Embarrassing Bodies

The Embarrassing Bodies clinic has opened its doors for a one off special looking at the conditions and problems that affect older people. It’s a fact that we’re going to have to get used to living longer in older bodies, and the EB doctors are here to show that there’s nothing embarrassing about getting old. First through the clinic doors is Derek who is suffering from a condition that is very common in women, but is much less understood in men. The condition is called andropause, and is where a man’s testosterone levels dip, causing irritability, lack of energy and a lowered sex drive. Fortunately the condition is simple to treat using a testosterone replacement therapy. Dr Christian takes his dad with him on a visit to the clinic to find out how the body ages, as we get older. Both of them are scanned using an MRI scanner, allowing Dr Christian to compare how the body changes internally as we get older.

In this special episode of Embarrassing Bodies, Dr Christian follows the case of Charlotte Wilson who first came to see him in the clinic at the beginning of 2009. Suffering from a severe case of verrucas. Charlotte and her family were at their wits end; finding it impossible to treat them effectively. Dr Christian recommended that Charlotte’s immune system be checked out, and the results of these tests were to change Charlotte, and her families, lives for ever.

The Embarrassing Illnesses doctors have decided to up sticks and take their clinic on the road! In the first of four special programmes, the three straight-talking doctors – Christian Jessen, Dawn Harper and Pixie McKenna – begin their tour of Britain in the city of Leeds, with a PR offensive that Victoria Beckham would be proud of. And to ensure that no fungal feet, problem penises or bothersome boils slip through the net, the EI team have chosen a location bang in the heart of Leeds, on Briggate – one of the city’s busiest shopping streets. With the high street transformed into a slalom of stalls, information boards and games, there will be nowhere for the people of Leeds to hide. The doctors are back…and the time for excuses is over! Kicking off proceedings is Kali, who has embarrassment written all over her face. She’s suffering from a common inflammatory condition of the skin called Rosacea, which causes redness that looks like a flush or blush.

In this second of four specials, the Embarrassing Illnesses doctors will be concerning themselves with breasts and all matters mammary. In an effort to encourage women to bring their breasts out into the open, they’ll be taking their medical expertise to the capital and setting up drop-in clinics in the East End and West End of London – in the imposing surroundings of Shoreditch town hall, and conveniently, in a bra shop in the heart of Covent Garden. First through the clinic’s doors is a huge pair of double ‘J’ breasts, swiftly followed by 40-year-old Alyson. After 20-years of back pain and misery from carrying around a whopping 5 kilos on her chest, she is desperate to see if Dr Harper can reduce her burden by referring her for breast reduction surgery. Former breast cancer sufferer, Cheryl, whose breast removal and problematic reconstructive surgery left her with only one breast, also visits the clinic to see Dr Jessen.

The penultimate programme in our week of specials sees the EI team rolling into Norwich to set up a clinic in the heart of one of the country’s busiest shopping centres. This time the Docs are getting stuck into the Vagina, and there’s no room for coyness ladies! The first patients in the EI clinic are a group of teenagers who want to find out more about the embarrassing consequences of thrush. 75% of women get thrush at some point in their lives, and it affects everybody – from babies to grannies and a few fellas on the way through. Then there’s 42-year-old Debbie, who’s come to see the Doctors after giving birth to a bouncing baby boy. Baby Samuel’s doing fine, but Debbie’s having to deal with the embarrassing consequences of a painful childbirth that delivered much more than just a bundle of joy… The Docs are next putting periods under their medical microscopes, looking at the causes of period pain as well as the painful condition Endometriosis, where cells from the womb find their way into different parts of the body, with unpleasant consequences. We’re then reacquainted with 45-year-old Alyson from Monday’s programme, who’s all in a flap when it comes to exposing herself to her new partner. Fortunately, a consultation with Dr Pixie leads to a welcome resolution to her elongated labia. The menopause is something that every woman must eventually go through. However, the period just before that, the perimenopause, is less understood, but can be taste of things to come. With hot flushes, night sweats and weight gain among the symptoms, Dr Dawn discusses some of the treatment options, including Hormone Replacement Therapy. There’s also a case of vaginal dryness for Dr Dawn to examine as well, with a novel treatment involving a vaginal oestrogen pessary. Thanks to the treatment, Susan and her husband can resume normal service in the bedroom. Back in their London clinic, the Docs have a case of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which affects over a third of British women, including high profile sufferers like Emma Thompson and Victoria Beckham. Jenni’s in the clinic to be rid of the hair that’s constantly appearing on her back and chest, and a course of laser treatment sees her much improved. They also have a woman whose overactive bladder is making her life a misery, but there’s a novel solution more commonly associated with the world of cosmetic surgery… Dr Dawn makes a house call on a women whose been suffering from a prolapsed rectum for years, and fortunately there’s a solution to her plight – but it’s certainly not for the faint hearted… Finally, Dr Jessen is running a smear campaign in Norwich! He’s targeting the 20% of British women that don’t attend a regular cervical smear test. And he’s not taking no for an answer…as three volunteers discover when he persuades them to have theirs done there and then! And don’t forget – you can watch our self-check guide to how to check your vulva by clicking here, or you can get the guide on your mobile phone by texting VULVA to 84444…

