes that August isn't as risky a time to be in hospital as the headlines claim. One study compared the number of deaths at the end of July and the beginning of August - but the difference wasn't statistically significant and could have been down to chance rather than a real harmful effect of new doctors.

Inside Health listener and keen pianist Roger emailed the programme about Dupuytren's contracture - where the fingers curve into the hand and can't be straightened. A new treatment is becoming available on the NHS for this common problem which affects 1 in 10 people's hands. The only option used to be surgery but Mike Hayton, who's a Consultant Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon at Wrightington Hospital in Lancashire, is now carrying out collagenase injections on some of his patients. Up to 60% of Dupuytrens patients can benefit from the treatment - which helps to break down the collagen-rich cords so they can then be snapped a day or two later.

If you believe recent headlines the growing increase in deaths from liver disease is entirely down to excessive alcohol consumption, but it's estimated that two thirds of liver related deaths are caused by other conditions. Dr Mark Porter investigates two liver conditions that do not hit the headlines but could be silently creeping up on millions of people in the UK.

Do you have trouble getting an appointment to see your GP? If so, you are not alone. A Department of Health review from 2009 suggested that as many as 200,000 patients a day struggle to get a consultation with their doctor. And a quarter of those who want to book an appointment in advance simply can't. One Inside Health listener emailed us to ask why some surgeries seem to only release appointments on the day - a bit of a telephone lottery - and others do allow for some advance booking. Chair of the the Royal College of General Practitioners Dr Clare Gerada offers some insight.

Monitoring patients in their own homes - telehealth - is one of the latest developments in general practice. The government hopes that the technology will help at least 2 million people over the next 5 years, saving the NHS more than a billion pounds. The £2,000 black boxes measure blood pressure, blood sugar levels and blood oxygen - information that's then sent over the internet to a medical professional. But the project to monitor patients with long term conditions like diabetes, heart failure and breathing difficulties hasn't got off to a good start and GP Margaret McCartney questions whether it will ever live up to the hype.

The most seriously ill patients in hospital are looked after in Intensive Care - where they are given life-saving treatment and support with vital bodily functions like breathing. To help staff relieve anxiety - and enable staff to carry out procedures like inserting breathing tubes - patients are often sedated. Dr Chris Danbury from the Royal Berkshire hospital in Reading says it's important to get the level of sedation right - not too little and not too much. One consequence of the drugs and environment can be hallucinations and flashbacks - with some patients reporting dreams of being abducted by alien space ships. Specialist outreach nurses in Reading - like Sister Melanie Gager - are skilled at offering strategies to overcome this - including follow-up visits to the ICU for both patients and their families.

Now that summer has finally arrived for most parts of the UK, if you are planning an outdoor swim then there may be hazards lurking in the water. Heavy downpours result in the release of sewage into the sea from overflow pipes - which can affect water quality for a couple of days. Inside Health reporter Anna Lacey met Pollution Control Manager Dr Robert Kierle on the banks of the river Axe in Weston-Super-Mare - and Surfers Against Sewage who are offering a free text service to alert would-be bathers about local measurements of any pollutants.

Whooping cough is on the rise - but the official figures could be the tip of the iceberg, according to one doctor. Retired GP from Nottinghamshire Dr Doug Jenkinson has spent most of his professional life researching the condition which is also known as pertussis. He says that instead of around 1,700 cases every year, there could be tens of thousands. He personally has seen around 700 cases and a blood test available for the last few years has helped to confirm cases. The key to diagnosis is a cough which almost causes choking - sometimes with the characteristic whooping sound - which then subsides for a few hours. The cough can last up to 3 months. The cough can be dangerous for infants under the age of one - who can catch it from parents and grandparents. Dr Jenkinson suggests a vaccine booster could be offered to parents-to-be.

Following the recent high profile cases of elite sportspeople collapsing with undiagnosed heart conditions should screening be made available to amateurs? Since the collapse of footballer Fabrice Muamba on the pitch earlier this year the profile of so-called silent heart conditions has risen. Sanjay Sharma is Professor of Cardiology at St George's Hospital - he works closely with the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young or CRY - and supports screening. CRY believes that screening will pick up an abnormality in as many as 1 in 300 youngsters - although it freely admits that the vast majority of these would never have gone on to develop a serious problem. And it is the resulting disruption to these children's lives that puts some people off screening, not least because they far outnumber those likely to be saved by the tests. Dr Anne Mackie is the Director of Programmes for the UK National Screening Committee. She says that she wouldn't even opt for screening for her own children

Following last week's feature on unfounded rumours that toys were to be banned from GP waiting rooms to reduce the risk of cross infection, an Inside Health listener emailed the programme to ask about the evidence behind products marketed as killing germs on the various surfaces we touch at home. So what's the science behind adding antibacterial agents to household products? Dr Kamran Abbasi, Editor of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine reveals that there is no evidence to show that products labelled 'antibacterial' reduce the number of infections in the home any more than 'regular' cleaning products.

GP Margaret McCartney explains why she thinks the latest campaign to encourage more self-care for minor ailments is wrong to imply that people who consult their doctor about dandruff are wasting NHS resources. The NHS 'Choose Well Summer' campaign says 'self care is the best option if you have a summer health complaint' and it's supported by the National Association for Patient Participation, who say it's all about 'empowering individuals'. The campaign was launched with headlines about the 40,000 visits in a year to GPs which were for dandruff. But what was really behind those consultations? And how good are we at looking after our own health?

Computer games are being used to help people recover from strokes and brain injury, thanks to experts in Reading. Products like Microsoft's Xbox Kinect - which can recognise a player's movements - are being adapted by Professor Malcolm Sperrin at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. The technology allows patients to select an activity - from dancing to golf or ten pin bowling - and monitor their progress as part of their recovery. The charity Headway - which supports people with brain injury - is using the technology in the community to help people to recover at home.

Dr Mark Porter debates whether the recent lung cancer awareness campaign on TV, radio and the internet, hits the spot or is scaremongering. He discovers new research suggesting some people with exercise induced asthma are being given the wrong diagnosis and treatment. And GP Margaret McCartney investigates rumours this week that children's toys are to be thrown out of the doctors surgery in the on going battle against infection.

Producer: Erika Wright.

50,000 people end up in hospital every year in the UK because of bleeding from the top end of the gut - an upper gastrointestinal bleed. Around 1 in 10 of them will die. Gastrointestinal or GI bleeds are often due to ulcers - a side effect of taking aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and diclofenac. The bleeding can occur in the gullet, stomach or the first part of the intestine, the duodenum. Other causes include cancers and liver disease. The location of the bleed can be pinpointed by using an endoscope - a camera to look inside the gut - and treatments include stopping the bleeding with clips, heat or injections of adrenalin.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence hopes to change that with new guidelines on managing GI bleeds - guidelines which, as of last month, hospitals in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be expected to follow. Scotland has had similar guidance in place for the last few years. David Patch is a Consultant Hepatologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London and has a special interest in this type of bleeding. He says that patients whose needs cannot be met at smaller hospitals should be transferred to specialist units where they can be treated promptly.

Tariq Iqbal who's a consultant gastroenterologist at the University of Birmingham is evaluating a new kind of treatment called Hemospray. This is a powder that can sprayed over the bleeding area to stop or slow any bleeding by accelerating the natural clotting process.

New research appears to show that standing at work for long periods in pregnancy can affect the unborn child. Research in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, followed 4,680 mothers throughout their pregnancies. Some of the women had jobs where they were on their feet a lot - such as hairdressing, sales and working with toddlers. Women who stood for a long time had babies with smaller heads. It's thought that standing for long periods of time causes blood to "pool" in the legs, limiting the blood supply to the rest of the body including the uterus and therefore the developing foetus. The study also showed that working up to 36 weeks of pregnancy had no impact on birth weight, size or prematurity. Previous studies have shown that heavy lifting increased the risk of babies being born early - but this study showed no such link.

