We’re all here because of periods, period. But we don’t all know a lot about the process of menstruation and it’s time for that to change.  What’s normal and what’s not when it comes to periods? From timing to colour and flow, what should you expect from your period and when should you tell a doctor about something that seems a bit off? If you don’t have periods, what should you know to help better understand and support those who do?  With the help of specialist gynaecologist and...

Have you ever given blood? Or are you a bit scared of the *shivers* needle?   Did you know that to meet demand, three Australians need to donate every minute? This episode will give you all the information you need before you roll up your sleeve.   As Dr Alison Gould from Lifeblood walks us through the blood products donation process, we hear from a first-time blood donor, a Queenslander who has been giving blood and plasma for over 30 years, a Queensland family who rely on donated blood...

Right now, you’ve got about 5 litres of blood pumping through your body. Blood literally keeps you alive, but how much do you know about how it works?  With the help of haematology registrar Dr Aarya Murali and haematologist Dr Jeremy Robertson, we’ll breakdown what goes into making blood, how it powers your body and the mechanics that make it cycle through your system 100,000 times a day.   As always, it can’t hurt to ask about some weird and wacky blood myths, so we’ll bust a few of those...

From the team that gave you My Amazing Body, we're putting the power back into your pockets as we tackle your health questions, concerns and curiosities in our new podcast, It Can't Hurt To Ask. It Can’t Hurt To Ask is the podcast with the answers, helping you better understand your health, inside and out. The new season will focus on all things ‘in my blood’. You will hear from top experts and everyday Queenslanders as we delve deep into important health topics related to your blood. From...

Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD is a treatable anxiety disorder affecting around 3 million Australians at some time in their lives. This episode is about PTSD. What is it? Who does it affect and what does it do to your body? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One quarter of Australians will experience an anxiety condition in their lifetime. This episode is about anxiety. What is anxiety? Who does it affect and what does it do to your body? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Across Australia one in seven new mums and one in ten new dads experience postnatal depression each year, and postnatal anxiety is just as common. This episode is about perinatal depression and anxiety. What is it, who does it affect, and what does it do to your body? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Daniel Gileppa, a mental health expert and psychiatrist at Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, explains what depression is and how it affects your body. He also talks about the signs and symptoms of depression and the best ways to look after your mental wellbeing. Kasey, a Queensland woman, talks about her lived experience with depression Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is about mental wellbeing. What is mental wellbeing, how can we look after it and why is it so important? Tony Coggins, a mental wellbeing expert, explains what mental wellbeing is and the best ways look after it. We also explore the six building blocks of mental wellbeing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is all about the heart. Dr Greg Starmer, the Director of Cardiology at the Cairns Hospital explains what the heart is, what it does and why it's so important. He also talks about problems that can occur with your heart and the best way to keep it healthy. Amanda, a Queensland woman, talks about what it's like to live with a pacemaker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is all about the Brain, with a focus on how your brain helps you move. We spoke to neurologist Dr Alex Lehn from the Princess Alexandra Hospital about how your brain controls your bodily functions. He also explains what functional neurological disorders (FND) are and how they affect the body. Then, Queenslander Christine talks about her experience with FND. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is all about the lungs - one of the most important organs in your body. The Director of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, Dr Michelle Murphy describes the different parts of the lungs, how they function and how the they work with rest of your body. Dr Michelle Murphy also explains the impact of COVID-19 on your lungs. Then, Queenslander Josh talks us through what it's like to have a collapsed lung. Hosted on Acast. See...