Dr Christian Jessen and Dr Pixie McKenna – the nation’s favourite doctors for those toes curling embarrassing conditions are back – and now they’re joined by A&E Doctor, Dr Priya Manickavasagar and leading cosmetic Dentist, Dr James Russell – between them they’ve got every orifice covered. This week’s episode starts with a visit to the clinic for 21-year-old Rebecca. She’s always had noticeably asymmetric breasts (in common with many women in the UK) but pregnancy has accentuated this problem and left her with a severe imbalance. Dr Pixie sends Rebecca to a specialist to see if anything can be done to rectify the problem. The specialist performs a surgical procedure to give Rebecca more balanced and symmetrical breasts. Next through the clinic doors is Mark, who’s firing on all cylinders – but unfortunately he’s firing blanks. As a long-term diabetic, Dr Christian suspects this might be connected with his erectile problems, but first sends him for a check-up on his prostate. Tests reveal that damage to nerves is causing a condition called retrograde ejaculation, where the semen is entering his bladder instead of leaving through the end of the penis. In our truck stop Dr Christian sees a case of neuroma, an overgrowth of nerve tissue that is benign, but can be removed surgically if necessary, whilst Dr Pixie sees a patient who is suffering from keloid scars, which are sadly too far developed to be treated effectively. There’s also a case of a birthmark on the tongue, and an instance of melasma that has lead to an overgrowth of pigment on the patients face. Pixie recommends make-up to start with, before considering lazer treatment in the future. Dr Christian next sees a young lady suffering from one of the most common conditions that Doctors see – warts. Luckily Christian is able to freeze the warts off in the surgery, and with some home treatments she should be able to keep them under control herself. Our Dentist Dr James has a visit from a patient with an artistic streak, but her teeth are anything but picture perfect. Heavily decayed, her teeth need to be crowned and reshapen if she’s to recover her sparkle. After removing the decay and creating custom veneers, Dr James gives his patient a reason to smile again. Next up is Brigitte who’s comes to see Dr Pixie with a big problem. She thinks that she has an excessively large vagina that has remained even though she has lost a substantial amount of weight. Dr Pixie examines Brigitte and diagnoses her with a vaginal prolapse and excess skin around the vagina. After a visit to a specialist, Brigitte is told that there is no quick surgical fix for her problems and further examinations must be done. The doctors hit the streets of Birmingham to talk to locals about the perils of weak pelvic floor muscles and recommend exercises and remedies to regain control over these important muscle areas. The doctors persuade a group of 3 women to road test 3 different techniques for strengthening their Pelvic Floors – with some surprising results. The products tested included a Pelvic Toner, a Pelvic Floor Exerciser and Pelvic Cones. Dr Priya meets her first patient, Peter, who’s suffering from urinary incontinence after the removal of his prostate due to cancer. He’s been wearing pads and taking medication to control the symptoms, but nothing seems to be effective. Dr Priya sends him to a specialist where the consultant inserts a pump to give Peter control of his bladder with the push of a button. This week’s body check sees our guinea pig group checking their feet for early signs of an embarrassing illness, whilst Dr Pixie and Dr Priya talk to them about what they can do about athlete’s foot, corns and flat feet. And finally, the doctors put their own bodies on the line to take the fear out of simple tests. This week, Dr Pixie undergoes the latest test for HIV that reveals results instantly.

