Health & Living

The loss of the sense of smell and taste was discovered early on as a unique symptom of COVID-19 and many patients reported experiencing this as well. But why is this a symptom of COVID-19? How long does it take for patients to regain these senses after they’ve recovered? Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by Dr Jeyasakthy Saniasiaya, consultant ENT surgeon from UMMC to answer thes...

Kids and adults alike have had to deal with much more stress this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the hardest hit aspects of our lives has been education, with schools and universities shut and lessons having to move online. We take a look at how we learn and how stress affects our brain’s ability to remember and learn, together with Dr Azlina Ahmad Annuar for her monthly series. I...

2020 was dominated by one infectious disease that eclipsed everything else. But we should not lose sight of the HIV epidemic that we have been fighting so hard to end. In this Public Health episode, Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO of Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy, joins us to catch up with newly-minted President of the Malaysian AIDS Council Datuk Dr Christopher Lee. We discuss how far we&rsq...

In October, many of us read the sad news of the passing of a young woman after she underwent a cosmetic procedure at an unlicensed salon. But this is not an isolated case. Every year, we hear stories of cosmetic or plastic surgeries gone wrong, especially when carried out in an unlicensed clinic. These incidences not only have physical consequences for the individual but psychological as well. We...

As of 2020, Malaysia is already an ageing society. By 2044, we’ll be an “aged society” and by 2056, a “super-aged society”. But despite knowing that our population is ageing, are we doing enough to address it? In this show, we take a look at the policies suggested in a recent report by the World Bank, titled “A Silver Lining: Productive and Inclusive Aging for M...

Like other NGOs, community hospices have been struggling in the past months since the MCO was first implemented. Community hospices play an important role in providing care and comfort to patients living with a serious illness. But hospice care, also known as palliative care, remains a taboo and difficult subject to bring up because many still associate it only with a patient’s death. To hel...

Group chats are part and parcel of our daily communication now. Some of these group chats help us to stay in touch with family and friends, collaborate with colleagues, and connect with certain groups for recreation or business. But we’re also familiar with group chats that turn toxic or get out of hand with spam messaging. Clinical psychologist Vizla Kumaresan drops in for a chat on how to...

If you’ve had gout, you’ll know that it’s a painful condition affecting your joints – usually your toe joints. It was once known as the ‘disease of kings’, as it affected those who ate a lot of rich food and alcohol. Today, gout is a lot more common regardless of socioeconomic status, and is linked to lifestyle risk factors. Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Raj...

Sports isn’t just about an athlete’s skills or physical ability - it’s also about their mental strength. The pressure of winning tournaments and medals, chasing after a new record, pushing your limits, dealing with injuries can take a toll on athletes’ mental health. Now with the COVID-19 pandemic further limiting the tournaments that can take place as well as the interacti...

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. It is an exciting time to be working in cancer care. Cutting-edge screening, diagnostic and treatment methods are now available – and these improve the survival and quality of life for many people living with cancer. But there are still barriers that hinder patients from getting ful...

The end of the year – typically a time for holidays and relaxation – is just around the corner. But after such a tumultuous year that has been filled with disruptions to children’s schooling and exams, how do parents make the best of the year-end break? Consultant developmental paediatrician Dr Rajini Sarvananthan takes stock of how 2020 has affected children, and how families ca...

We don’t often talk about oral cancers, but it is one of the more common cancers, especially in Asia. A recent study by Cancer Research Malaysia involving samples from Malaysian oral cancer patients has found that there are a handful of genes that we could potentially target to kill oral cancer cells. We speak to Prof Dr Teo Soo Hwang, Chief Scientific Officer from Cancer Research Malaysia &...

Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation listed “preparing for epidemics” and “preventing antibiotic resistance” among their most urgent global health challenges for 2020. Fast forward to November, countries across the world are focussed on battling COVID-19, but how has this impacted antimicrobial resistance? In conjunction with World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2...

In 2018, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to Dr James Allison and Dr Tasuku Honjo, for their work in immunotherapy, which led to a breakthrough in developing new cancer treatments. Both researchers were recognised for work they had begun in the 1990s, which shows the arduous, yet rewarding, process of research and scientific discovery.    In this show, we tak...

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. This year will be a watershed for the current generation growing up. With all the disruptions to schooling, families' financial challenges, and anxieties over what's happening around them, how are children really coping? In conjunction with World Children’s Day today, we look at the...

For adults, the signs and symptoms of urinary tract infections (UTIs) can be easy to spot, but children, especially younger ones, may not know how to tell their parents if something isn’t right. So how do you know if your child might have a UTI? We speak to Dr Yiaw Kian Mun , consultant paediatric nephrologist from Sunway Medical Centre, on why it’s important to diagnose and treat UTIs...

We are back with our monthly open clinic segment. This month, joining us is consultant urologist Dr Sivaprakasam Sivalingam, to address men’s health issues, from sexual dysfunction, to prostate and other urological problems.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In conjunction with Movember, which puts the spotlight on men’s health, we explore the male psyche when it comes to addressing men's health problems. Together with Assoc Prof Dr Amer Siddiq bin Amer Nordin, Consultant Psychiatrist and Wong Kuan Sing, President, Prostate Cancer Society Malaysia, we look at the psychological and emotional aspects driving, or inhibiting, men's health-seeking be...

In conjunction with Movember, which puts the spotlight on men’s health, we explore the male psyche when it comes to addressing men's health problems. Together with Assoc Prof Dr Amer Siddiq bin Amer Nordin, Consultant Psychiatrist and Wong Kuan Sing, President, Prostate Cancer Society Malaysia, we look at the psychological and emotional aspects driving, or inhibiting, men's health-seeking be...

Dr Azlina Ahmad Annuar is back for her monthly series, and joining her for this show is Azhar Talib, the president of the Malaysian Prader-Willi Syndrome Association. Prader-Willi is a rare genetic condition due to a chromosomal abnormality, and is often diagnosed in infancy. It causes a range of symptoms in the individual, including physical, mental and behavioural issues. We speak to Azhar Talib...

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. Prostate health is a difficult subject to bring up in Malaysia, due to the sensitivities and taboos surrounding the issue. In this candid discussion between Dr George Lee and Dato' Sri Nazir Razak (former banker and prostate cancer survivor), we address the myths and misconceptions about...

We’ve seen decades of increased awareness of lung cancer, yet it has remained one of the most common and deadliest cancers, and many cases are only diagnosed in the late stages. But how have treatment advances changed the outlook for patients and what are the hurdles that remain? We speak to consultant cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Anand Sachithanandan and consultant oncologist Dr Tho Lye Mun to...

This pandemic year has also been a year of elections. Notable countries that have gone to the ballot boxes in the last few months include South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand and the United States. In Malaysia, we’ve seen a state election take place in Sabah, while the Batu Sapi by-election and Sarawak state election loom on the horizon. There’s even talk of a 15th general election. But...

This pandemic year has also been a year of elections. Notable countries that have gone to the ballot boxes in the last few months include South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand and the United States. In Malaysia, we’ve seen a state election take place in Sabah, while the Batu Sapi by-election and Sarawak state election loom on the horizon. There’s even talk of a 15th general election. But...

Every parent has heard that horror story of a child who suddenly developed unexplained fever, vomiting or headaches, and was later found to have meningitis. How do we know when some seemingly benign symptoms may point to meningitis? And how do we prevent it? We find out more from Dr Sangita Terumalay, Consultant Paediatrician and Neurologist, Subang Jaya Medical Centre. Image Source: Shutterstock...