Dr K.K.Tan Specialist Clinic

11/08/2026

《疑病症——最怕漏掉真正的病》
《Hypochondria》
(The Danger of Missing a Real Disease)

行医四十年，我发现最难处理的病人，
不一定是患上罕见病的人。

有时候，反而是那个坚信自己什么病都有的人。

“医生，我觉得这次真的不对劲。”
可是....
验血：正常。
心电图：正常。
扫描：正常。

两个星期后，他又回来了：
“医生……你真的确定没有问题吗？”

这就是所谓的"健康焦虑" ("health anxiety")，
以前常叫“疑病症” (hypochondria)。

这类病人对身体特别敏感。

有人量血压一天50次，远比看 WhatsApp 还勤。
头痛两天，就开始怀疑脑生瘤。
心脏突然“扑通”一下，马上担心心脏病爆发。
颈部摸到一粒小淋巴结，已经准备马上预约三个专科医生。

现代人还有一位全天候、免预约的“医生”：
Dr Google。

Google 用来找餐厅，非常方便。
但拿来诊断疾病，就有一点可怕。

你输入“胃胀”，点几下之后，可能已经看到胃癌。
再点几下，可能连遗嘱葬礼都筹备及写好了。

所以医生经常劝病人：
少 Google 一点。

不过，事情还有另一面。
我们做医生的，也必须提醒自己：
疑病的人，有时候真的会生病。

假设一位病人过去已经因为胸痛来看过 15 次。
每次心电图正常。
验血正常。
检查也没有发现什么严重问题。
当第 16 次胸痛出现时，医生很自然会想：
“又来了。”
这三个字，其实有时候很危险。

因为第 16 次，不一定和前面 15 次一样。
一个长期焦虑的人，照样可能患上心脏病。
一个经常担心癌症的人，也不会因此得到“癌症免疫力”。因为焦虑并不是疫苗。

医学上真正危险的，是我们开始看“标签”，
而不是看“病人”。

如果医生已经在心里认定：
“这个病人就是疑病。”
那么新的疾病，就有可能被旧的印象掩盖掉。

胸痛？焦虑。
心悸？紧张。
胃痛？压力。
体重下降？想太多。

因此，每一次病人回来，
我们其实都应该重新问一个问题：

“这一次，有没有什么不同？”
症状是不是新的？
是不是越来越严重？
持续时间是不是更长？
性质有没有改变？
有没有发烧、气促、晕厥、出血、
明显体重下降等危险警讯？
体检有没有新的发现？

这些问题，往往比一句“你不要想太多”更重要。

当然，这并不是说什么都要检查。
如果每一次头痛都做 MRI，
每一次心悸都做 Angiogram/CT Scan，
每一次胃痛都做 PET scan，

那么医院以后恐怕不是病床不够，
而是扫描机不够。

真正好的医学判断，永远是在两个极端之间。
一边是：什么都查。
另一边是：什么都不查。

前者可能造成不必要的医疗费用、辐射、
假阳性结果，甚至更多焦虑。
后者则有可能漏掉真正的问题。

所以医生要做的，不是满足病人的每一个恐惧，而是判断：
这一次，值不值得进一步调查？

我也很喜欢提醒年轻医生一件事：
安心，也应该有“有效期限”。

不要只告诉病人：
“全部正常，不要担心。”
更好的说法是：
以"今天"的情况来看，检查是令人放心的。
不过，如果症状持续、越来越严重，
或者出现新的变化，请再回来。”

“今天”两个字，非常重要。
因为医学检查只代表当下。
检查是一张照片，疾病却是一部电影。

六个月前心脏检查正常，不代表今天新出现的胸痛一定没有问题。
两年前胃照镜正常，也不能永远替未来的胃痛作为担保。

当然，‘’健康焦虑‘’本身也是真实的问题。

如果一个人每天检查自己的身体几十次，不断量血压、摸淋巴结、检查心跳，上网查症状，今天看医生甲，明天看医生乙，后天再找医生丙确认——
久而久之，他的人生可能不是在“生活”，而是在“等疾病出现”。

这种情况，同样需要帮助。

有时真正需要治疗的，并不是身体，
而是对疾病‘’持续失控‘’的‘’恐惧‘’。

所以，从一位内科顾问医生的角度来说，
处理健康焦虑其实有两个原则：
病人不要因为每一个小症状，
就要求做全身扫描。

同时，
医生也不要因为病人以前经常担心，
就自动认为这一次还只是焦虑。

一个病人可以连续担心 27 次都没有大问题。
但没有任何医学定律规定：
第 28 次也一定没事。

所以医学上最值得警惕的一句话，也许不是：
“你患了严重疾病。”
而是：
“不用理他啦，他这个人本来就什么都担心。”

因为真正理想的医法，
不只是知道什么时候应该检查。
更重要的是——
知道什么时候，必须‘’重新细心和认真‘’再听一次。

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

《Hypochondria》
(The Danger of Missing a Real Disease)
《疑病症——最怕漏掉真正的病》

After 40 years in clinical practice, I have learned that some of the most difficult patients are not necessarily those with rare diseases.

