Health & Living

The Olympics might be over but we’re still not done talking about it, especially as athletes continue to open up about how the games and public scrutiny - or in some cases, criticism - has greatly affected their mental health. On this month’s episode of Mind Matters, clinical psychologist Lavender Tan joins us to weigh in on the mental health toll of immense pressure and what we can learn from Oly...

In our open clinic segment, consultant paediatric immunologist Assoc Prof Dr Adli Ali, joins us to answer all your questions about allergies, especially allergic conditions affecting children.  Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a parent, you would worry if your child complains of pain or other problems related to urination. You’d also be anxious if there appears to be abnormal development of their genital organs. Consultant urologist Dr George Lee shares his expertise as we dive into common children’s genital and urinary conditions. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you or your loved one needs substantial medical treatment, such as bypass surgery, cancer therapy or IVF treatment, you could be looking at medical bills that could range from tens of thousands of ringgit, or several hundred thousand, if you’re paying out-of-pocket. These conversations are becoming increasingly common in middle-income households, as they look for options beyond the crowded publ...

Do you know how well your brain works? How would you know if your brain function is declining? On this episode of Brain Waves, we’ll be exploring those questions and the role of neurocognitive tests, and thus what can be done to keep our brains sharp. Joining us are neurogeneticist Dr Azlina Ahmad Annuar and Dr Reuben N. Robbins, Associate Professor of Clinical Medical Psychology from Columbia Uni...

How do you live your best life if you’re recovering from an injury, managing a chronic condition, or adapting to a disability? This is where an occupational therapist can provide support by helping you to regain, develop, or maintain the skills needed for daily activities. On this episode of Humans of Healthcare, we dive into all the different areas that an occupational therapist can work in, and...

It’s not uncommon for pregnant women to hear that there are many things they can’t do during their pregnancy, including some types of exercises. But not all workouts are built the same, and exercising can be good to the mother both during pregnancy and after. Here to help us understand how to exercise safely during pregnancy is sports and exercise physician Dr Kavitha Mahadevan.  Image Credit...

Recently, several news outlets highlighted the illegal organ trade in Malaysia, particularly involving the sale of kidneys. The New Straits Times reported that a man had advertised and sold one of his kidneys via Facebook, as he needed RM100,000 to pay off his father's debt to loan sharks, while Free Malaysia Today reported about a Facebook group called ‘Mencari Penderma Buah Pinggang’ (Looking fo...

Most of us know what it’s like to feel pain, whether due to a sudden injury or an illness. But how does our experience of pain change as our body ages? On this episode of Healthy Ageing, we dive into pain among older adults and the challenges of pain management among this age group, with consultant geriatrician Dr Terence Ong and consultant anaesthesiologist Dr Lim Siu Min.  Image credit: Shu...

The animated movie Inside Out 2 introduced us to Anxiety, a frantic, quivering bundle of energy, with a perpetually nervous grimace on her face. We all have an Anxiety living inside our minds, keeping us on our toes, but sometimes pushing us too close to the edge. On Counsellor’s Corner, licensed counsellor Heeran Kaur joins us to answer your questions on how to manage anxiety, recognising its goo...

Diabetes affects one in six people in Malaysia, and is one of the top causes of death, as slightly over half (56%) of patients do not have good blood glucose control. We face multiple challenges in reducing the impact of diabetes, including poor compliance to treatment and progression of the disease towards complications. Can precision medicine guide us in adopting a different approach to diabetes...

Hearing that your child has a life-threatening or life-limiting disease is something no parent wants to hear. But in these cases, paediatric palliative care can play a vital role in ensuring that the child’s quality of life - and ability to simply be a child - is preserved as much as possible, while supporting the child’s parents as well. Joining us to share more about the role of paediatric palli...

The recent reports of kids going missing or being kidnapped is every parent’s worst nightmare. We’re joined by consultant developmental paediatrician, Dr Norazlin Kamal Nor, and founder of Project Haans, Desiree Kaur, to delve into what parents can do to keep their kids safe as well as how to talk to children - both neurotypical and neurodivergent - about safety.  Image Credit: Shutterstock S...