Many people with pain and stiffness in the shoulder are told they have a frozen shoulder. But the label is often incorrect as a truly frozen shoulder means restricted movement in all directions, accompanied by pain. It's not known what causes it but it is commoner in people with diabetes. During the very painful initial phase it's best to rest the shoulder and use analgesia to help relieve the pain, especially at night time when it can be at its worst. TENS and acupuncture can help sometimes. The tissues in the shoulder "capsule" appear to be thickened and rubbery - and some relief can be gained from surgery, to let the shoulder move more freely. If left alone about half of patients still have discomfort after 7 years - so the common belief that it lasts 2 years is a myth. As the pain starts to recede physiotherapy can be helpful and if there is inflammation - eg with calcified tendonitis - then steroid injections can relieve pain.

Producer: Paula McGrath.

In Inside Health, Mark Porter clarifies recent headlines claiming that researchers have found a "Blood test that identifies depression". It certainly isn't that simple.

GP Margaret McCartney reports from Paisley Abbey in Glasgow on the health benefits of joining a choir.

And do special muscle building drinks live up to the marketing hype? Max Pemberton looks at the science behind the recent explosion in sales of high protein sports drinks.

Plus a new treatment for helping people with fluid retention due to heart failure, that can transform a puffy face to a chiselled jaw bone overnight.

Producer: Erika Wright.

Whooping cough is making a comeback - the latest figures show that there were more confirmed cases in the first 3 months of this year than there were in the whole of 2010. But the condition can only be monitored properly if GPs test for it - and it's estimated that up to 40% of persistent coughs in children could actually be down to whooping cough. Kamran Abassi who's Editor of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, explains how immunity wears off as we get older. The coughing can last for up to 3 months and is most serious in small babies. Up to 10 deaths are reported each year in the UK and antibiotics can be used to treat it.

In the UK all deaths in pregnancy and childbirth are recorded. Just 1 in 10,000 British women currently die - on average one woman every week. The information is held by the Maternal and Newborn Clinical Outcomes Review Programme - known as the Confidential Enquiry. Last year this clinical audit was effectively suspended after the process was put out to tender. Susan Bewley who's Professor of Complex Obstetrics at King's College, London explains why it's so important to keep such detailed information.

Blushing can become a vicious cycle - with those severely affected finding it impossible to lead a normal life. Some turn to psychological therapies. Dr Jennifer Wild from the Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma in Oxford says she sees a success rate of 90% in patients who opt for cognitive behavioural therapy. An operation called a sympathectomy - where the nerves are cut - can be carried out by surgeons like Alan Cameron, who works in Ipswich. He sees mixed results - with many experiencing side effects like increased sweating and sensitivity to light and sound.

Dr Margaret McCartney doesn't like it when doctors use euphemisms for our genitals. Children often use words like "twinkle" or "pee pee" instead of the correct anatomical terms. But whose blushes are they sparing - theirs or their parents?

An Inside Health listener emailed the programme to find out about what happens to the food he he eats - specifically how quickly peas pass through his gut into the loo. Neuro-gastroenterologist Anton Emmanuel from University College Hospital, London, demystifies gut transit times.

Dr Mark Porter goes on a weekly quest to demystify the health issues that perplex us.

Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation, discusses with Mark new research that suggests that giving heart attack victims drugs to ease their chest pain could hamper the heart's ability to heal itself.

The standard approach to appendicitis is to remove the inflamed organ. But a new review argues that antibiotics could be an alternative to surgery in some cases. Dileep Lobo, Professor of Gastrointestinal Surgery at the University of Nottingham, explains his team's findings.

GP Margaret McCartney is on her soapbox about sick notes, following regulatory pressure from Europe that could allow people who fall ill on holiday getting compensatory time off work.

Dr Kamran Abbasi, Editor of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, looks into the evidence that the change from sick notes to fit notes two years ago has had an impact on people returning to work.

Mark visits the pathology laboratories at St Thomas' Hospital in London to find out from Senior Biomedical Scientist Diane Murley how blood is analysed.

And Dr Andrew Moore from the Pain Research Unit at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford talks about which over the counter painkillers are likely to work best for acute pain.

Producer: Deborah Cohen.

Should prescriptions be free for everyone? They already are in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland - so why aren't they in England? The BMA says the current list of exemptions is unfair and outdated - but there are no government plans to scrap the charges for the 10% of people who have to pay for them.

And as the vaccination campaign for young girls against the virus which causes cervical cancer and genital warts gains momentum - are boys losing out? Uptake of the vaccine among teenage girls in the UK is high - but there are no plans to extend the programme to boys - despite plans to do so in Australia and the United States.

There are confusing statistics surrounding the debate over the use of bicycle helmets for both adults and children. Some research points to helmets encouraging car drivers to give cyclists less space in traffic. Up to a third of children in another study said wearing a helmet would put them off cycling in the first place - bad news for parents concerned about childhood obesity. GP Margaret McCartney uses her own risk analysis to work out how to keep herself safe and fit.

Producer: Paula McGrath.

Aspirin is over 100 years old, but doctors still can't agree whether the benefits of taking it to prevent heart conditions or cancer outweigh the risks.Dr Mark Porter investigates. And - you've worked flat out to get on holiday, then come down with a stinking cold - is there any science behind why so many of us get sick on vacation. Plus ADHD - not in children, but ADULTS - why is it so hard for grown-ups to get a diagnosis.

Producer: Erika Wright.

Dr Mark Porter demystifies discusses polycystic ovary syndrome, the health benefits of garlic, the PSA test for prostate cancer, and concerns over patients' dignity.

A new study shows that a diet rich in red meat increases the risk of developing bowel cancer - so how much is too much? Professor Tom Sanders from Kings College, London, explains how a rise in obesity and an inactive lifestyle could be as much to blame as your favourite steak.

This week 17 people - including 2 ambulance crew - were treated for suspected carbon monoxide poisoning at a food plant in Cornwall. The medical adviser to the charity CO Awareness explains how to protect everyone in your home from the accidental poisoning which can have catastrophic effects.

NHS screening programmes are based on evidence - so that they target the right groups of people who are most at risk of developing a condition. But more and more private companies are offering tests like CT and ultrasound scans. Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a potentially lethal condition - where the main artery in the abdomen balloons and could burst. Many private companies offer screening for it - but vascular surgeon Hany Hafez from St Richard's hospital in Chichester believes that it's a waste of time and money for women and for men who are under 65 years of age.

And Dr Mark Porter gets on a treadmill to answer a listener's question about whether running is truly good for his health - or will end up ruining his knees. Dr Kamran Abassi - the editor of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine - casts his expert eye over the evidence behind supplements which are supposed to help keep our joints healthy.

In Inside Health tonight, Dr Mark Porter tackles the confusion and prejudice that surrounds the skin condition Vitiligo - famously said to have been the reason why Michael Jackson skin looked so light.

Max Pemberton discovers why surgeons may be wearing masks for their benefit rather than their patients.

And Margaret McCartney reminds doctors who tweet to proceed with caution - posting photographs of the first patient you've anaesthetised is likely to get you into trouble!

10 million prescriptions for sleeping pills are written every year in England. So how alarmed should we be over new American research suggesting that people who take them are more likely to die than those who don't? Dr Mark Porter speaks to a leading British sleep expert about the findings and asks what the alternatives are.

An Inside Health listener asked us to investigate how safe "electronic" cigarettes are. So Dr Max Pemberton, who uses them himself, talked to Professor John Britton from the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies at the University of Nottingham about these currently unregulated products. Rumours abound that a tobacco manufacturer is about to launch the world's first so-called "safe" cigarette. But smokers' reactions are mixed and some prefer other products like nicotine gum.

GP Margaret McCartney's column is about whether your doctor's dietary preferences and habits influence your well being.

Half of all pregnancies in the UK are unplanned, so women and their babies lose out on important supplements like folic acid to help prevent spina bifida. But for women with an underactive thyroid gland it's even more important that they do their best for their baby by increasing their thyroxine dose as soon as they know they're pregnant. But research from Leicester shows that women often fall through the gaps when seeking care - as GPs, midwives and consultants often think someone else is helping these women.

Producer: Paula McGrath.

