Podcast
What's That Rash?
Hosted by ABC Australia · EN
Get answers to the health questions everyone's asking. Our experts give you the information you need to feel good and make the best decisions for your brain and body.
63episodes
Episodes
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Should you be taking calcium supplements?
Yesterday00:21:39Summary readyOur calcium needs can increase as we age, especially for women going through menopause.Most Australians aren’t getting enough calcium from their diet, so are supplements a good optionNorman and Tegan discuss the conflicting evidence on calcium – in particular, could it be good for your bones, but bad for your heart?References: Calcium supplements have 'very little place' in modern medicine - the Health Report Nutrient Reference Values - Calcium Effect of age on calcium absorption in postmenopausal women Biochemical Variables in Pre- and Postmenopausal Women: Reconciling the Calcium and Estrogen Hypotheses Calcium Content of Common Foods - Healthy Bones Australia Choosing a calcium supplement: What you should know about taking calcium to boost your nutrients Calcium Supplements and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials Association Between Calcium Supplementation and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Association Between Calcium Supplementation and Recurrence of Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: A Population‐Based Cohort Study Calcium Intake From Diet and Supplements and the Risk of Coronary Artery Calcification and its Progression Among Older Adults: 10‐Year Follow‐up of the Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Oral Calcium Supplements Associate With Serial Coronary Calcification: Insights From Intravascular Ultrasound If you enjoyed this episode, check these out! Multivitamins: Are they a scam? Don’t Die: Is Bryan Johnson going to live forever? Can peptides keep you young and buff? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryCan tapping calm your nervous system?
1w ago00:19:59Summary readyThere's a scene in the Devil Wears Prada 2 where a character is so stressed she starts "tapping" to calm herself down.What is this self-soothing technique, and should you try it out?Norman and Tegan talk through what Emotional Freedom Techniques, or tapping is and whether there's any evidence it lowers anxiety.References: How ‘tapping’ is dividing opinion in therapy circles Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Improves Multiple Physiological Markers of Health Neural changes after Emotional Freedom Techniques treatment for chronic pain sufferers Emotional freedom techniques for treating post traumatic stress disorder: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis Commentary: Emotional freedom techniques for treating post traumatic stress disorder: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis A Randomized Controlled Comparison of Emotional Freedom Technique and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to Reduce Adolescent Anxiety: A Pilot Study Food for Thought: A Randomised Controlled Trial of Emotional Freedom Techniques and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the Treatment of Food Cravings The impact of emotional freedom techniques on anxiety, depression, and anticipatory grief in people with cancer: A meta-analysis and systematic review If you enjoyed this episode, check these out! Can you train yourself to sleep less? Why everything hurts when you turn 30 MSG's messy myths and racist tropes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryIs farting a sign your gut microbiome is happy?
2w ago00:19:36Summary readyEveryone wants a healthy gut, and your microbiome plays a big role in keeping you well.So how do you know your microbiome is in top shape? Are there stinky signs that things are going right, or wrong?Norman and Tegan breeze through the research in this live recording at the World Science Festival Brisbane.References: The Invisible College of Experimental Flatology Explainer: The chemistry of farts A widespread hydrogenase supports fermentative growth of gut bacteria in healthy people Intestinal gas production by the gut microbiota: A review Association of the Gut Microbiota With Cognitive Function in Midlife Gut microbiome predicts cognitive function and depressive symptoms in late life The Relationship between Gut Microbiome and Cognition in Older Australians Chart Your Fart - CSIRO If you enjoyed this episode, check these out! Why is yawning contagious? Why are some people right (or left) handed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryStill coughing — are you still infectious?
3w ago00:19:41Summary readyCold season is upon us, so it’s no wonder you’re side-eyeing that person coughing on the bus.But does a cough mean someone is still infectious? How do you know you’re in the clear to go back to work?Norman and Tegan talk through the science, and also how attitudes have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic.References: How Long Does a Cough Last? Comparing Patients’ Expectations With Data From a Systematic Review of the Literature Acute cough in outpatients: what causes it, how long does it last, and how severe is it for different viruses and bacteria? Estimating influenza latency and infectious period durations using viral excretion data Duration of viral infectiousness and correlation with symptoms and diagnostic testing in non-hospitalized adults during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection: A longitudinal cohort study How the pandemic shaped presenteeism trends between healthcare and non-healthcare workers using the Korean working conditions surveys (2010–2023) Sickness Presenteeism in the Aftermath of COVID-19: Is Presenteeism Remote-Work Behavior the New (Ab)normal? Over‐the‐counter (OTC) medications for acute cough in children and adults in community settings Comprehensive evidence-based review on European antitussives If you enjoyed this episode, check these out! Is it OK to exercise when you're sick? Are office jobs ruining our bodies? Should you add snail slime to your skincare routine? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryCan your joints predict the weather?