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer overall in Malaysia - impacting men and women almost comparably. Alarmingly, the latest National Cancer Registry Report (2017-2021) revealed that more than 94% of men and women with lung cancer were diagnosed at the late stages (Stage 3 & 4). Many patients and their family members will be at a loss when they receive a diagnosis of lung cancer. We get...

The situation of specialists in Malaysia’s healthcare system has been in the spotlight over the last few months. Now that Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara have passed the amendments to the Medical Act 1971 (Act 50), what is the way forward for specialist training in Malaysia, especially in light of the long-standing shortage of specialists? We sit down with Minister of Health Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly...

Did you know that globally, someone dies every 30 seconds from a hepatitis-related illness? In conjunction with World Hepatitis Day, which was observed on 28th July, we’ll be looking at how Malaysia is doing in making hepatitis elimination a reality - from prevention to diagnosis and treatment, together with consultant gastroenterologist and hepatologist Dr Haniza Omar from Hospital Selayang.&nbsp...

Unexplained, sudden bruises. Wounds that take a long time to stop bleeding. For people living with haemophilia, bleeds - both externally and internally - are common because this condition affects the blood’s ability to clot. We hear from Hariee Prabakaran, on what living with this rare inherited blood disorder is like as a child and adult, as well as from Dr Zulaiha Muda on how advances in treatme...

When a baby is born, his or her weight isn’t just a matter of trivial curiosity, or a fun fact shared by the proud parents. A baby’s weight and size at birth lays the foundation for the child’s future growth and development. Therefore, trends in recent years showing a deterioration in birth weight of Malaysian babies have raised concerns among healthcare professionals. In 2022, almost 13 in every...

When you take any medication - whether it’s a painkiller or your hypertension pills - your body responds in a unique way due to your genes. This can explain why some medications may not seem as effective, requiring your doctor to change it or adjust the dosage. Or why you have certain side effects while others don’t. The field of pharmacogenomics uses information about a person's genetic makeup, o...

Medicines, diagnostic tests, and vaccines are lifesaving but only if people can access them. From the point of research and development all the way to the final product, there are multiple barriers which prevent those who need these lifesaving products most from accessing them. Joining us on the show today is Roz Scourse, policy advisor with the MSF Access Campaign. She is also the lead author of...

In ‘Diary of a Work-From-Home Dad’, illustrator and comic artist Mohammad Yazid Kamal Baharin pulls no punches when it comes to telling the story of raising two very special girls: a strong-willed firstborn, and a secondborn with Smith-Magenis syndrome, a rare genetic disease. This episode of Because Feelings Matter explores Zid’s happy, sad, frustrating, and comedic experiences in parenting, from...

We’re back with our monthly Ask A Doctor series, and today we’ll be taking in questions about women’s urinary conditions, from UTIs to incontinence as well as the impact of menopause and childbirth. Here to answer them is consultant urologist Dr Siti Nur Masyithah Ma’arof. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Exercise is a powerful word when it comes to cancer. Physical activity has been linked to lowered risk of several types of cancer, and is even able to help cancer survivors cope with their treatment regimes and recover with better quality of life. Dr Nur Fadhlina Abdul Satar, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Nahar Azmi Mohamed, Sports Medicine Physician, and Rosalind Tan, a breas...

In Malaysia, where many of us depend on cars to get around, it can be hard to imagine giving up driving one day when age catches up with us, especially when we see Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad still driving in his 90s. In fact, Malaysia doesn’t set an age limit for drivers to give up their licences, nor does it plan to, as Transport Minister Anthony Loke recently said. So how can older adults keep driv...

Depression - you would definitely have heard of this mental health condition, and have a basic idea that it affects someone’s moods and behaviours. But how does depression lead to these mood changes, and what’s happening in the brain? And can imaging techniques like MRIs and electroencephalograms (EEG) offer insights into changes in the brain, to open up avenues for better treatment and care of de...