Dr Mark Porter demystifies the health issues that perplex us and separates the facts from the fiction. He brings clarity to conflicting health advice, explores new medical research and tackles the big health issue of the moment revealing the inner workings of the medical profession and the daily dilemmas doctors face.

As new figures published show that 1 in 7 women in England continue to smoke during pregnancy, Inside Health investigates a pilot incentive scheme - which gives women just over £750 worth of vouchers if they give up, and stay off cigarettes for at least 6 months after they give birth. What is the evidence that these incentive schemes work?

And what about incentives encouraging doctors to ask whether a patient smokes, or check their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Dr Margaret McCartney explains why she is one of many GPs who are uncomfortable with the way incentives can influence practice

Plus if you've been plagued by a recurring dry tickly cough, it could be caused by a widely used family of blood pressure drug - the ACE inhibitors. Mark Porter investigates.

And although it's been slightly warmer that's likely to be cold comfort for 10 million people in the UK with Raynaud's disease where the fingers turn ghostly white after exposure to temperature changes .

Presenter: Dr Mark Porter Producer: Erika Wright.

As the Prime Minister announces his efforts to reduce compensation claims for whiplash, Dr Mark Porter asks are doctors having the wool pulled over their eyes? Or are drivers and passengers making mountains out of molehills?

Our resident sceptic Kamran Abbasi looks behind recent headlines that suggested weaning your baby on finger foods may be a healthier option than spoon feeding.

And in response to our listeners, cholesterol tests - what do they mean, and what should we do about them? Statins are the main mode of prevention for those at greatest risk of heart attack and stroke. But how do you balance the risk of side effects with the protection they provide? We explore the latest research.

And how many times have you been to a hospital appointment only to find that the doctor seeing you doesn't have your notes or test results? By 2015, the Department of Health hopes to give us all access to our notes via a centralised electronic record. We examine an alternative approach being tried at various hospitals including Great Ormond Street Hospital. Called Patients Know Best, it works a bit like Facebook and puts the patient in charge.

Producer: Beth Eastwood.

Dr Mark Porter demystifies the health issues that perplex us and separates the facts from the fiction. He brings clarity to conflicting health advice, explores new medical research and tackles the big health issue of the moment revealing the inner workings of the medical profession and the daily dilemmas doctors face.

This week Mark examines the protocols for visitors to hospitals and asks whether there's any evidence that they help control the spread of infection - is there any science behind using the hand gels provided? Why do some hospitals ban flowers - and should you be able to sit on the hospital bed of your loved one?

Martin Kiernan - Nurse Consultant in prevention and control of infection - helps to clear up the confusion.

Inside Health discovers that gout - a condition associated with older portly men caricatured in cartoons and literature - is on the increase and striking much younger. And while it has been the butt of many a joke, it has never been a laughing matter - at least for those afflicted.

And after the longest grand slam final in history just over a week ago, Mark Porter investigates a new treatment for Tennis Elbow that is used by the top players, Olympic athletes, and is available to mere mortals on the NHS in a handful of places. Plus Dr Max Pemberton investigates whether the explosion in the use of tablets, such as the i-Pad, has caused a similar elbow injury.

An Margaret McCartney scrutinises new research suggesting that people with coeliac disease are not the only ones who can develop symptoms if they eat gluten containing foods. Gluten is a component of wheat, barley and rye, and responsible for triggering coeliac disease in around 1% of the UK population, causing problems that include bloating, diarrhoea, weight loss and fatigue. But there now appears to be another group of people with milder symptoms caused by gluten sensitivity - or gluten intolerance - the terms are interchangeable - but how do you identify them? Well certainly not with fancy High Street tests.

Producer: Erika Wright.

On Inside Health this week, the bacteria Pseudomonas that's been responsible for a number of deaths in special care baby units in Northern Ireland.

Mark Porter asks Prof Richard James, Director of Healthcare Associated Infection at the University of Nottingham, why the outbreak occurred and how the Department of Health is likely to try to prevent future occurrence..

We look at a new class of drugs that could transform the lives of tens of thousands of people on warfarin. Recently approved by NICE, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, these drugs overcome many of the drawbacks of taking warfarin. Mark Porter explores just who is likely to benefit if the drug gets its final endorsement from NICE next week.

Mark also explores which prescription drugs are addictive, and how wearing high heels can damage your calves but might improve your sex life.

Presenter: Dr Mark Porter Producer: Beth Eastwood.

Inside Health covers the ongoing debate about proposed reforms to the NHS in England. This week Colleges representing nurses, midwives and physios have joined sceptical GPs and hospital specialists by announcing their opposition to the reforms. And, just out, a report by a cross party select committee on health questions whether current financial pressures make it too risky to implement the most radical changes in the Service's history.

Health Minister Lord Howe talks to Dr Mark Porter in response to the criticisms from Professor Martin McKee and Dr Clare Gerada in last week's programme..

And an Inside Health listener emailed to ask why Tinnitus confuses patients as well as doctors. Dr Max Pemberton investigates.

Plus why are teenagers - the most internet savvy generation of all - finding it difficult to access good health information in the internet? Psychologist Ellen Henderson at the University of Bath is one of the authors behind a new study looking at websites aimed at young people and offering advice on treating pain like headaches and period cramps.

Vitamin D supplementation is currently recommended for all groups at particular risk of deficiency - such as pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children - but three quarters of parents, and more than half of doctors, midwives and health visitors are not up to speed with the latest guidance, so don't follow it. As Chief Medical Officer for England, Dame Sally Davies, writes to healthcare professionals highlighting the importance of vitamin D supplements Inside Health talks to Nick Bishop Professor of Paediatric bone disease at The University of Sheffield.

Finally, our resident sceptic Dr Margaret McCartney explains why she doesn't rate over the counter cough mixtures.

Producer: Erika Wright.

The programme that uncovers the real stories behind the health headlines, providing clarity where there's confusion.

First, a subject that looks set to be in the headlines this week - growing disquiet about the Health and Social Care Bill and changes to the NHS which include the transfer of responsibility and resources to GPs.

Many health experts simply don't understand the reforms, including international public health expert Professor Martin McKee who confesses in this week's British Medical Journal that he doesn't get it either. So what chance is there for the rest of us?

It's not just bewilderment that's likely to hinder the implementation of the new Bill. There's active resistance from both hospital consultants and GPs. But what are the reforms going to mean for you? Dr Clare Gerada, the Chair of the Royal College of GPs, discusses this question with Mark.

Mark Porter puts his mental agility to the test at the Research Institute for the Care of the Elderly in Bath to find out whether there's any truth behind recent headlines suggesting that our cognitive abilities start to decline from forty five. Professor Roy Jones tells Mark the results of his memory test.

And GP Margaret McCartney explores the thinking behind Do No Resuscitate Orders, the record put in a patient's notes when staff feel that attempts to resuscitate them in the event of cardiac arrest are likely to do more harm than good.

Finally, the holy grail to combat all flu viruses - a universal vaccine. Mark Porter visits the world's only Flu Camp where new versions of the vaccine are being trialled in volunteers. Professor David Salisbury, Head of Immunisation at the Department of Health, and Dr Kamran Abbasi, Editor of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, join Mark to discuss the use of the current flu vaccine.

Producer: Beth Eastwood.

New Series: Dr Mark Porter demystifies the health issues that perplex us and separates the facts from the fiction. He brings clarity to conflicting health advice, explores new medical research and tackles the big health issue of the moment revealing the inner workings of the medical profession and the daily dilemmas doctors face.

This week Mark Porter looks at the regulation covering medical devices and implants - everything from artificial joints, to pacemakers and heart valves - and explains why more needs to be done to protect the general public who are often unwitting guinea pigs for untried technology.

He asks why is it so much easier to get approval for devices like new hip or breast implants compared with the strict protocols observed for drugs? All you need for most devices is the equivalent of the CE mark - the sort of approval you would expect to find on a toy or a kitchen appliance, not a pacemaker - which may explain why some have unacceptably high failure rates.

Inside Health's psychiatrist Dr Max Pemberton investigates a question tweeted to the programme - what's the role of testosterone supplements in men. And following the Prime Minister's comment about Tourette's syndrome Max tells Mark what the condition really involves.

