Things I get asked most as a doctor in 2026

This is an episode based on what I get asked online and in the consulting room by patients. Hopefully you will find it useful and helpful.THE HEALTH FIX: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Health-Fix-Dr-Ayan-Panja/dp/1914239326/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0Tiredness: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/saving-lives-in-slow-motion/id1573742958?i=1000714723319Vitamin D: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/saving-lives-in-slow-motion/id1573742958?i=1000702121829Kidney cysts: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kidney-cysts/symptoms-causes/syc-20374134Cholesterol: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/saving-lives-in-slow-motion/id1573742958?i=1000649268967Supplements: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/saving-lives-in-slow-motion/id1573742958?i=1000562693449Magnesium: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/saving-lives-in-slow-motion/id1573742958?i=1000689788093Food intolerances: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/saving-lives-in-slow-motion/id1573742958?i=1000650788957Elimination diets: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/elimination-dietSave your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I feel that our lungs more than other organs are taken for granted. In this episode I look at how to keep them healthy and hazards that can affect them. Air hunger: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/16942-dyspnea  FVC - lung capacity: https://www.verywellhealth.com/forced-expiratory-capacity-measurement-914900Workings of the lungs - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bronchiolitis/multimedia/bronchioles-and-alveoli/img-20008702Muttley’s wheezy laugh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuxDBX1ogmsAsthma and Lung UK Charity: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/Quit Smoking now: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/Royal Castle Foundation: https://roycastle.org/Yul Brynner advert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNjunlWUJJIAir pollution: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41416-025-02999-2Dr Louise Oliver: https://www.drlouiseolivertherapeuticlifecoaching.com/Douglas Heel activation therapy: https://douglasheel.com/  My book THE HEALTH FIX: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Health-Fix-Dr-Ayan-Panja/dp/1914239326/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0Save your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I look at some fun free tests you can do at home to take stock of your health and improve it at the same time.VO2 max: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/vo2-max-what-is-it-and-how-can-you-improve-itQueens College Step Test - how to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySQ5bawZpMoSit to Stand test: https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20250404-sit-to-stand-the-simple-test-that-reveals-how-youre-ageingButeyko breathing test (control pause): https://buteykoclinic.com/blogs/start-your-breathing-test/start-your-breathing-testReaction time test: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zpkhcj6/revision/3Stand on one leg with eyes closed: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/35QytBYmkXJ4JnDYl9zYngb/why-you-should-stand-on-one-legSave your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(TW: Sensitive topic). In this episode I look at the juxtaposition of the human and clinical side of this topic which is not talked about enough.Links: Babies drama on BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002qkqtTommy's Research and support: https://www.tommys.org/our-research/our-research-centres/tommys-national-centre-miscarriage-researchSANDS: https://www.sands.org.uk/Early Pregnancy Units: https://aepu.org.uk/units/Hughes Syndrome: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/antiphospholipid-syndrome/NHS miscarriage information: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/miscarriage/Folic acid in pregnancy and MTHFR genes: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7776832/Short and basic explanation of methylation: https://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/articles/what-is-methylation-and-why-does-it-matterSave your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I thought in this episode I would acknowledge people living with rare diseases as they can be hard to diagnose and live with.Links:Batten Disease: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/6018-batten-diseaseLorenzo's Oil: https://www.healthline.com/health/neurological-health/lorenzos-oil-does-it-workMoya Moya Syndrome: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/moyamoya-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20355586CRISPR gene technology: https://www.broadinstitute.org/what-broad/areas-focus/project-spotlight/questions-and-answers-about-crisprHuntington’s Disease therapy: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cevz13xkxproSave your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the future of medicine but how does it work, what are its origins and how can we benefit from it? In this episode I look at the way medicine can be tailored to our health.The work of Leroy Hood and P4 Medicine paper: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4204402/The Human Genome Project: https://wellcome.org/insights/articles/human-genome-project-new-era-scientific-progressNHS personalised medicine page: https://www.england.nhs.uk/healthcare-science/personalisedmedicine/ApoB as a biomarker: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-024-05887-2Gut-skin links (systems biology): https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01459/fullLeukaemia mutations: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6142505/AI for healthcare: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/stories/healthcare-ai/Methylation (MTHFR gene): https://www.healthline.com/health/mthfr-geneApoE genes and Alzheimer’s risk: https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/news/apoe4-and-apoe3-gene-variants-linked-to-at-least-7-in-10-alzheimers-cases-study-suggests/Statins and their effect on inflammation: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circresaha.116.308537My book THE HEALTH FIX: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Health-Fix-Dr-Ayan-Panja/dp/1914239326/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0Save your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people will have come across arrogance in the workplace but medicine is not an arena that it should have a place, or should it?In this episode I look at the impact on patients, the public and the workforce.Links: Diagnostic errors and overconfidence: https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(08)00040-5/pdfCuriosity as a cure for arrogance: https://bjgplife.com/clinical-curiosity-an-antidote-to-medical-arrogance/Women and sexual assault in surgery: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-66775015Missed heart attacks: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/heart-attacks-in-womenMedical errors: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10896093/Models for feedback: https://www.ausmed.co.uk/learn/articles/giving-feedbackData on NHS complaints: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/data-on-written-complaints-in-the-nhsSave your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nostalgia is not strictly medical although it was coined a term of a condition of melancholy but in more recent years studies show that it may be a more important part of wellbeing than we thought.Links:Nostalgia as a disease: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X22002573Clay Routledge: https://www.clayroutledge.com/Nostalgia and wellbeing: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36669249/Man’s Search For Meaning: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4069.Man_s_Search_for_MeaningThe past makes the present meaningful: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21787094/Music and nostalgia: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/~crsi/Sedikides,My own nostalgia tips: music, photos, places, journalling and rituals.Save your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Work is such a large part of most of our lives. Most of us spend more time at work than at home if you don’t count sleep at night. And many of us work from home. But how do we know if our work might be affecting our health and what can we do about it? In this episode I look at some examples and give you a check list of what you can do.Links:Aviation and health: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/aviation/prevention/aircrew-cancer.htmlCoal miners and lung disease: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/bulletin/2023/mining-lung-disease.htmlCTE from head injuries in rugby: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/articles/cg5d9546zzeoJobs and personalities: https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2024/personality-traits-that-typify-job-roles-revealedJob satisfaction: https://www.forbes.com/sites/barnabylashbrooke/2023/07/13/job-satisfaction-is-key-to-workplace-productivity-but-how-do-you-get-it/Shift work: https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/5-long-term-health-effects-shift-workSetting boundaries at work: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/boundaries-at-workSave your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Increasingly we see different presentations to a doctors surgery and our access to knowledge and understanding of health and medicine means there are many ports of call for information and seeking help. In this episode I look at the gap between health and medicine and what we can about it.Links: Medicine powered by plants: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/essential-medicines-powered-by-plants.htmlThe evolution of ‘medicine'- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11245246/Holism in medicine: https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-is-holistic-medicineSelf care: https://www.selfcareforum.org/about-us/what-do-we-mean-by-self-care-and-why-is-good-for-people/Save your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.