This episode is all about your immune system. What is your immune system, where is it and why do you need one? Dr Jane Peake, Director of the Queensland Paediatric Immunology and Allergy Service explains how the immune system works, and the types of conditions that can affect the immune system. We also hit the streets to find out what Queenslanders really know about their immune system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does your bowel do, where is it and what does it look like? Is it all about poo? General and colorectal surgeon Dr Ming Ho explains how the bowel works, the types of conditions that can affect bowel health and what it's like to perform surgery on the bowel. Queensland woman Kate talks about her experience with Crohn's disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is all about your liver. Where is your liver, what does it do and how can you keep yours healthy? We hear from Princess Alexandra Hospital surgeon Dr Peter Hodgkinson about why someone might need a liver transplant and how he performs them, and get his advice for ways to avoid ending up on the operating table. Then, Queensland man Jordan takes us through what it was like to have a liver transplant as a teenager, after living with a low-functioning liver throughout childhood. Want...

This episode is all about the pain. What is pain, why do we experience it and is it ever useful? We talk with Dr Joseph Kluver, a specialist pain physician, about how pain works and what happens when pain stops being acute and becomes a chronic problem. He explains how he works with patients who have persistent pain and the therapies that can lead to long-term change in their lives. We also talk to Sara Shams, who is a bilateral through-knee amputee, about her experience with phantom limb...

This special edition episode is all about gender. Gender is something we all have. It's a part of us that influences how we live in our bodies and interact with the world around us, how we see ourselves and how the world sees us. In this episode, we learn what gender and gender identity are, how your gender is different from your sex or sexuality, and about gender diversity. Psychologist Olivia Donaghy explains the ins and outs of gender, while psychiatry registrar Dr Claire McAllister talks...

Now that we've wrapped the first season of My Amazing Body, we want to know what you thought of it. What did you like, what do you think we should change next season, and what topics would you like to hear? We'd greatly appreciate it if you could spare a few minutes to fill out our survey and let us know your feedback. You can fill it out the survey here: qld.health/mabsurvey Who knows, your idea could become our next episode!

This episode of My Amazing Body is all about the brain - one of the most important, and most mysterious, organs in your body. Consultant epileptologist from Princess Alexandra Hospital, Dr Sasha Dionisio describes the different parts of the brain, how they work together and how the brain works with the rest of your body. He also answers curly questions about where the mind is, speaks about how disease and injury can affect the brain, explains how he and his team diagnose and treat epilepsy,...

Right now, you've got about five litres of blood whooshing around your body. But how does it get where it's going? Learn all about the arteries and veins in this episode, with expert guests cardiologist Dr Dale Murdoch, and vascular and endovascular surgeon Dr Juanita Muller. Find out how arteries can become blocked, how your veins work (spoiler: it's not your heart that pumps blood through your veins!) and what causes problems like deep venous thrombosis and varicose veins. Hear from...

Don't know what your thyroid gland does or why it's so important to your health? What are diseases like Hashimoto's and Graves' and how do they affect your thyroid? Is your lethargy or weight gain linked to a thyroid problem? In this episode of My Amazing Body, we explore everything you need to know about the thyroid gland, with interviews featuring endocrinologist Dr Harish Venugopal and Queensland woman Leanne, who shares her story of living with Hashimoto's disease. Hosted on Acast. See...

Did you know that the word avocado was derived from the Aztec word for testicles? Most Queenslanders are more familiar with the inside of an avocado than the inner workings of the testicles - in this episode of My Amazing Body we're joined by paediatric surgery fellow at Queensland Children's Hospital Dr Annie Roberts to correct this imbalance. Find out how the testicles are formed, how they develop in childhood and puberty, when testicular pain is an emergency and the answer to the most...

Are you an adrenalin junkie? Learn all about the little glands that produce adrenalin, as well as cortisol and a whole bunch of other hormones, in this episode of My Amazing Body. Endocrinologist Dr Tom Dover joins us to explain the important role these glands play in your day-to-day health, how they control your fight or flight response, and the conditions that might change how well they work. Queenslander Natalie talks about how her fight or flight response is triggered by a fear of public...

Learn all about your kidneys in this episode of My Amazing Body. Nephrologist Dr Vishwas Raghunath explains where the kidneys are, what they do, and how to prevent kidney disease. Kidney donation recipient Angela shares her touching story about receiving a kidney from her father. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.