Mark talks to Prof Tony Heagerty from the University of Manchester and Professor Tom McDonald from the University of Dundee about new research suggesting that taking pills at night rather than in the morning reduces the risk of complications like stroke and heart attack.

And there's a column from GP Margaret McCartney about what goes on in her head when she's making a diagnosis.

If there is an issue that confuses you - that you've read or heard about - then please get in touch. Contact us on twitter @BBCRadio 4 using the hash tag #InsideHealth or email the programme via the Radio 4 website.

Producer: Erika Wright.

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 answer if restricting when we eat our food is good for us. He chats to Colin Selman from the University of Glasgow about the animal studies which inspired these claims, Claudia Langenberg from Queen Mary University on what happens in our bodies when fasting, and Lucy Serpell from UCL on the potential dangers these types of diets can pose. Plus, we visit AFC Wimbledon for an Iftar event to hear if people fasting during Ramadan experience any changes to their health.

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Julia Ravey Editor: Holly Squire Studio Manager: Giles Aspen

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 rest of the body beyond our ears, and we sift through the growing research on the impact of noise. Who might be most at risk and why?

We also find out why our reaction to noise might be about more than just volume - and we go in search of some simple tips to help.

Keep in touch with the Inside Health team at insidehealth@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Gerry Holt Researcher: Amy Ringrose Editor: Martin Smith Production coordinator: Connor Morgans

Ever wondered how much caffeine is too much? Or whether you’d feel better off if you took an afternoon nap? And with the rise in ‘day raving’ we’ll be looking at whether it’s better for your health to have your night out at 2pm rather than 2am. We’ll learn about the amount of caffeine in different drinks, looking at what it does to the body in the short-term and finding out more about what effects it can have when it comes to things like dementia and cardiovascular disease.

Then we’ll be following a strict scientifically-approved napping schedule and hearing what impact those bonus sleep sessions can have on brain function – while catching 40 winks in some unusual locations.

After that, we’ll take all that energy and party the afternoon (and early evening) away at a daytime rave to find out if that is better for our bodies than pulling an all-nighter.

Along the way we’ll be joined by people who know way more about these things than us, from a Spanish sleep whizz in Manchester to a body boffin in Barry Island.

Producer: Gerry Holt Presenter: Laura Foster Editor: Holly Squire Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

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; the people whose lives didn’t move on after that little red line disappeared from their test and whose symptoms never went away.

And that problem was getting bigger and bigger by the day.

We visit the UK’s very first long Covid clinic where healthcare workers started learning about this life-shattering disease in the hospital car park - and we find out why recovering from long Covid is a lot like training for the Olympics.

What did we know back then – and what do we know now? And are we really any closer to seeing the end of long Covid?

Details of organisations offering information and support with long Covid are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Presenter: Laura Foster Producer: Gerry Holt Editor: Martin Smith Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

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 resident GP Margaret McCartney and presenter Laura Foster. They're answering your questions to help demystify the perimenopause.

Presenter: Laura Foster Producer: Tom Bonnett

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 keffir and sourdough, fermented food and drink is everywhere. But as these foods have exploded in popularity, so have claims of health benefits, from digestion and gut health, to immunity and mood.

We start by trying some fermenting with chef Olia Hercules and then Smitha chats to fermented food “nerd” Professor Paul Cotter to sift through the evidence.

Next week’s Inside Health is all about the perimenopause – the time leading up to the menopause when oestrogen starts to drop. Why is it all still such a mystery?

Send us your questions – and we’ll put them to our panel. It’s insidehealth@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Smitha Mundasad Producer: Gerry Holt Editor: Martin Smith Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

Declared interests: Professor Paul Cotter: “Research in the Cotter laboratory has been funded by PrecisionBiotics Group, Friesland Campina, Danone and PepsiCo. Paul Cotter has also received funding to travel to or present at meetings by H&H, the National Dairy Council U.S., PepsiCo, Abbott, Arla and Yakult. In addition, he is the co-founder and CTO of SeqBiome Ltd., a provider of sequencing and bioinformatics services for microbiome analysis.”

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” spine. Presenter: Smitha Mundasad Producer: Gerry Holt Editor: Holly Squire

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 we should wash ourselves – and our clothes – for good health, but, as she finds out, this question is not as simple as it sounds. It turns out there's a big difference between cleanliness and hygiene – and the confusion between these two rather important words could be having an impact on our health…

Presenter: Dr Smitha Mundasad Producer: Gerry Holt Editor: Holly Squire

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 Margaret McCartney, GP and expert in evidence-based medicine Dr Lindsay Broadbent, Lecturer in Virology at the University of Surrey Reshma Malde, Superintendent Pharmacist, John Bell & Croyden

Producer: Tom Bonnett

Exercise in older age is high on the agenda, but the idea that with age comes bags of time and a desire to ‘get out there’ isn’t true for a lot of us. How do you juggle exercise around caring for partners, grandchildren or staying in work? What if you haven’t exercised for years? What can your body take, and how has it changed with age? James Gallagher hears how octogenarian athlete ‘Irongran’ keeps going, he explores the mental and physical barriers that stop us exercising, and he finds out what he might feel like in 40 years as he pulls on an ageing suit.

Presenter: James Gallagher

Guests: Edwina Brocklesby, athete and founder of SilverFit Dr Dan Gordon, Associate Professor in Cardiorespiratory Exercise Physiology, Anglia Ruskin University Dr Katrina McDonald, judo specialist and Senior Lecturer in Sports and Exercise Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University Dr Josephine Perry, sports psychologist and founder of Performance in Mind Professor Cassandra Phoenix, Department of Sports and Exercise Sciences at the University of Durham Dr Dharani Yerrakalva, GP and NIHR Doctoral Fellow at the University of Cambridge

Producer: Tom Bonnett

The issue of sexual assault hasn’t been far from the headlines in recent weeks - but what kind of help is available for people who have been through it?

James visits Saint Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester where he meets the people who offer invaluable medical and emotional support to patients. He also talks to a young woman who describes her experience of using the service, which she credits with saving her life.

And why does Covid-19 seem to be flooring people again? James finds out that the body’s own defences are partly to blame.

Lastly, is it safe to flush dog poo down the toilet? We clear up a family debate…

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Gerry Holt Content editor: Erika Wright Production coordinator: Jonathan Harris Technical producer: Tim Heffer

If you have been affected by child or adult sexual abuse or violence, details of help and support are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline, or you can call for free, at any time to hear recorded information on 0800 077 077.

1 in 7 people live with migraines around the world, and the condition costs the UK economy billions each year. Attacks can be debilitating and all-consuming, but a new treatment recently approved by NICE might even help the most stubborn cases find some relief.

James Gallagher is joined by neurologist Alex Sinclair from the University of Birmingham, GP Richard Wood from Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, and physiotherapist Anne-Marie Logan from St George’s University Hospitals to answer your questions on migraine and headache; from understanding why migraines exist in the first place, to if foods like takeaways could be triggers, and what these new treatments mean for the future of migraine management.

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Julia Ravey Editor: Erika Wright Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris Technical Producers: Sue Malliot and Donald Macdonald

How many hours do you spend sitting down per day? Six? Maybe eight? Or 10? Between commuting, working and relaxing, sitting can soon add up to hours and hours.

In this week’s Inside Health we’re going to delve into the science to find out exactly how much sitting is too much; when does it become worrying for our health?

James visits the lab at Leicester University where he meets Professor Charlotte Edwardson to explore what prolonged sitting does to the body and he’ll find out whether there’s anything you can do to offset the effects of sitting a lot.

We’ll hear about the origins of sitting research - and just because we like to explore every angle on a topic, we’ll hear all about why standing too much can also be a worry.

James visits a school in east London where the children are really focusing on how much time they spend sitting. They’re taking part in the Active Movement programme with the aim of bringing lots of action into the school day - and take it home too. Sounds nice and relaxing doesn’t it?

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Gerry Holt Editor: Erika Wright Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris Studio Producer: Matthew Chamberlain

When the Government released the latest statistics on STIs in the summer, one in particular stood out. Syphilis. A sexually transmitted infection which might make you think more 1823 than 2023. But figures in England are currently at their highest since 1948, a rise which is reflected across the UK. James Gallagher speaks to people who have first-hand experience with syphilis to work out why we aren't talking about the disease and it's increase more.