This week’s episode starts with 8-year-old Charlotte from Suffolk who’s been suffering from sore verrucas on her feet for over 2 years. Dr Christian sends Charlotte for tests to check her immune system and try and find out why the virus is winning. The tests reveal that her immune system is unable to fight the virus and so the usual treatment for verrucas will not do the job. Whilst a formaldehyde treatment produces some encouraging results, further immunology test reveal that she’s missing certain lymphocytes and the possible treatment course includes a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy. +++UPDATE+++ Charlotte’s operation to remove the verrucas from her foot appears to have been successful and her foot is healing really well. She’s back on her bike and back to being a normal child, pending a potential bone marrow transplant. The EB bus heads to Southend, where Dr Priya has a patient with case of cold feet, medically known as Chilblains. Dr Pixie’s patient can’t stop scratching her itchy sores while Dr Christian has a customer with a permanent runny nose due to nasal polyps. Next up is a visit to the dentist for 27-year-old Lyn from Aberdeen. Lyn arrived to see Dr James because she has an addiction to fizzy drinks that has left her with missing, rotting and discoloured teeth. After extracting the rotten teeth, Dr James recommends implants, but only if Lyn will give up smoking, as it drastically reduces the success rate of the procedure. After a long day in the dental hot seat, Lyn has a new set of pearly whites. Visiting the clinic next is David, 24, from Shropshire who’s had an embarrassing swelling for more than half his life. None of the treatments and tests have been able to ease his enlarged sore lips. Dr Pixie suggests that the swelling is a possible sign of an allergic reaction. Tests reveal that David is allergic to cinnamon and a long list of preservatives; so he sets off in search of a new diet. The doctors head to a very windy Southend-on-Sea to meet with a group of kids and their parents at Fairways primary school. Dr Pixie talks to the kids about head lice and shows them up close just how nasty they can be, whilst Dr James teaches the kids a lesson about tooth decay. Read Dr James’ guide to How to Look After Your Teeth > Maria, 13, believed she had a case of head lice, but it turned out to be much more serious. Maria actually has scalp psoriasis that causes her scalp to scale and nothing she’s tried has helped. Dr Pixie sends Maria to a hair specialist to get the scaling and inflammation under control with the help of creams and steamers. After three visits to the hair specialist Maria comes back to the clinic and shows Dr Pixie her much improved scalp. Ever since 43-year-old Sandra from Derby gave birth she’s developed a rather messy problem. Sandra experiences problems with her bottom – it bleeds and causes problems for her hygiene. Dr Pixie diagnoses Sandra with skin tags and sends her to a specialist to try a surgical procedure to clear up her problem. Tests show Sandra’s problem goes deeper than just the skin tags – she’s suffering from a case of rectacil, where her bowel is misshapen. Sandra will have to complete more tests, but pelvic floor exercises have been recommended to help her cause.