Sometimes, they are the ones who are "convinced" that they have every disease.

“Doctor, I really think something is wrong this time.”
But....
Blood tests: normal.
ECG: normal.
Scan: normal.

Two weeks later, they are back.
“Doctor… are you absolutely sure?”

This is what we now call "health anxiety", traditionally known as "hypochondria".

These patients can be extremely alert to every little sensation in their body.
Some check their blood pressure 50x a day, more often than they check WhatsApp.

A headache for two days becomes a brain tumour.
One skipped heartbeat becomes an impending heart attack.
A tiny lymph node in the neck suddenly requires three specialists, several blood tests and possibly a family prayer meeting.

And modern patients have another "doctor" available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no appointment necessary: Dr Google.

Google is excellent for finding a nearby restaurant.
For medical diagnosis, however, it has a remarkable talent for turning simple bloating into "stomach cancer" within four clicks.

Another three more clicks and you may already be wondering when to start writing your will or planning your funeral..

That is why doctors often tell patients:
Google a little less.

But there is another side to this story.

As doctors, we also have to remind ourselves of one uncomfortable fact:
People with health anxiety can still become genuinely ill.

Imagine a patient who has already attended 15 times by GPs or Specialists for chest pain.
With ECGs normal.
Blood tests normal.
Previous investigations were also reassuring.

So when chest pain episode number 16 arrives, the doctor may naturally think:
“Here we go again.”

Those four words can sometimes be dangerous.
Because episode number 16 may not be the same as episodes 1 to 15.

A person who worries constantly can still develop heart disease.

Someone who has feared cancer for years does not develop "immunity" against cancer.
Because anxiety is not a vaccine.

One of the biggest dangers in medicine is when we start treating "the label" instead of treating the patient.

Chest pain? Anxiety.
Palpitations? Stress.
Stomach discomfort? Worry.
Weight loss? “You are thinking too much.”

Once the doctor has mentally labelled someone as “a hypochondriac”, there is a danger that a genuine new illness may be hidden behind the old reputation.

So whenever such a patient returns,
there is one important question worth asking:

“Is something different this time?”
Is the symptom new?
Is it getting worse?
Is it lasting longer?
Has its character changed?

Are there warning signs such as fever, breathlessness, fainting, bleeding or significant weight loss?
Is there anything new on physical examination?

These questions are often far more useful than simply saying:
“Don’t think so much.”

Of course, this does not mean we should investigate everything.

If every headache needed an MRI or CT Scan,
every palpitation needed an angiogram,
and every stomach ache required a PET scan,
hospitals then would soon need more scanners than beds.

Good medicine sits somewhere between two extremes.
At one end: Investigate everything.
At the other: Investigate nothing.

The first approach may lead to unnecessary costs, radiation exposure, false-positive findings and even more anxiety.
The second may cause us to miss a genuine disease.

So the doctor’s job is not to satisfy every fear.
It is to decide:
Does this particular episode deserve further investigation?

There is another principle I often remind younger doctors about:
"Reassurance should have an expiry date".

Instead of simply saying:
“Everything is normal. Stop worrying.”

It is better to say:
“Everything looks reassuring "today".
But if the symptom persists, worsens or changes, please come back.”

The word “today” matters.

Medical tests represent one moment in time.
A test is a photograph.
Disease is a movie.

A normal heart test six months ago does not automatically explain new chest pain today.

A normal gastroscopy two years ago cannot guarantee that every future stomach symptom is harmless.

At the same time, health anxiety "itself" is a genuine problem and sometimes needs treatment.

If someone spends the whole day checking blood pressure, feeling lymph nodes, counting heartbeats, Googling symptoms and visiting Doctor A today, Doctor B tomorrow and Doctor C the day after for the same complaint, life can slowly become "less about living" and more about "waiting for the next disease to appear".

Sometimes, the illness that needs treatment is not the body. It is the constant, uncontrollable fear of illness.

So from a consultant physician’s point of view, there are really two simple principles:

Patients should not demand a whole-body scan every time something twitches.
But doctors should not automatically dismiss a new symptom simply because the patient has worried many times before.

A patient may worry 27 times and turn out to be perfectly fine.
But there is no medical law stating that:
Number 28 must also be nothing.

Perhaps one of the most dangerous sentences in medicine is not:
“You have a serious disease.”
Or it may be:
“Ignore him. He worries about everything.”

Because a good medical practice does not only know when to investigate.
More importantly, a good doctor knows when it is time to "listen carefully" all over again.

