Health & Living
Episodes
Not Eating, Not Sleeping - What’s Happening To My Child?
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you think your child is the only one who has become more fussy and problematic with eating, sleeping and daily routines, think again. More children...
Is Road Rage A Psychological Problem?
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, videos of a woman losing her temper at another driver on the Tuas Second Link went viral on social media. The videos showed her pulling off ...
Because Feelings Matter #11: The Masks That We Wear
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Every mental health struggle has a story behind it. ‘Because Feelings Matter’ is a series that brings you the stories of people and their mental h...
NCD Chronicles #1: Why Are Caregivers Struggling With The Burden Alone?
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
NCD Chronicles is a series about people living with NCDs, going beyond the diagnosis to explore their personal experiences, their challenges, as well ...
Doctor in the House: A Conversation With The Surgeon Who Started University Hospital’s Neurosurgery Unit
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
More than 20 years ago, neurosurgeon Prof Dr Vickneswaran Mathaneswaran set up a one-person Neurosurgery Unit in University Malaya Medical Centre. Tod...
Will the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill Get Bipartisan Support?
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin has said that the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill will be tabled in the current Parliamentary session, which wil...
Brain Waves: This is Your Brain on Coffee
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you’re a casual coffee drinker or a connoisseur, many of us rely on coffee to kick start our day. But what explains the buzz that we get aft...
Health & Living Live 2022 Panel 3: Healthcare We Can Afford
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Health is wealth. But we also know that health is an investment - we need to ensure we have the resources to afford more healthcare services because w...
Mind Matters: The Pandemic Isn’t Over For Frontliners
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As we look towards COVID-19 becoming an endemic disease, many people are eagerly hoping to return to normalcy. But for frontline workers, the past two...
Keeping Up Childhood Vaccinations
15 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In November 2020, the Ministry of Health Malaysia introduced the 6-in-1 vaccine for infants under the National Immunisation Programme (NIP). This hexa...
When Hunger Makes You ‘Hangry’
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever recalled feeling irritable and grumpy after not having eaten for a while? Most of us are familiar with the term “hangry” and perhaps...
Will BA.4 and BA.5 Lead To Another COVID-19 Wave?
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
COVID-19 cases are creeping up again, amid warnings from the Ministry of Health about the BA.4 and 5 sub-variants that are becoming dominant in many o...
Public Health: Time Is Brain, But Are Our Stroke Services Up To Par?
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There is good news when it comes to stroke - deaths due to stroke have reduced over the years, due to the introduction of stroke units in hospitals, a...
Health & Living Live 2022 Panel 2: Are My Mental Health Problems Real?
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Stress. Anxiety. Burnout. Many of us have been experiencing these - or worse - throughout the pandemic. In fact, it’s been reported that the COVID-1...
Doctor in the House: Behind the Veneer of Cheap Dental Services
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Like any other medical procedures, getting dental treatments from an unlicensed or fake dental practitioner can pose a significant risk to your health...
Is Time Anxiety A Thing?
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are you always anxious about being late? Or do you constantly feel that you’re wasting your time, when you should be doing something more productive...
Healthy Ageing: Retaining & Regaining Independence with Occupational Therapy
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As you age, your motor skills can slow down, making it difficult for you to complete simple daily tasks or participate in your favourite hobbies. This...
Health & Living Live 2022 Panel 1: Brain Fog and COVID Cough - Managing Long COVID
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The stories of the “long haulers” keep coming in - people who are living with long-term problems following their COVID-19 infection. The experts o...
Ask A Doctor: Your Eyes
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our monthly open clinic segment, Dr Wilson Wong, Vitreoretinal Surgeon & Consultant Ophthalmologist, joins us to answer questions about the eye...
Doctor in the House: What Should Men’s Wellness Services Look Like?
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Minister of Women, Family & Community Development Rina Harun recently said that LPPKN will expand men's wellness services, if there is good respon...
Getting Health Screening Back On Track
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In July, the Ministry of Health plans to launch a national health screening initiative to detect non-communicable diseases, especially after the delay...
Mind the Health Gap #6: Knowing When, Where, and How To Seek Healthcare
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We don’t plan to fall ill, to need to go to a hospital, or to have to live with a chronic health condition. But if - or when - it happens, how many ...
Because Feelings Matter #10: An Entrepreneur’s Mental Health Journey
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
‘Because Feelings Matter’ is a series that brings you the stories of people and their mental health issues. In conjunction with Men's Mental Healt...
Gender and the Health Workforce
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Health workers are vital to the functioning of a healthcare system, and almost 70% of them are women. But as with any other workforce, female health w...
