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Episode Guide

Episode 3 - Rural

Wednesday 29th April 2009, 8pm Channel 4

Large Breasts

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 >

HS

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.

Ear Infection

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.

Funnel Chest

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.

The EB Team would like to thank:

Point of Care Testing
Mr Adam Topping – Plastic/Cosmetic Surgeon and Spire Health Care
Dr Malcolm Carruthers, Mens Health Centre
Dr Andrew Wright, Consultant Dermatologist
Lesley Law, Red Cross Skin Camouflage Therapist
Mr Nitesh Patel, Harley Street ENT Clinic
Mr Dalvi Humzah, Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Sutton Coldfield Musical Theatre Company
The Arcadians
The Argosy
Solihull Operatic Society
Queensbridge Musical Theatre Society
Alexandra Theatre
Baker Street Medical Centre
Film Birmingham

Channel 4 is not responsible for the contents of external websites

Videos

  1. Dr McKenna looks at the causes of warts and verrucas and some of the treatments available.
  2. Dr McKenna examines a patient who has reached the end of her tether with regard to her assymetric breasts.
  3. A woman comes to see Dr McKenna about her enlarged labia.
  4. Dr Jessen provides a quick guide on how to check and protect your skin against skin cancer.

Comments

You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments are reviewed before they are published.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out the Channel 4 Health site or NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.

When I was 18 I had 36 HH breasts and went in for a breast reduction it took two procedures and a lot of pain but it was worth it.

hi im 17 and have 34a/b boobs. there not round but more like cones. :(. i have been with my partner for 3 years and although he loves me the way i am iwanted to know if this was normal as my mum had big boobs compared to me?

I found the Bowel Cancer Screening Kits which were shown in Episode 3 by clicking on the "Point of Care Testing" link in the Thank You list above.

After watching the Bowel Cancer section of the programme and having a family history of bowel cancer I visited your website to see if I could find information on the availability of these screening test kits. I was delighted to see in your "Thank You" list, a link to the NATIONAL INDEPENDENT BOWEL CANCER SCREENING PROGRAMME. Thank you for making this information available through your programme and your website.

Hello there. I watched last weeks episode and saw a girl wih a funnel chest. I too have the same condition. I did not realise that it can cause respiratory and cardio problems. I do some times wake up in the night with pain in my chest but i put it down to indigesion. Also that area of my chest can be very sensitive if banged i.e. heavy necklace. Do you think i need to have it checked out? Im 43 years old.

My partners father was died at the age of 37 from bowel cancer and he is concerned that he may suffer from bowel problems. He regularly has stools of the same form and suffers diarhea expecially after drinking. Is it possible to get the NHC home testing kit?

I am in my mid thirties and have a family history of bowel cancer. Are the test kits that were featured in Episode 3 available other than on the NHS screening programme?

I have had large breasts all my life and as a result I suffer from back problems, sweatiness underneath my breasts and redness. My GP referred me for a breast reduction but the consultant refused to discuss it with me until I had reduced my bmi to below 30. I was devastated as I have always had large breasts. I am now 47 and worry that as I get older I will end up even worse.

Hi, i have a problem which is sort of like funnel chest except its not my chest that dips in, the right side of my ribs dip in. I would just like to know if anything can be done for this as it does sometimes cause pain for both sides of my ribs and is also visably noticable. I have tried to see my gp about this problem but he is not sure why my ribs are like this or what to do about it!

In this weeks programme there was woman with yellow patches round her eyes. My dad had identical ones for years – then the doctor found he had high heredity high cholesterol. Once this was treat the patches went away. then my brother got them – and was tested for high Cholesterol – which he had . He was treated and his patches disappeared as well!

Hope this is helpful!




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