And James gets on his bike with resident GP Margaret McCartney to find out whether tracking her stats via her many exercise monitors is improving her physical and mental health or making it worse. Dr Brendon Stubbs, Clinical-academic physiotherapist at Kings College London and Dr Eoin Whelan, Professor in Business Analytics & Society at the University of Galway help unpick the evidence.

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Clare Salisbury Editor: Erika Wright Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris Studio Producer: Sarah Hockley

What happens when a new drug hits the UK’s streets? And how are illicit drugs here changing – and why?

James follows the trail of the first case of “zombie drug” xylazine in the UK and hears some powerful personal stories along the way.

The story begins in Solihull, in the West Midlands, where 43-year-old Karl Warburton was found dead in May 2022. He had a mix of xylazine, heroin, fentanyl and cocaine in his body.

James visits a local addiction clinic where Mark describes the fear and compulsion many addicts face. He tells James about his journey to recovery and we meet Simon who’s on a mission to help people like Mark into a new life.

Next, James meets toxicologists at a busy hospital lab in Birmingham where he finds out how xylazine was first detected. Then he travels to London to meet a university academic who first raised the alarm about the drug, and visits a cramped room containing the paper records she keeps detailing every drug death in Britain from the past 25 years.

James goes on a surprising and, at times, emotional journey as he gets a rare insight into the world of illegal drugs and the parts of the NHS that treat addiction.

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Gerry Holt Editor: Erika Wright Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris Technical producer: Andrew Garratt Locations: Solihull Integrated Addiction Services, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust Department of Toxicology, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital The National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths (NPSAD), King’s College London

Until recently, breakthroughs in treating Alzheimer’s disease were non-existent. But two new drugs have shown promise in moderately slowing memory and thinking problems for people with early-stage disease. While welcoming the idea of a ‘new era’ for treating Alzheimer’s disease, how much of a difference could these drugs make for people living with the condition?

James Gallagher visits a Memory Café in Doynton to hear about the daily challenges people living with dementia face, and their feelings about the new treatments on the horizon. Lauren Walker, Alzheimer’s disease researcher at Newcastle University, gives an overview of the protein these drugs target in the brain, and Liz Coulthard, Professor of Cognitive Neurology at the University of Bristol, explains how these treatments might impact patient's lives. After listening to our “How hot is too hot for human health?” programme, one of our listeners contacted insidehealth@bbc.co.uk to ask how the heat experienced during a hot flush impacts the body. James asks Clare Eglin, lecturer in applied physiology at the University of Portsmouth, what happens in the body during a hot flush and hears about how many others symptoms are actually caused by the menopause from GP, Margaret McCartney.

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Julia Ravey Editor: Erika Wright Production Co-ordinator: Johnathan Harris Technical Producer: Tim Heffer

Barely a day goes by without more headlines around new weight-loss drugs, from the issue of global shortages, to investigations into suicide risk, and debate over just how long people will need to be on them. But in this episode of Inside Health we’re going to look at something slightly different - and perhaps unexpected.

James Gallagher meets lifelong dieter Cheri who has lost just over three stone on semaglutide but she’s also noticed other effects from her weekly injection; a calmer mind and a complete lack of desire for her much-loved vapes. She wants to know what’s going on – so we seek out some scientists to help us get to the bottom of it. From the evidence gathered so far, are there hints that these drugs could offer potential to treat serious addiction?

And have you ever heard of “bed rotting”?

It doesn’t sound particularly enticing - but James gives it a go in the name of science and we explain all in the programme with the help of two experts.

What health questions do you want us to answer? Email the team at insidehealth@bbc.co.uk

Declared interests: Professor Giles Yeo: "I have a PhD student part-funded by Novo Nordisk. I consult for Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly." Dr Tony Goldstone: "I have previously been a member of Data Safety Monitoring Board for clinical trials of Liraglutide for obesity by Novo Nordisk, and have received an honorarium as a conference speaker from Novo Nordisk."

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Gerry Holt Editor: Erika Wright Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris Studio Producer: Duncan Hannant (Photo: Cheri Ferguson with her Ozempic pen. Credit Cheri Ferguson)

One year after the peak of UK infections, can we determine what actions brought mpox cases down?

A year ago, mpox – the virus formally known as monkeypox – was spreading in the UK. These infections largely impacted the gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men community, with news cases peaking at 350 per week. One of these individuals was Martin Joseph, who tells James Gallagher how a lack of accessible information and the stigma he observed during his illness inspired him to create a mpox-based podcast so others wouldn’t feel so alone.

Thankfully, 2023 so far has told a different story for mpox. Infections in the UK have remained relatively low, and in May, the World Health Organisation declared the mpox global health emergency over. But what helped bring the UK outbreak under control? James is joined by Jake Dunning, infectious diseases doctor and researcher at the University of Oxford, and Claire Dewsnap, sexual health doctor and president of the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), to discuss potential factors, takeaways and whether we are really ‘done’ with mpox.

How often should we go to the dentist? Listener Mary emailed insidehealth@bbc.co.uk to query the time needed between check-ups. James hears the evidence from Janet Clarkson, professor of dentistry at the University of Dundee, who explains the unlikely origins of our bi-annual appointments!

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Julia Ravey Editor: Erika Wright Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris Studio Producer: Donald McDonald

(Photo: Monkeypox Credit: Uma Shankar sharma | Getty Images)

Our guinea-pig presenter James Gallagher has been eating either extremely fast or excruciatingly slow to figure out what our eating speed does to our health. Dr Sarah Berry from Kings College London explains it’s not good news if you devour your dinner! And we get to the bottom of the headlines on cancer and the artificial sweetener aspartame. James and Prof David Spiegelhalter discuss why these cancer-scare stories keep on happening.

Get in touch with the team (especially if you have any questions about headache or migraine) on InsideHealth@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Julia Ravey Editor: Erika Wright Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris Studio Manager: Giles Aspen

After the hottest June in history and record-breaking temperatures last year, the UK is really feeling the heat. But, we’re not alone. Last week the world experienced the hottest day in history - and forecasters warn this is just a taste of what is to come.

Here on Inside Health we love a tricky question - so in the first episode of the new series we’re chasing down the answer to a pretty timely one, how hot is too hot for our health.

James heads into the lab to explore exactly what is going on inside our bodies when it gets hotter. He gets wired up and locked inside a heated chamber to find out what factors matter most, from core temperature to humidity, and learns which is more deadly, cold or heat. He also hears about a surprising tip to stay safe in the heat.

Do join us on what promises to be a rather hot and sweaty journey… How hot is too hot for you? And what other health issues should we be covering? Do get in touch via email at inside.health@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Gerry Holt Editor: Erika Wright Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris Technical Producer: Tim Heffer

Image: James Gallagher in the lab. Credit: Dan Welsh

James Gallagher finds out if we've turned into a nation of grinders after reports from dentists of increased clenching and cracking of teeth. Margaret McCartney answers your feedback about the new weight-loss drug, exercise for your back, sperm counts and then goes for retail therapy with James to discover how useful shopping data could be for understanding our health.

James meets Ian who has Parkinson's disease and hears how ballet has helped with his symptoms, as a major new review of the evidence shows exercise really does make a difference. And microplastics which can be found in drinking water and food stuffs have now been identified in human vein tissue. James unpicks what this means for our health. Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Erika Wright and Harry Lewis

James Gallagher asks whether a weight-loss drug on the NHS heralds a new era in tackling obesity? He meets Jan who lost nearly 4 stone after being part of a trial taking a weekly injection of Semaglutide for 15 months alongside advice on meals and exercise. However, when people stop taking the drug the weight starts to go back on. Add to that supply shortages with heightened private demand and some doctors think the drug is as controversial as they come. James unpicks the ethical and societal dilemmas against a backdrop of half the world's population projected to be overweight or obese by 2035.

Producer: Erika Wright

Declared interests

Dr Margaret McCartney: "No conflicts to declare."