Doctor in the House: Can Empathy in Healthcare Be Taught?
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We often value the qualifications and experiences of a healthcare professional, but beyond that we also want a doctor, dentist, or any healthcare prof...
Do Video Games Rot Your Child’s Brain?
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are video games bad for children’s development, intelligence and social skills? Unsurprisingly, this has been an ongoing debate for years. A recent ...
What If You Could Get Your Hearing Back?
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You could lose your hearing at any age - you may be born with a condition that causes hearing loss, or you may have an infection, injury or problem th...
Aortic Stenosis - When Blood Can’t Be Pumped Out Of Your Heart
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Symptoms like dizziness, chest pain, and shortness of breath could be very easily brushed off and ignored, especially among older people. But these co...
Doctor in the House: What You Should Know About Shingles
17 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you had chickenpox before, the varicella zoster virus that causes it remains inactive in your body, and could potentially reactivate again to cause...
Understanding PCOS and How It Affects Women’s Bodies
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common condition among women that remains underdiagnosed. Also commonly referred to as PCOS, it affects women’s hormo...
Healthy Ageing: Helping Older Adults Age In Place
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sending older family members to residential aged care facilities is still stigmatised in today’s society, and may not always be the best solut...
Public Health: Preventing Unintended Pregnancies…Without The Moral Outrage
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re shocked whenever we hear statistics of teenage pregnancies in Malaysia (estimated 18,000 every year), or when we read yet another report of a ...
Your Heart Valves Are More Important Than You Realise
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to heart problems, you probably think of arteries getting blocked, or the electrical rhythm being disrupted. But even the small structur...
Doctor in the House: What Happens When Medicines Are in Short Supply?
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On top of worrying about food shortages - especially chicken - there have been some recent concerns over a shortage of medicines as well. However, Hea...
Mind Matters: You’re Not Alone In Feeling Lonely
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At some point or another in our lives, we’ve all felt lonely before. Maybe it was brief, and you learned how to cope with it. Maybe it’s something...
COVID and Music Therapy
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At the beginning of the lockdown in 2020, people in Italy sang from their balconies and windows to boost each other’s morale. Music has a way of con...
Getting To Know Your Joints
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of the musculoskeletal aches and pains that we experience are due to joint problems. As a starting point, joints are where two bones in our body...
Doctor in the House: Are We Prepared for a Monkeypox Outbreak?
03 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With reports of monkeypox spreading in countries where it is not usually found, experts and the public are both keeping an eye on its spread and beefi...
When Your Period Is A Pain For Productivity
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Spain’s recent proposed bill to grant women up to three days of menstrual leave a month has made headlines, as the European country looks to add its...
Is Stress An Occupational Hazard?
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We often hear about how a certain level of stress is to be expected at work. But how much stress becomes too much, and how do we recognise warning sig...
Psoriatic Arthritis in the COVID Era
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The term ‘arthritis’ brings to mind painful joints - but there are many different types of arthritis. A condition called psoriatic arthritis can b...
Mind the Health Gap #5: Can We Afford Healthcare?
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For Malaysians, accessing healthcare services in government hospitals or clinics costs very little, as much of the costs are heavily subsidised by the...
Doctor in the House: As Parkinson’s Disease Becomes More Common, How Will Patients Manage?
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re living in an age where many more of us will live longer - and with that, comes a higher likelihood of ageing conditions. Parkinson’s disease...
Special Needs Education: How Do We Help Children Catch Up After The Pandemic?
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Following the pandemic, most children in Malaysia have had a major loss ineducation progress. The challenges are even more pronounced for children wit...
What To Expect From A Hip Replacement
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hip replacements tend to be something many of us think only much older people will need, or that we might never need it at all. But we’ll all get ol...
Is The 2nd COVID Booster Shot Really Necessary?
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Adults above 60 with co-morbidities are now being offered second COVID-19 booster shots. While these shots are available on a voluntary basis, there i...
Because Feelings Matter #9: "I Love People But I'm Terrified Of Them"
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Every mental health struggle has a story behind it. ‘Because Feelings Matter’ is a series that brings you the stories of people and their mental h...
Be Fit Malaysians: Take A Hike (But Do It Right)
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Being stuck at home for long periods during lockdowns led to many of us wanting to seek out green spaces and explore the great outdoors. Whether it’...
Doctor in the House: Can Patients With Mucopolysaccharidosis Get Treatment?
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when your body is lacking the enzymes needed to break down sugars? You might think it’s just a matter of extra carbohydrates in the bod...