#疑病 #焦虑

06/08/2026

《把病交給醫生，把命交給神明》
《Leave Your Illness to the Doctor,
and Your Life to the Divine》

人一生病，往往會突然變得特別虔誠。

平時吃東西百無禁忌，熬夜也毫不手軟，
煙酒更是難捨難分；
可是一旦身體亮起紅燈，便立刻左手拿着醫療报告，右手拿拜神沉香，同時向科學與神明求援。

早上見醫生，緊張地問：
「醫生，我這個嚴重嗎？」

晚上拜神，又小心翼翼地問：
「神明啊，醫生說不嚴重，是真的嗎？」

其實，這並不矛盾。
醫生治的是病，神明安的是心。

醫生看化驗報告，神明看你的煩惱；
醫生替你開藥，神明勸你看開；
醫生叫你少油、少鹽、少糖，
神明則提醒你少氣、少怨、少計較。

可惜，很多人願意把病交給醫生，
把命交給神明，卻不願把壞習慣交出去。

醫生叫他減肥，他說：
「人生已經很苦，不能再苦了嘴巴。」

醫生叫他運動，他問：
「每天走去冰箱找東西吃，算不算有氧運動？」

醫生叫他戒酒，他一本正經地回答：
「我不是喝酒，我只是在促進血液循環。」

等到病情沒有改善，便開始懷疑是否...
醫生醫術不夠高，神明保佑不夠力。

其實，醫生不是汽車維修員，
身體也不是換幾個零件，就能恢復原廠設定。

神明更不是醫療保險代理，不能讓你一邊大魚大肉、夜夜不睡，一邊替你承包所有後果。

「把病交給醫生」，不是把責任全部推出去，而是相信專業、按時服藥、接受檢查，也願意改變生活。

「把命交給神明」，也不是消極等待奇蹟，
而是明白人生有些事情可以努力，有些結果只能接受。

醫生能治療疾病，未必能消除你心中的恐懼；
神明能安定人心，卻不會替你吞藥、替你運動，也不會在半夜阻止你打開冰箱。

所以，最好的安排應該是：

把病交給醫生，
把命交給神明，
把生活交回自己。

該吃藥時吃藥，該檢查時檢查，
該運動時別偷懶，該放下時別逞強。

因為信仰給我們力量，醫學給我們方法，
而健康，始終需要自己配合。

畢竟，醫生已經很忙，神明也很忙。

自己能少吃一盘加料油腻的 nasi kandar，
就不要再麻煩神明替你善後了。

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

《Leave Your Illness to the Doctor,
and Your Life to the Divine》
《把病交給醫生，把命交給神明》

When people fall ill, they often become remarkably religious overnight.

Normally, they eat without any restraint, stay up late without hesitation, and refuse to part with ci******es or alcohol.
But once the body flashes a warning light, they immediately hold a medical report in one hand and incense in the other—seeking help from both science and the divine.

In the morning, they anxiously ask the doctor:
“Doctor, is this serious?”

At night, they pray and cautiously ask:
“The doctor said it is not serious. Is that really true?”

There is actually no contradiction.

The doctor treats the illness.
The divine calms the heart.

The doctor reads your laboratory results;
the divine sees your worries.
The doctor prescribes medicine;
faith teaches you to let go.
The doctor tells you to reduce oil, salt and sugar; the divine reminds you to reduce anger, resentment and unnecessary grudges.

Unfortunately, many people are willing to leave their illness to the doctor and their fate to the divine—but they refuse to surrender their bad habits even a bit.

The doctor tells them to lose weight, and they reply:
“Life is already bitter enough. I cannot make my mouth suffer too.”

The doctor tells them to exercise, and they ask:
“Does walking to the refrigerator to look for food, count as aerobic exercise?”

The doctor tells them to stop drinking, and they answer seriously:
“I am not drinking. I am merely drink to improve my blood circulation.”

When their condition does not improve, they begin to suspect that the doctor is not skilled enough—or that the divine protection is not powerful enough...

But a doctor is not a car mechanic, and the human body cannot simply return to factory settings after a few parts are replaced.

The divine is not a medical insurance agent either. You cannot feast every day, sleep at midnight, ignore every warning—and still expect devine to cover all the consequences.

“Leaving your illness to the doctor” does not mean pushing away all responsibility. It means trusting professional advice, taking your medication, attending your check-ups and being willing to change your lifestyle.

“Leaving your fate to the divine” does not mean sitting passively and waiting for a miracle. It means understanding that some things in life can be changed through effort, while some outcomes must be accepted with peace.

Doctors can treat disease, but they may not completely remove the fear in your heart.
Faith can bring comfort, but it cannot swallow your medicine, exercise on your behalf or stop you from opening the refrigerator at midnight.

So perhaps the wisest arrangement is:

Leave your illness to the doctor.
Leave your life to the divine.
But take responsibility for your own well being.