Prof Sir Stephen O’Rahilly : "in the past has been a remunerated consultant and has had research collaboration with Novo Nordisk."

Professor Naveed Sattar: "consulted for and/or received speaker honoraria from Novo Nordisk, Abbott Laboratories, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Hanmi Pharmaceuticals, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis, Pfizer, and Sanofi; and grant support paid to his university from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, and Roche Diagnostics. He was a co-investigator in lifestyle trials such as DiRECT and co-lead for STANDby."

Lower back pain impacts millions of adults every year and, in many cases, diagnosis can be murky. Non-specific pain is personal and complex, driven by factors such as injury, sensitivity and perception. But are there methods to help manage back pain and live a happier life in the process?

James Gallagher is joined at a yoga studio in Stockbridge, Hampshire by Emma Godfrey, psychology researcher at Kings College London, chiropractor David Elliot, physiotherapist Richard Husselbee, and yoga instructor, Alison Trewhela to answer all your back pain questions (and takes to the mat himself to try some gentle healthy lower back poses).

Producer: Julia Ravey

James Gallagher investigates whether there is a decline in male sperm including the results of his own sperm count analysis. He meets a couple who conceived after having treatment for a varicocele, enlarged veins in the testes that can heat the sperm up and the leading known cause of male infertility. And James is joined by leading scientists in the field to debate whether sperm counts are falling.

Producer: Erika Wright

Can magic mushrooms help your mental health? James Gallagher cuts through the hype and examines the evidence to find out if psychedelics can treat depression. Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Geraldine Fitzgerald

The cost of everything is soaring, but what toll is that taking on our health? We’re at a food pantry scheme in Coventry meeting mums Danielle and Ellie to find out how hard putting food on the table has become. Dr Megan Blake and Prof Sir Michael Marmot help explain what that does to our bodies now and in the long term. Get in touch: InsideHealth@bbc.co.uk Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Geraldine Fitzgerald

Dawn had a heart attack but 'powered through' making the Christmas dinner before seeking help - because she put her symptoms down to anxiety and backache.

Her interventional cardiologist in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Professor Vijay Kunadian, sees many women like her who aren't seen quickly enough or given the right medication to improve their chances of survival. We hear about research which reveals that women are much more likely to die of a heart attack than men because of delays and lack of treatment.

Learning the piano can help to improve the way our brains process audible and visual information - a task we carry out effortlessly when looking and listening as we do things like cross the road safely or chat with friends. Dr Karin Petroni explains how even just a few microseconds in processing speed can make a difference - so she's going to carry on playing drums.

James Gallagher's piano version of Giuseppe Verdi's La donna è mobile/When the saints go marching in (trad) arranged by Nancy Litten/Kenneth Bartels (ABRSM)

James Gallagher asks whether the next pandemic might be an invasive fungi? Most people think of athlete's foot or fungal toe nails but the World Health Organisation recently issued the first ever list of life threatening fungi. James hears stories of hospitals being shut down, a ruined honeymoon and fungal infections that consume human tissue leaving terrible disfigurement. Add to that ‘The Last of Us’ a hit video game turned new TV series where a parasitic fungus manipulating the brains of ants has jumped to people. Sounds fanciful but while this particular fungus couldn’t cross from ants to humans, Dr Neil Stone explains why invasive fungal infections are on the rise and a potential pandemic should not be dismissed. Producer, Erika Wright

The rise of antibiotic resistance means that we need alternatives to fight infections - and some healthcare professionals are turning to maggot therapy to help clean up wounds. They might be treating people living with diabetes who can experience a loss of sensation in their feet because of high blood sugar levels. Damage to their blood vessels can also slow down healing. Melanie Rix Taylor from Swansea has type 1 diabetes and had a quarter of her foot amputated because of an infection. When the skin around the wound started to die she was offered maggot therapy. After just a few days the larvae placed on her foot in a small bag - a bit like a teabag - digested the dead skin, helping to promote healing. Her Podiatrist at Morriston hospital Ros Thomas explains how she's used maggots hundreds of times, with great success.

The larvae of the greenbottle fly species Lucilia sericata are supplied to the NHS on prescription with an average cost of £200-£300 from BioMonde in Bridgend. James visits their fly room with entomologist Micah Flores, helping him to collect some of the fly eggs which are then thoroughly cleaned and prepared so they can then be used on patients. As well as consuming dead tissue, the larvae also produce anti-microbial secretions and help to promote healing. Professor Yamni Nigam from Swansea University - who's advised television programmes like Casualty about storylines on maggot therapy - is a big fan of the creatures which have a long history of being medically useful, long before scientists found the scientific proof to support their use. She wants to help people to get over their initial disgust so that they can be used more widely, instead of as a last resort.

Photo credit: Maggot/BioMonde

Covid and other bugs have ripped through the Inside Health team, so we find out why everyone seems to be getting sick at the moment and if we will be facing a torrent of infections for months or even years to come. We see how easy it is to buy antibiotics online and why scientists are worried about it. And can ketamine and its mind-altering powers can help free people from addiction to alcohol?

Get in touch: InsideHealth@bbc.co.uk.

It’s January. Christmas is a distant memory and nobody feels much like getting off the sofa, but luckily this episode can help. James Gallagher is on a mission to find out what is the least amount of exercise you can do to still stay healthy. James goes on a Ramblers wellbeing walk, uses a treadmill for the first time and takes a hot bath all to find out how lazy he can be. His guide Dr Zoe Saynor at University of Portsmouth explains this is the question everyone asks and offers simple tips about how little you can do.

Presenter: James Gallagher Producers: Gerry Holt and Erika Wright

James is in South Wales where he's wired up and locked inside a cryo-lab to discover the impact of cold on the human body. A temperature of 10C seems pretty mild doesn’t it - yet James is shocked at the profound stress it puts on his body. Today we discover why cold is a killer and what you can do about it if you’re struggling to heat your home.

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Gerry Holt

Do you want to see your GP records at the touch of a button? That’s the plan in England, but doctors warn us freely opening them up to everyone is not safe. And we’ll explore a study that’s transforming our understanding of how cancers develop and bring clarity to the confusion around antidepressants after a study showed low serotonin levels were not the cause of depression.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Beth Eastwood

Can you imagine moving out of the family home and watching your daughter grow up from a distance, all to avoid the threat of Covid? That’s the decision Shannon has taken because the drugs she takes for her lupus leave her immune system weak and vulnerable. She tells us what it’s been like shielding for 951 days (and counting) and we explore whether there are any solutions. Then we see why childhood vaccination rates have been falling for a decade and whether you should follow the health secretary’s example and share your antibiotics.

Producer: Fiona Hill and Gerry Holt

I think I might’ve dodged Covid. Like many others, I’m fully vaccinated but have never tested positive despite having had plenty of opportunities to catch it. I used public transport to get to work during the lockdowns and was exposed to the virus when my son came down with it. So what’s going on? Armed with my covid antibody test results, I ask immunologist Prof Mala Maini to clear up the confusion. And a new scale to determine skin colour which could improve how certain health problems are diagnosed and treated.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Beth Eastwood

Maybe listen to this one BEFORE you eat… James is off to meet the sewage scientists trying to stop the next pandemic. He meets the teams that were monitoring 80% of people’s faeces during Covid-19 and finds out how sewage led to hundreds of thousands of children having an emergency polio vaccine. James needs to collect a sample at a water treatment works and then head to the laboratory… just be glad you can’t smell a podcast.

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Erika Wright

What do sweeteners do to our bodies? We force feed James cups of sweetened tea and find out with nutrition scientist Dr Sarah Berry from King’s College London. We then tackle something stronger - alcohol. Can a new supplement reduce the amount of alcohol getting into the body? And Rohin Francis gets frustrated at the shonky claims being made by health podcasts (not this one, of course, you’re totally in the right place).

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Beth Eastwood

Should friends and family be trained to give potent medications to those dying at home to relieve their symptoms?