First through the door this week is 18-year-old Cherie who’s suffering from back pain caused by extremely large breasts. The best option to ease the discomfort caused by her gigantic 30JJ bust is breast reduction and Dr Pixie refers Cherie to a specialist surgeon to get the procedure done. Visiting the dental clinic is Richard, 27, who has painful, aching teeth. Dr James’ examination reveals that Richard’s teeth are worn down as a result of Bruxism, an involuntary grinding of the teeth. Richard is sent to a specialist to clear the decay in his gums and teeth before Dr James can restore his smile with veneers and crowns. Read Dr James’ guide to How to Look After Your Teeth > Next in is Vicky, 28, who’s been dealing with boils in her groin area. Dr Christian believes the boils are caused by a condition in the sweat glands called Hidradenitis Suppurativa. As Vicky’s case is fairly mild, Dr Christian recommends treatment with antibiotics, the contraceptive pill, or acne treatments as opposed to more invasive surgery. The EB Bus heads out on the road, and first in is Amanda who feels that she has very large labia – but Dr Pixie’s examination reveals she’s perfectly normal. Meanwhile, Sharon shows her severe skin condition to Dr Christian who sends her to a dermatologist for a more accurate diagnosis. The specialist seeing Sharon prescribes topical creams to treat her scaly skin that’s been badly sun damaged. Julie visits the clinic because her ear is flaking skin and secreting gunky liquid. Dr Priya believes July has chronic otitis externa, an infection and inflammation of the ear, and sends in some sample swabs to be analyzed. An Ear Nose and Throat specialist injects an ointment into Julie’s ears and clears up her infection. Next in the clinic to see Dr Christian is Sarah who’s been suffering from lumps around her eyes for years. The condition is known as xanthelasma and it causes fatty growths around the eyes. Dr Christian recommends that she try make-up to start with as other methods carry the risk of scarring around the eyes. Allison, 23, is suffering from a funnel chest, a common hereditary condition where the chest is sunken. Because funnel chest can affect cardio and respiratory functions, Allison is sent to see a specialist for a check-up. After positive results from her test, the specialist attempts to re-contour Allison’s chest with a cosmetic filler. The EB doctors head out to rural Staffordshire to meet with the locals and discuss their health. Dr Christian speaks with some young farmers about the perils of STIs whilst Dr Pixie gets people talking about their bowels. And finally, this week’s body check sees our guinea pig group checking their poo for signs of ill health. Dr Christian talks to them about the reasons behind the differing colours and what different shapes and consistencies can indicate.

In this first episode the team takes to the streets of Cardiff, with the help of dentist extraordinaire James Russell, rounding up ailments left, right and centre but first Dr Christian has a visit at the clinic from ambulance technician Keith. Keith’s got a rather sensitive penis complaint that he’s keen to sort out. Dr Christian soon diagnoses Peyronie’s disease. Realising the severity of this particular case Dr Christian sees surgery as the only option, and refers Keith on to a neurological surgeon who he hopes can straighten things out. Keith meets consultant urological surgeon Mr. Paul Anderson to discuss options. With advice from his surgeon Keith opts for a Nesbitt’s procedure which removes tissue from the unaffected side of the penis so that things balance out when sewn back up, even if slightly shorter. After a two-hour procedure Keith’s penis is corrected, with Dr Christian recommending that he waits a few months before seeking further treatment for his excess foreskin.

The doctors hit the streets of London to investigate how stress affects so many people's health and their sex lives. They also treat night terrors and problems with recurring mouth ulcers.

The doctors visit Brighton, where they get to the bottom of a bleeding anus and some pus filled tonsils. There's also advice for stag and hen parties on personal hygiene and safer drinking. And Dr Christian meets a patient who wants to have a realistic nipple after losing hers to breast cancer surgery.

This week the Embarrassing Bodies team are scouring the beaches, both home and away, to find some embarrassing beach bodies. First into Costa del Sol’s Clinic is Russell whose huge hernia stops him from enjoying the summer sun. A hernia happens when an internal organ pushes through muscle weakness.

Kicking things off this week is Oisin, who is visiting the Embarrassing Bodies Clinic with a skin condition that causes tumours to appear all over his body. This condition is known as type 1 Neurofibromatosis, a rare genetic disorder that affects the nervous system.

This week the Embarrassing Bodies team are taking their services north, to the seaside town of Scarborough. The first patient through the door is 26 year old Russell, who has put up with an oozing and painful ulcer on his shin ever since a biopsy left an open wound two years ago. Enter Dr Dawn, who takes a swab from his leg and predicts that hospital treatment will be needed. Professor Val Edwards-Jones identifies the staphylococcal aureas organism in her analysis of the sample. While this explains the smelly discharge from Russell’s leg, he is referred to an immunologist to try and establish the cause of the problem. Russell sees an immunologist and a dermatologist, who determine that pyoderma gangrenosum syndrome is responsible for his leg ulceration. Immune cells have been attacking Russell’s skin and the condition has been complicated by his poor immune system being unable to deal with the added bacterial infection. Russell is told that there are probably only around 30 people in the world who have had this problem. He goes into hospital for two weeks, followed by six months of injecting antibiotics at home.