4w ago00:20:08Summary readyHave you heard the phrases, "aches and pain, coming rains" or about "ill health due to evil winds"? Many people believe they can feel a change in weather coming on because pain flares in their joints. Norman and Tegan unpack what could be going on, and whether it's backed by scientific evidence. References: Associations between weather conditions and osteoarthritis pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis Come rain or shine: Is weather a risk factor for musculoskeletal pain? A systematic review with meta-analysis of case-crossover studies Cloudy with a chance of pain: How the weather affects the pain of citizen scientists using a smartphone app Temperature extremes causing gout flare hospitalisation Can aching joints really predict the weather? Exploring the science behind the stormy debate What triggers weather-related joint pain? - Harvard Health If you enjoyed this episode, check these out! You'll catch your death! Does cold weather cause colds? Can consuming dairy really give you acne? How risky is sharing a toothbrush? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryShould you get a full-body MRI?
May 1900:23:23Summary readyIt’s good to be on top of your health – but how far would you go to ensure you’re staying healthy?Ads have popped up for full-body MRIs, promising to catch things from cancer to aneurysms.Norman and Tegan scan through the potential benefits and risks of looking inside seemingly healthy bodies. References: Principles of screening - Cancer Council Incidental Findings and Low-Value Care Prevalence of abnormalities in knees detected by MRI in adults without knee osteoarthritis: population based observational study (Framingham Osteoarthritis Study) Whole‐body MRI for preventive health screening: A systematic review of the literature The effects of incidental findings from whole-body MRI on the frequency of biopsies and detected malignancies or benign conditions in a general population cohort study Clinical value of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging in health screening of general adult population Long-Term Psychosocial Consequences of Whole-Body Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Reporting of Incidental Findings in a Population-Based Cohort Study Impact of whole-body MRI in a general population study Elective MRI Screening of the General Public—Buyer Beware If you enjoyed this episode, check these out! At-home DNA tests — what can they tell you? Do glasses make your eyesight worse? Can functional mushrooms really help treat cancer? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryDeep dive on progressive exercise
May 1200:23:02Summary readyYou might've heard the qualifier that exercise is good for you – but you need to be progressing that exercise over time.Running further, lifting heavier, exercising for longer. How important is it to up the stakes?Norman and Tegan flex their muscles on progressive training and its benefits.References: Thomas L. DeLorme and the Science of Progressive Resistance Exercise Associations of Muscle Mass and Strength with All-Cause Mortality among US Older Adults Skeletal Muscle Strength as a Predictor of All-Cause Mortality in Healthy Men Progressive overload without progressing load? The effects of load or repetition progression on muscular adaptations Strength and Hypertrophy Adaptations Between Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Physical activity types, variety, and mortality: results from two prospective cohort studies If you enjoyed this episode, check these out! Working out? Why 'No Pain No Gain' is bull Is a vibration plate worth the cost? You'll catch your death! Does cold weather cause colds? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryHantavirus: what we know about the cruise ship outbreak
May 1100:13:43Summary readyA cruise ship at the centre of a virus outbreak — sound familiar?Passengers and crew are beginning to disembark the MV Hondius after several cases of hantavirus sent them into quarantine. The virus is usually caught through contact with infected rodent urine, droppings or saliva. Transmission between humans is rare. Norman and Tegan answer common questions about the hantavirus, and how it compares to the handling of COVID-19. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryWhy is yawning contagious?
May 500:18:27Summary readyIt’s easy to catch a yawn – you might even yawn while you’re reading this.It’s not just humans that yawn, but all kinds of verterbrates, even fish! But contagious yawning is rarer.Norman and Tegan unpack why we yawn in this live recording at the World Science Festival Brisbane.References: Yawning: no effect of 3-5% CO2, 100% O2, and exercise Brain size and neuron numbers drive differences in yawn duration across mammals and birds Excessive yawning and thermoregulation: two case histories of chronic, debilitating bouts of yawning Different yawns, different functions? Testing social hypotheses on spontaneous yawning in Theropithecus gelada Why yawns are contagious—in all kinds of animals: Evolutionary biologist Andrew Gallup explains why we yawn after others Mirror neuron activity during contagious yawning—an fMRI study The mirror-neuron system If you enjoyed this episode, check these out! Why are some people right (or left) handed? Can consuming dairy really give you acne? Is daylight saving time bad for us? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryTonsils, appendix, gallbladder: is anything actually useless?
Apr 2800:21:28Summary readyYou might know them as "vestigial" organs, but we no longer overlook organs that aren’t vital for life.While they can be removed, your tonsils, appendix and gallbladder play important roles in the body.Norman and Tegan define what "vestigial" actually means, and how our bodies adapt to losing an organ.References: How Do We Know What Human Organs Do? - JSTOR Daily Tonsils, adenoids and throat infections — do doctors still recommend surgery? - ABC News Association of Long-Term Risk of Respiratory, Allergic, and Infectious Diseases With Removal of Adenoids and Tonsils in Childhood Influence of Tonsillectomy on Various Disease Outcomes: An Outcome-wide Association Analysis and Mendelian Randomization Analysis Cytokine production in patients with recurrent acute tonsillitis: analysis of tonsil samples and blood - PMC Association of Long-Term Risk of Respiratory, Allergic, and Infectious Diseases With Removal of Adenoids and Tonsils in Childhood - PMC Microbial Composition of Human Appendices from Patients following Appendectomy Long-term impacts of appendectomy associated with increased incidence of inflammatory bowel disease, infection, and colorectal cancer Cholecystectomy (Gallbladder Removal) If you enjoyed this episode, check these out! Why do we have wisdom teeth? Can peptides keep you young and buff? Is it OK to exercise when you're sick? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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