Inside Health

Latest Episodes:

How's your hay fever? Jul 05, 2022

Show notes

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

The Power of the Dog Mar 22, 2022

Show notes

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.

Long Covid revisited Mar 15, 2022

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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

Multiple sclerosis and the Epstein Barr virus Mar 08, 2022

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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

Cervical screening, blood donation & measles Mar 01, 2022

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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

Rapid genome sequencing in the clinic Feb 22, 2022

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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 I take HRT forever & hydration myths Feb 15, 2022

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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

Pig organs for transplant patients Feb 08, 2022

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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

Covid boosters, Vaccine hesitancy in pregnancy, Group B strep Feb 01, 2022

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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

New therapies for sickle cell disease Jan 25, 2022

Show notes

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