Tropical disease specialist Dr James Logan joins the team. Dawn and James travel to Thailand to look for embarrassing souvenirs Brits could be bringing home with them after a trip overseas. James infests himself with parasitic hookworm. In the United Kingdom, Pixie talks to Carol who has an addiction to coffee enemas. Christian attempts to help a woman who was one of the first to have breast enhancement surgery.

James continues his experiment of living with hookworm inside his intestine. Christian attempts to help a woman who had some botched cosmetic surgery in Thailand. Pixie talks to a patient whose huge breasts are ruining her life. Caroline's diabetes is damaging her sex life.

Christian is on the party island of Ibiza attempting to tackle the issues of too much sun, sea and sex. Back home, Dawn meets a man whose buried penis is causing problems going to the toilet. Pixie meets a young girl with an extreme case bad breath caused by swollen tonsils. James the dentist is back to treat different dental disasters.

The doctors visit the holiday hot spot of Magaluf, where sex goes, booze flows and the sunburn shows. Dr Pixie sees a lad looking for treatment for a bulging ball and Dr Christian meets a girl who needs a helping hand following an awkward climax. Dr Dawn educates the hedonistic holidaymakers about the horrors of a hangover. Back in the UK, Dr Christian meets an extremely brave man who reveals the extraordinary extent of living with half his face missing. Dr Dawn meets a man with a patch on his penis that needs straightening out and Dr Pixie helps a lady whose groin and bottom abscesses are causing constant pain. And Dr James the dentist sees a 32-year-old woman whose thumb sucking habit is affecting both her teeth and her boyfriend's genitals.

Doctors Christian, Dawn and Pixie help with the 132% rise in hospital cases in Magaluf that have resulted from 24-7 partying, petting and drinking. Dr Christian extols the importance of safe sex, and Dr Pixie braves the midday sun to tame the tourists who are burning to be beautiful. In the UK clinic, Dr Pixie helps a man who lost his penis in a childhood car accident, and follows the dramatic reconstruction surgery to make him a new phallus from his own body parts. And this week's unsung heroes of medicine are involved in eye donation.

This week the portable clinic pitches up in Caerphilly, Wales, and Dr Dawn helps a lady who's hiding a secret pain inside her national dress and a man who's been walking through his problems for 20 years. The clinic is open for business meeting brave people sharing their problems, and nothing's left uncovered. Dr Pixie's hit a bump tackling some testicle trouble, Dr Christian meets a woman whose baby bottom burns are still bothering her as an adult, and a lady for whom weight loss has left her nipples near her nether regions; and Dr Dawn has a mystery case of festering feet the likes of which the show has never seen. Dr Christian takes the 'Brain Sex' Challenge to discover if our genital sex really does match up to the way we think. And in the 'Living With' series, the programme features a truly amazing 14-year-old girl with a rare condition called Progeria, which means she's living in the body of a pensioner.

Dr Christian tells the incredible story of Eric, who lost half his face to cancer.

The doctors unveil their top tips for keeping your penis tip top.

Can Britain's most extreme weight-loss treatment save 36-stone Patience's life?

Dr Christian tells the incredible story of Eric, who lost half his face to cancer. Experts at UCL Hospitals have begun rebuilding Eric's face using the latest technology.

The doctors unveil their top tips for keeping your penis tip top, from sexual health to bringing penis envy down to size. They also catch up with three men with penis problems.

When Dr Christian first met Patience, she weighed 36 stone. Can Britain's most extreme weight-loss treatment save her life?

Can the doctors help a man with leaky ears and a woman with excess skin?

The doctors help a woman with a severe skin condition and a man with a delicate problem...

Dr Anand treats a woman whose nipple fell off. Dr Tosin helps a man with a dentist phobia.