Health & Living

It can sometimes seem like there's a huge gulf between conventional medical treatments of cancer and complementary options, from chemical chemotherapy to natural chemotherapy. But always, the choices (many as they may be) lie with the patient, so it's important to let them know what the options are. Cansurvive Malaysia is a centre that practises and believes in holistic treatment for patients, and...

Many a paediatrician would be accustomed to the calls that seem to come in ceaselessly at all times of the day and night as anxious parents flood their phone with enquiries both serious and otherwise. For parents who are so close and emotionally involved with their child, it can prove difficult to distinguish between one and the other. Consultant paeditrician, Dr. Jessie Anne De Bruyne, explains h...

When people think of pregnancy, they think of immense pain and screaming. When people think of hypnosis, they think of mind tricks and people made to do silly things they wouldn't ordinarily do. However, in truth, both situations offer many more possibilities and outcomes than what most people may think of. Hypnosis can help to alleviate and manage pain for a smoother, less traumatic outcome but a...

Our resident doctor in the house, Dr. George Lee, returns to tackle a subject he discussed last week: palliative care, but this time with the assistance and elucidation of Dr. Sylvia Ann McCarthy, the deputy medical director of Hospice Malaysia. Dr. Sylvia Ann offers a well-rounded view of a topic that is not often discussed in Asian society: death and how to face it gracefully. See omnystudio.com...

How is it that someone who has never smoked a cigarette could find themselves diagnosed with lung cancer at 40, while such rock and roll luminaries as Ozzy Osbourne and Keith Richards continue to smoke, drink and fall out of trees with barely a scratch to show for it? The answer may very well lie in our genes. But how much of what happens to us is nature or nurture? We untangle these issues with D...

According to the World Health Organisation, COPD is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, killing more people than cancer and as many people as HIV/AIDS, yet those acronyms are more commonly known than COPD, standing as it does for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Professor Dr. Liam Chong Kin is stopping by in conjunction for World COPD Day to tell us more. See omnystudio.com/listener...

Some women compare having a mammogram to having their breasts shut in a fridge door and when you see the machines, it's easy to understand the sentiment. Which is why it's such a relief that now for the first time in Malaysia, there's another more comfortable option. Dr. Saunthari Somasundram of the National Cancer Society Malayia, talks about the introduction of the 3D Tomosynthesis Machine in ou...

Pelvic floor disorders are disarmingly common in women, especially those who have given birth repeatedly, with disorders such as incontinence. So how can one stem the flow (pardon the pun)? Dr. Peter Ng, the president of the Continence Foundation of Malaysia, explains the importance of strengthening one's pelvic floor with exercises and devices. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As ubiquitous as it is today, 20 years ago, childhood asthma was not a diagnosis that was heard often. So what have we learnt about it in the last 20 years and what do parents need to know about it in order to make an accurate diagnosis, understand how it will affect adulthood and treatment option? Dr. Jai Mohan tells us more about symptoms, treatment and what we need to know. See omnystudio.com/l...

For sedentary office workers and executives, stepping into the gym after office hours can seem like too big an ask, as is the idea of waking up early to pack their own healthy lunches when the McDonalds is but a few steps away. But for employers who look at their employees as an investment and want to keep them healthy, there are other factors at play. What role do both employers and employees pla...

Prolapsed Uterus or Uterine prolapse is a condition where the uterus falls or slides from its normal position in the pelvic cavity into the vaginal canal. Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr Premitha Damodaran discusses the various causes, symptoms, incidence, risk factors and treatment of this condition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to medical conditions, it's important to know both sides of the story: the technical, medical details as well as the personal, humane side of those who have to live with the symptoms and understand the diseases and problems more intimately even than those who treat them. Today we hear from both sides, from Dr. Suganthi Thevarajah, a senior consultant dermatologist, as well as from Mr...

Blood tests are an integral part of most medical tests or diagnoses to find out what's going on inside one's body. However, when they come back, all the alphabets and acronyms can be confusing. What is the difference between LDLs or HDLs? For that matter, what kinds of blood tests should we ask for or get done?  Dr. Lau Wee-Ming explains how blood tests work hand in hand with other methods of...

Whether you're dreaming of moulding your child into the next sport superstar or just want to keep them healthy and fit, find out about the do's and don'ts of sport participation and fitness training for children, from Dr. Harjeet Singh, a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon. Dr Harjeet will also advise on ways to optimise the benefits of sport for children, while reducing the risks. See omnystudio.com/...

A rare condition, lyosomal storage disorder is not something that is known or discussed widely amongst parents and medical practitioners, yet it affects Malaysian children and their families greatly, even more so as not much is known about it.  Chia Kian Foon from the Malaysia Lyosomal Diseases Association and mother of 2 children with Lyosomal Storage Disorder discusses living with the condi...

We've all been there before, an elevator or an office or a classroom when suddenly one person coughs. Then another. And another. And before you know it, people seem to be sniffling and coughing everywhere and you feel a slight headache coming on. Flu season has arrived. So how do we prevent the spread of flu when we're all in enclosed spaces and everyone seems ill, except for those with unbelievab...

Nutritionist and Wellness Coach Wong Yu Jin discusses the necessity of a good nutrition plan for both before and after a workout session. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The term 'doula' in Greek means female servant, however their role in modern motherhood is far removed from that term. Doula refers now to a trained childbirth companion, there to provide emotional support all the way from before labour through to the birth. Doulas have been credited with easing the birthing process for women and being objective emotional safety nets. Karin Heinemann, a trained do...

Instead of sucking fat out of the body, fat grafting is a process of harvesting fat cells and transferring them elsewhere for aesthetic purposes. How is this done, are there any permanent health repercussions and what are the results like? Consultant plastic surgeon, Dr. Yap Lok Huei  explains more about the process and procedure. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How much of our life and world are determined by what we're born with? DNA and genetics are the codes on which our bodies are built, so it's also the code into which defects and sensitivities are engrained.  Dr. Amir Hamzah, consultant immunologist and allergist explains the links between genes and DNA in allergies, whether genetic testing might be a good idea and where this knowledge will ta...

For most people, many things are uncertainties in life, save for one: the big sleep. However, if you're a women, odds are that another absolute certainty that you will experience once in your lifetime is menopause, a huge change of life and transition, involving not just physical changes but emotional and physiological changes as well. Dr. Liew Fah Onn, immediate past president of the Malaysian Me...

Opthalmic Surgeon, Dr. Terrence Soong, tells us more about a topic that often goes unexplored: eye problems in children. What are the conditions, when is it time to get tested, what are the signs that parents should be looking out for? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good health is essential to human welfare and to sustained economic and social development, but universal healthcare coverage continues to be a contentious issue because of the cost and logistics involved. So should quality healthcare be reserved only for those who can afford it? Professor Dr. Daniel Reidpath, professor of population health, discusses what universal healthcare coverage really mean...

Something that comes with the territory of parenting is toilet-training a child and correspondingly, dealing with the issue of bed-wetting. Embarassing, strenuous and stressful, this rite of parenting and childhood is longer for some than for others and can be perplexing and worrying as families struggle for a solution or the best treatment option. Professor Dr. Kanaheswari Yoganathan, paediatric...

The headlines are never-ending, as every day there seems to be another cure for cancer, or another thing to avoid or another to try. It might be tempting to dismiss most of the work as that of crackpots, but there is pioneering work being done out there, with new technologies being explored. Dr. John Anson, vice president of Biomarker Discovery at Oxford Gene Technology and Dr. Arif Anwar, an expe...