We often say that we’d like to die peacefully at home when the inevitable happens. Yet people can be left in pain for hours waiting for a doctor or nurse to be free to visit and administer the medicines that ease our symptoms in our final days. James Gallagher speaks to Mark, who was trained to administer medicines to his mother to help keep her comfortable at the end of her life, and to palliative care doctor Marlise Poolman who is pioneering the programme across North Wales.

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Beth Eastwood

Smitha Mundasad asks whether we will see waves of Covid – with infections going up and down and then up and down again - forever more. We speak to Elliot whose life has been transformed after a single shot of gene therapy to treat the inherited blood disorder haemophilia B. And Dr Margaret McCartney discusses the accidental discovery of Viagra and how sometimes researchers find new, surprising uses for old medicines.

Produced by Geraldine Fitzgerald.

Rashes, a runny nose and weird poos are all common in babies. Parents are sometimes told these symptoms mean their baby is allergic to cows milk and are prescribed low allergy formula or advised to avoid dairy if they are breastfeeding. Marijke Peters cut dairy out of her diet to try and help the gut problems her new baby Eva was having - but it made no difference and she's still trying to find out why she has blood in her poo.

Dr Robert Boyle sees babies with allergies in his clinic at St Mary's hospital in London. Those with a cows' milk protein allergy can safely drink low-allergy formula milk - but Dr Boyle thinks that more than the expected 1% of babies are being diagnosed with the allergy. So he looked at the number of prescriptions for these specialised formula milks dispensed in the UK, Norway and Australia. In the UK he says that ten times the number you'd expect to see are prescribed.

Professor Paula Moynihan who's Director of Food and Health at the University of Adelaide says these formula milks could pose a risk to children's teeth because they contain different sugars than the type found in milk - which bacteria in the mouth can feed on, making it more acidic and potentially damaging the teeth. She says that any babies given the dairy-free formulas should have their teeth brushed twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and start seeing a dentist as soon as the first tooth appears.

Dr Margaret McCartney explains how long-Covid patients are going to extraordinary lengths to try unproven treatments in the hope that they will alleviate their symptoms. We hear how an investigation by the British Medical Journal uncovered how a special type of blood filtering called apheresis and hyperbaric oxygen therapy - costing thousands of pounds - are offered to long-Covid patients in European clinics but there is no evidence that they will help them. Margaret recommends instead signing up for NHS trials investigating potential treatments in a regulated way.

Gout is incredibly painful but many adults diagnosed with the condition aren't taking the recommended medication a year after they were told they had it. Dr Mark Russell from Kings College hospital in London found that only a third of people with gout were taking medication to help lower urate levels in their blood which can turn into crystals in the joints and organs like the kidneys if it is too high.

What do you think bendy joints has to do with the way the brain works? Well you may be in for surprise. Scientists have found a connection with autism, attention deficit and Tourettes. So what does this tell us about how our brain and body work? We’re asking whether we’re stuck with monkeypox forever now or do we still have the chance to stop it spreading? And has the pandemic left a permanent scar on children’s activity levels.

Does medicine have a language problem? We speak to Rachel who was made to feel like a 'naughty schoolgirl' by the terminology used around the birth of her child. We’ll find out how deep-seated blaming and belittling language in healthcare is, and why. We get sticky and sweaty discussing the dangers of heatwaves to the human body. And we take the confusion out of 'chemo brain' or cancer-related cognitive impairment, and explore why we rarely talk about it and how this is now changing.

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Beth Eastwood

Aaaaaaaaa-choo! If you have hay fever then you know that it can be a right pain in the… nose. This week Inside Health presents a complete guide to hay fever. Are we enduring the worst hay fever season? When was the disgustingly-named “summer catarrh” first identified as a medical condition? And what can we safely plant in the garden without setting off our symptoms? GP Navjoyt Ladher and immunologist Danny Altmann join James Gallagher in the park to talk causes and treatments, and to find out how close we are to having a cure. Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Anna Buckley

This week James Gallagher finds out if the Power of the Dog is true. No not the movie, but the claim that dogs can make us live longer. He’s also doing press ups in the studio to see if small amounts of muscle building exercise can help boost our health no matter how old we are. Then, inspired by the last episode on long Covid, James goes in search of the lost art of convalescence.

It’s a long Covid reunion on Inside Health. We first met Jo, Neil and John in February 2021 when they were 12 months into the condition.

Another year on, we catch up with them to see if they are any closer to making a full recovery. We explore how a virus can cause such prolonged symptoms, with Dr David Strain from the NHS Long Covid Taskforce, and see if we are any closer to treating long Covid.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Beth Eastwood

We get to the bottom of a medical mystery – what causes multiple sclerosis? A series of studies have compellingly pointed the finger at the virus behind glandular fever. We see if they stack up and assess what it means for the future of preventing and treating MS. Then nearly two years since the World Health Organization described Covid as a pandemic, James chats to Dr Maria van Kerkhove, who is the WHO's technical lead for its response to Covid, about the successes and failures of the past two years and where we’re all heading next?

Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker

How often do we need a smear test? It’s become controversial now as a new test means women and people with a cervix need checking less often. But in the future the answer might be only once a lifetime!

We hunt for the special blood that's in high demand, yet in short supply, for people with sickle cell disease. And could the disruption from the Covid pandemic be setting the stage for a large outbreak of measles?

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Beth Eastwood

Credit Image: NHS Blood & Transplant

James meets a record breaking doctor who is analysing DNA so quickly it is transforming treatment in intensive care and from one of his patients, Matthew, who discovered he needed a new heart. Then James has a disgusting confession as we discuss losing weight by getting more sleep. And can we get better therapies for all of us by copying the revolutionary trial that transformed the pandemic.?

Can you take hormone replacement therapy - HRT - for forever? Three women talk about their different experiences of how they managed the menopause. We balance the risks and the benefits of HRT to see who might be able to take it for the long-term.

And do you know how much water should you drink? If you said 2 litres or six-to-eight glasses a day then you may be in for a surprise.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Beth Eastwood

Can “one helluva pig” be the solution to a worldwide shortage of organ donors. People die waiting for replacement hearts, lungs and kidneys. So I meet the teams that have started transplanting pig organs into people. We’ll explore the huge leaps of genetic engineering that are making "xenotransplantation” possible and ask if it’s even ethical to try.

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker

Will we need boosters forever? It’s the question you wanted us to tackle so we’re joined by Prof Beate Kampmann, the Director of The Vaccine Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, in the search for answers.

Then we explore why so few pregnant women are taking up the Covid vaccine even though it is the best option for mother and baby.

And can we stop another infection in babies - Group B Strep - which can have devastating consequences.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Beth Eastwood

Jimi Olaghere feels like he’s been reborn after a pioneering new treatment for sickle cell disease. Scientists have engineered his blood to overcome the disease that left him in constant pain. I speak to Jimi about his experience and to his doctors about what this could mean for people with sickle cell around the world. Then we explore the headlines around women being worse off with male surgeons and get quite excited about a study suggesting a bedtime read helps sleep.

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker

Image Credit: Getty Images

Are you one of the five million people with asthma in the UK? If so, could you be on a different inhaler - one that could control your asthma better while also being kinder to the planet? “Puffers” - or aerosol spray inhalers - contain potent greenhouse gases and can be tricky to use correctly, so not everyone can control their asthma. We speak to Caroline from Cornwall, who has switched inhalers and it’s transformed her life. James talks to the doctors who think far more people could benefit from making the change.

We also speak to Nerys from North Wales who has started antiviral treatment for her Covid infection. We explore the new drugs with virologist Dr Elisabetta Groppelli and Prof Chris Butler who is running the clinical trial designed to pinpoint who is likely to benefit from antivirals the most.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Beth Eastwood

Is an Omicron infection inevitable? Which drugs still work? Is this the last hurrah of the pandemic? This week we have three of the country’s greatest scientific minds teasing apart what Omicron means for our lives now and in the future. Prof Eleanor Riley, Prof Azra Ghani and Prof Sir Martin Landray also tackle your, at times controversial questions! And our regular Dr Rohin Francis gives us a first-hand account of the pressures on NHS staff?

Happy New Year. I hope you’re sticking to your New Year’s resolutions!