Vaccines Save Lives, But Do We Take Them For Granted?
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Vaccines and its vital role in public health have long been controversial, and COVID-19 has only served to heighten fear and distrust towards vaccines...
What Kind Of Treatment Do I Need For Hypertension?
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know your blood pressure level, or make an effort to check it regularly? One-third of Malaysians have high blood pressure, but half of them are...
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease: What’s Causing the Outbreak?
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions, most children are back in schools, preschools and day care centres or childcare centres. This has led to...
Mind Matters: Community Mental Health - Why Training Matters
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been hearing about the widespread mental health crisis that has been exacerbated by the pandemic, whether among the young or old, rich or poor...
Doctor in the House: Banning Cigarettes For A New Generation of Adults
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Starting next year, an entire generation of young adults may not be allowed to buy or own cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vapes for the rest of their liv...
Public Health: Mobility Aids for PWDs - Do They Belong On The Roads?
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re a person with a disability, or a caregiver, you’re probably familiar with the trials of having to navigate a wheelchair around poorly-de...
Brain Waves: Discovering More Genes Linked To Alzheimer’s Disease
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been more than a 100 years since Alzheimer’s disease was first described in 1906, yet to this day, we still don’t know for certain what cau...
Aphasia: What Happens When You Lose Language
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It came as a shock to many when it was reported that legendary actor Bruce Willis was retiring, due to a condition known as aphasia, a disorder which ...
Mysterious Hepatitis Among Children
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
More than 200 cases of acute hepatitis have been reported in children worldwide, prompting health professionals and authorities to investigate this my...
Sequence of Food - Does It Matter?
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to diet and nutrition, we tend to think that it’s what we eat, and how much, that matters. While that is important, there’s also the...
Doctor in the House: Can Autistic People Find Employment?
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do the words ‘work’ and ‘autism’ go together? The rates of employment among autistic individuals seem to suggest otherwise. Despite the commun...
Your Child’s Developmental Milestones Have Been Updated
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As a parent, how do you know whether your child is walking, speaking or learning to make friends at the right age? Most of us would rely on something ...
Mind the (Health) Gap #4: Making Hospitals Disability-Friendly
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you have a physical disability or other mobility issues, it can be challenging to find your way around a hospital, or to even get there in the firs...
Because Feelings Matter #8: We’re Autistic, Accept Us For Who We Are
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Every mental health struggle has a story behind it. Autistic individuals have stories as well, that go beyond the label of their diagnosis. In conjunc...
The Knees 101
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We go about our daily routines, such as getting out of bed, waiting for public transportation, and cooking meals, without giving a second thought to t...
Doctor in the House: How Do Microplastics Affect The Human Body?
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In March, scientists in the Netherlands discovered the presence of microplastics in human blood for the first time, adding weight to the growing call ...
Ask A Doctor: How to Quit Smoking
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our monthly open clinic segment, Professor Dr Mohamad Haniki Nik Mohamad, Chief Coordinator of Certified Smoking Cessation Service Provider, at Int...
When The Heart Fails
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our heart’s main function is to pump blood throughout our body, so what happens when the heart can’t pump blood as well as it should? Consultant c...
Mind Matters: Bipolar Disorder Is A Mental Health Condition, Not A Personality
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that is often misunderstood, with many thinking that it simply refers to extreme mood swings in the indi...
Doctor in the House: It’s All About Aesthetics
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Walk down any row of shop lots and you can probably quite easily find a beauty centre offering quick fixes to how you look. But just how many of these...
Healthy Ageing: Beating Influenza When You Have Diabetes
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With an ageing population and diabetes being a major health concern among adults, diabetic older adults are at high risk of experiencing severe flu, f...
Public Health: Should Confinement Services Be Regulated?
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Malaysia, the confinement period is a sacred time for many mothers who have just given birth. Most, if not all, of the ethnic communities have thei...
Brain Waves: Food For Thought
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ulam is a staple part of the diets of many Malaysians, and many of us probably don’t give much thought to it when we add it to our meals. Now some s...
Shoulder Pain Across All Ages
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The shoulder's unique and complex anatomy makes the shoulders the body's most mobile joints with the greatest range of motion. At the same time, the s...
Doctor in the House: There Is No Health Without Human Rights and Equity
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2022, World Health Day was celebrated on 7 April with the theme ‘Our Planet, Our Health’. The theme challenges us to look at health as an outco...
Blood Donation - Pandemic and Ramadhan Concerns
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, reserves in the blood banks tend to run low during the month of Ramadhan. However, the festive period that follows after may necessitate a...