Our resident GP Margaret McCartney has dragged me out for a wintery run to discuss how to stick to a healthier lifestyle. And we’re joined by Dr Giles Yeo, Dr Ian Hamiliton and Prof Russel Foster as we tackle the best diets, giving up booze for Dry January and getting a better night’s sleep.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Beth Eastwood & Geraldine Fitzgerald

Beat pre-diabetes and get your love life back? We hear from two people who are trying to avoid getting type 2 diabetes. But not everyone thinks the term is helpful so our resident GP Margaret McCartney and Dr Samuel Seidu, from the Leicester Diabetes Centre, join us to discuss. And our cardiologist Rohin Francis gets one step closer to his dream of being an astronaut.

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Geraldine Fitzgerald

Flying London to New York and back. 244 times every day. For half a year. That’s the size of the carbon footprint of all the personal protective equipment used in health and social care in England during the first six months of the pandemic. So I take a look at how the NHS is going green including efforts to make a reusable facemask.

Also, a shortage of vials for blood tests has GP Navjoyt Ladher asking whether we were testing too much anyway.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Beth Eastwood

The future is here. Gene silencing medicines - which can fine tune how our DNA works - have held promise for decades. Now hundreds of thousands of people will get them in the UK. James speaks to a surgeon whose life and career have been saved by gene-silencing drugs and to researchers who think the field could lead to drugs for diseases we think of as untreatable.

Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Geraldine Fitzgerald

The pandemic has strapped rocket boosters onto vaccine science. So where is it taking us next? What other diseases are we about to take on? Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert, architect of the Oxford vaccine, gives me her view.

Also, given teenagers and parents agree about everything and never have any arguments.... we should be able to rapidly resolve any questions about whose decision it is when it comes to the Covid jab in teens. Dr Navjoyt Ladher and Dr Vanessa Apea join some very honest teenagers to help find the answer.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Beth Eastwood

Anyone need a hug? I’m taking a look at this year’s Nobel Prize for Medicine. It helps explain how we experience the physical sensations of touch, heat and cold. Yes it’s the hugs, tea and ice cream Nobel! But it could also have implications for treating pain, so Prof Irene Tracey is here to discuss. And you wait decades for fortification and two come along at once. I explore why the government wants to tweak our flour and water.

We’re going meat-free for this podcast!

The supermarket shelves are heaving with faux meats and vegan ultra-processed foods. And if you don’t want to put milk in your coffee or on your cereals there’s a load of plant-based alternatives.

So we take a look at how healthy these foods are and what you need to know when you’re doing the weekly shop. Sorry you will have to listen to me eating a sausage roll.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCERS: Beth Eastwood & Lorna Stewart

Do you know your mons pubis from your labia majora? Few of us can identify the parts of the vulva - that’s the external female genitals. So I go exploring with Dr Fiona Reid from St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester and find out why we all need to be better informed.

Also, who should be able to look at your medical records? There are grand plans afoot to collect the data your GP holds on you and make it available to researchers. We discuss the pros and the cons with Prof Martin Landray from Oxford University and GP Dr Margaret McCartney.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Beth Eastwood

My blood pressure is perfectly normal, but could I benefit from medication to lower it even further? We discuss with Oxford University’s Prof Kazem Rahimi and our resident GP Margaret McCartney.

How do you diagnose a new disease that could have 200 symptoms? We explore long Covid in children with our reporter Carolyn Atkinson and Professor Sir Terence Stephenson from the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute for Child Health.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Beth Eastwood

It’s time to talk about periods and contraception. Different birth control options alter the menstrual cycle. Journalist Nicola Davis tells me about her decade without periods and our resident GP Margaret McCartney and sexual health doctor Julia Bailey discuss the evidence and what you need to know.

We’ve also got vaccination expert Adam Finn to discuss the slowdown in young people getting the Covid-19 jab and cardiologist Rohin Francis explores the link between erectile dysfunction and the heart.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Geraldine Fitzgerald & Beth Eastwood

Time for a sprinkling of happiness with a new exhibition at the Wellcome Collection.

Last time we heard how children's A&E is under huge pressure as infections, that disappeared during Covid, make a comeback. But doctors also warn that many of those children shouldn’t actually be there. Damian Roland a paediatrician in emergency medicine at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust busts the myths about fever and gives tips on when to take your child to A&E.

And the wonders of ear wax, until it builds up, that is, as it does for me. But it's not just ear wax that nurse Andrew Hill has found in people's ears - cocaine and spiders too. You get it all here on Inside Health.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCERS: Beth Eastwood & Geraldine Fitzgerald

Here at Team Inside Health we’ve noticed our children are constantly ill. So we find out why. Are all those bugs that were dormant for the pandemic suddenly having a resurgence? Or has a year and a half of being squeaky clean left a lingering impact on our immune system? Plus Medlife Crisis - Rohin Frances asks can you be too fit?

The Inside Health podcast is back with a bang!

Find out how having a couple of mates round for the football trapped scientist Alex Crozier inside a Covid experiment.

Laura talks us through her remarkable journey, from a fear of needles to having her Covid jab, and Oxford University’s Daniel Freeman has some tips for you too.

We’ve unleashed our cardiologist, Rohin Francis, for the first of his “Roving Rohin” (trademark pending) reports on hospital staff who don’t get the vaccine. And GP Navjoyt Ladher shares her insight on where we’re at with the pandemic. Happy listening.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCERS: Beth Eastwood & Geraldine Fitzgerald

This is the remarkable story of how the UK’s Recovery Trial saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Covid patients.

It was set up in nine days, after a conversation on the number 18 bus. Within 100 days it had found the first life-saving drug. This trial has united thousands of doctors, the NHS and 40,000 patients, at the scariest moments of their lives, changing the pandemic, and possibly medicine, forever.

We speak to Oxford professors Martin Landray and Peter Horby who devised the Recovery Trial, and to some of the doctors and patients who helped make it happen.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCERS: Geraldine Fitzgerald & Beth Eastwood

I was floored for three days with side-effects after having my first Covid jab and many of you have been in touch about your side-effects too. Why do some of us feel awful after the vaccine, while others barely notice anything? What does this say about our immune systems and how protected we will be against covid? We put your questions to Eleanor Riley, a professor of immunology and infectious disease at Edinburgh University.

Our resident GP Margaret McCartney has been taking a look at the reports of blood clots after vaccination, and we speak to Victoria Male, a lecturer in reproductive immunology at Imperial College London, about the rules for vaccination in pregnant women.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCERS: Beth Eastwood & Geraldine Fitzgerald

I have become hooked on playing online chess during this lockdown and after watching the Queen’s Gambit. So we’ll find out if it is actually doing my brain any good and whether it and similar games can ward off dementia.

Margaret McCartney takes us on a fascinating tour through the history of deliberately infecting people with diseases, as the first “challenge trials” with coronavirus are about to start.

Listeners David and Barbara tell us about a treatable condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus that is often mistaken for dementia.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Beth Eastwood

Clip from the Netflix series 'The Queen's Gambit', directed by Scott Frank. Music copyright: ‘Training with Mr Schaibel’ by Carolos Rafael Rivera from the official soundtrack of The Queens Gambit

What has the pandemic done to our sex lives? We’ll hear if there’s been a baby boom with Dr Margaret McCartney and Dr Rebecca Thomson-Glover has the lowdown on sexually transmitted infections. We’ll also explore changes to contraception and sexual health services. Meanwhile it feels like we’re on the march to normality, but what about the backlog of patients whose treatment has been cancelled. We speak to Charmayne whose surgery has been held up by the pandemic and Nick Arresti from the British Orthopaedic Association to see how such waiting lists can be tackled.

Most people recover rapidly after catching coronavirus. But I chat to three people who were infected almost a year ago and are still feeling the impact, both on their bodies and their minds.

Doctors are having to rapidly grapple with how to treat patients with long Covid. We speak to one of them, Dr Manoj Sivan, the Research Lead for the Long Covid Service in Leeds, who warns that long Covid could be a “second pandemic”.

We also have GP Dr Navjoyt Ladher answering your questions on the Covid vaccines.

PRESENTER: James Gallagher PRODUCER: Beth Eastwood