Is Balance Something We Can Improve?
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ever watched a child wobbling their way through a game of hopscotch, and yet somehow, remarkably, never falling down? That’s the body’s ability to...
Chronic Wounds That Don’t Heal Well
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When you have a wound, you know what usually happens: you clean it, treat it to prevent infection, and wait for it to heal on its own. But for some pe...
More Life-Saving AEDs Needed
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A death from sudden cardiac arrest is an abrupt and shocking loss, causing huge emotional impact to families and communities. A study looking at out-o...
Doctor in the House: Life As An Autistic Adult
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We look ahead to Autism Awareness Day (2 April) with a focus on autism in adulthood. Why do some autistic individuals only get diagnosed in adulthood,...
A Guide to Healthy Eating in the Fasting Month
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the fasting month for Muslims is set to begin, it’s even more important to ensure that you are eating healthily even when you’re fasting. But w...
Does COVID-19 Shrink Your Brain?
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the two years since COVID-19 was first detected, we’ve learned so much about the disease and its impact and yet there is still so much we don’t...
Mind the (Health) Gap #3: The State of Public Healthcare Facilities
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Old hospital buildings, outdated equipment, or health facilities that are simply too few and far between. Whether we hear it from others or experience...
Picking Up Ovarian Cancer Early: Don’t Ignore The Signs
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Out of all the cancers that affect the female reproductive system, ovarian cancer is the deadliest only because it is often detected late. So how do w...
Doctor in the House: COVID-19, Vaccination and Fertility
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Some animals might have been harmed in the following study - at the University of Hong Kong, researchers infected hamsters with SARS-CoV-2, to study t...
Employment and Inclusion For People With Down Syndrome
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In conjunction with World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March, we are asking what inclusion means for people living with this chromosomal condition. Consult...
Healthy Ageing: Don’t Brush Off Oral Health Issues
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us think that we are bound to lose our teeth as we grow older, but is that necessarily the case? Assoc Prof Dr Jacob John from the Faculty of ...
Is Bariatric Surgery For You?
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For people who struggle with obesity, weight loss is a complex process. Diet and exercise alone may not be enough for some individuals. When should yo...
Because Feelings Matter #7: “You Are Not Alone” (Surviving An Abusive Relationship)
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Every mental health struggle has a story behind it. ‘Because Feelings Matter’ is a series that brings you the stories of people and their mental h...
Doctor in the House: 2 Years After MCO 1.0, Are We Ready To Transition Into Endemicity?
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Two years ago, on the 18th of March, Malaysia entered into its very first lockdown, what many colloquially termed MCO1.0. Two years later, in just two...
Ask A Doctor: Having A Baby
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our monthly open clinic segment, fertility specialist Dr Sumithra Devi Valiapan joins us to answer questions about having a baby - from family plan...
Finding Ways To Cope With Social Anxiety
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At one point or another, most of us would’ve felt some anxiety or discomfort in a social situation or perhaps even leading up to it. It could go awa...
Mind Matters: Schools Should Nurture Good Mental Health
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s back to school for the 2022 academic year next week. Students, parents and teachers are all eagerly - and anxiously - waiting to see what the n...
Have Kids Become Hooked To Devices?
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Many parents are alarmed that their kids' screen time has soared during the pandemic, with online gaming and social media taking the place of other ch...
Doctor in the House: Why Psychology Matters in a Pandemic
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2019, mere months before a form of “viral pneumonia” was reported in Wuhan, China, a book titled ‘The Psychology of Pandemics’ was publishe...
Public Health: Efforts to Tackle Chronic Kidney Disease Going to Waste?
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do Malaysians take kidney health seriously? Going by the rising incidence of chronic kidney disease over the past decades, it might not seem so. This ...
IWD 2022: Surviving The Mental Trauma of Abuse
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One in three women worldwide experience some form of violence in their lives, and most of this is physical, sexual or emotional abuse, either from an ...
International Women’s Day: Living For More Tomorrows
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Breast cancer is a journey of discovery. At every stage of the disease, women discover their true strengths, reveal their resilience, and find hope fo...
Brain Waves: Identifying Rare Disease Genes
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While rare diseases are rare, there are around 10,000 different types of rare diseases and collectively this affects a large number of people. With mo...
Doctor in the House: Better Care For Obesity
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With non-communicable diseases like heart disease and diabetes skyrocketing in Malaysia, are we adequately tackling obesity as a public health issue? ...
How Gynae Cancers Affect Women
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to women’s health, much has been said about breast cancer, and less about another group of cancers which only affects women: gynaecolo...