Take the medicine when necessary.
Attend the check-up when it is due.
Exercise instead of making excuses.
Let go when it is time to let go.

Faith gives us strength.
Medicine gives us a method to be healthy.
But health still requires our cooperation.

After all, doctors are already very busy,
and the divine is busy too.

That extra plate of added oily extra nasi kandar is something you should probably put down yourself—rather than asking devine to deal with the consequences.

03/08/2026

《Living to 100 is A Norm?》
(Normal for Children Born Today)
《百岁不再稀奇 ？》
(今天出生的孩子可能活到2126年)

A baby born today may enter the world crying, kicking and completely unaware that he could still be around in the year 2126.

By then, his birthday cake may require so many candles that the family will need a special approval from Bomba before lighting up.

Could living beyond 100 become common for today’s children?

It is a bold prediction,
but not an impossible one.

People are already living longer because of cleaner water, vaccination, safer childbirth, better nutrition and improved treatment for infections, heart disease and cancer.

In the future, AI may identify illnesses years before symptoms appear. Genetic treatments may correct certain inherited diseases, while laboratory-grown organs could replace worn-out body parts.

Your future doctor may say,
“Your kidneys are becoming tired.
We have printed you a new pair.”

The patient may reply,
“Can you also print me some new knees?”

Children born today will have an enormous advantage: TIME.

They may benefit from medical advances not yet invented. During the next century, scientists may develop better cancer vaccines, personalised medicines, robotic surgery, artificial organs and treatments that slow some biological processes of ageing.

However, we should not start printing everyone’s 100th-birthday invitation cards yet.

Even in developed countries, current demographic projections do not show that most newborns will definitely reach 100.

For example, official UK projections expect life expectancy to continue increasing, but they still place average lifespan below 100.

Predictions at extremely old ages are also highly uncertain because they depend on future medical progress, lifestyle and social conditions.

There is another important question:
will people merely survive to 100,
or will they remain healthy enough to enjoy it?

Nobody dreams of living to 105 while spending the final 25 years unable to walk, think clearly or recognise the person bringing breakfast.

The real goal is not simply lifespan.
It is "healthspan"—the number of years lived with strength, independence and a functioning memory.

Future medicine will matter, but everyday habits will still count. Exercise, nutritious food, sufficient sleep, medical check-ups, mental stimulation and close relationships are strongly associated with healthier ageing.

Genetics provides the cards, but lifestyle still decides how badly we play them.

Technology will not completely rescue someone who spends 80 years smoking, avoiding exercise and treating vegetables as decorative objects.

There will also be inequalities.
Children born into wealthy, safe communities with good healthcare may have much better chances than children facing poverty, malnutrition, pollution, war or limited medical access.

The future may arrive quickly, but unfortunately, it does not always arrive everywhere at the same time.

So, will today’s children commonly become centenarians?

Many probably will, especially in countries with advanced healthcare. Whether most will reach 100 remains uncertain.

The greatest medical achievement would not be making 100-year-olds merely alive.
It would be making them active, curious and independent—still travelling, learning and complaining that young people spend too much time using whatever replaces smartphones.

Living to 100 may one day become ordinary.

The challenge is ensuring that the extra years are truly worth celebrating.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

《百岁不再稀奇 ？》
(今天出生的孩子可能活到2126年)
《Living to 100 is A Norm?》
(Normal for Children Born Today)

今天出生的孩子，活到100岁会变得很普通吗？

今天出生的宝宝，来到这个世界时只会大哭、踢脚，完全不知道自己可能一直活到2126年。

到了那时候，他的百岁生日蛋糕可能需要插上100支蜡烛。
家人点蜡烛之前，恐怕还得先通知消防局。

那么，今天出生的孩子，将来活过100岁，会不会变成一件很普通的事？

这是一个大胆的预测，但并非完全不可能。

过去一百多年，人类寿命不断延长，主要原因包括干净的食水、疫苗、更安全的生产条件、更好的营养，以及对传染病、心脏病和癌症更有效的治疗。

未来，人工智能可能在疾病还没有出现症状之前，就发现身体里的异常变化。

基因治疗可能修复某些遗传疾病；实验室培养出来的器官，也可能取代已经“工作过度”的旧器官。

未来的医生或许会对你说：
“你的肾脏有点累了，我们已经替你打印了一对新的。”
病人可能马上追问：
“医生，可以顺便帮我打印一双新膝盖吗？”

今天出生的孩子有一个很大的优势——
他们还有很多时间。

在未来一百年里，他们可能会见证许多目前还不存在的医学技术，例如更有效的癌症疫苗、个人化药物、机器人手术、人工器官，以及真正能够减缓人体老化的治疗。

不过，我们现在还不应该急着替每个孩子预订百岁寿宴。

即使在医疗先进的国家，目前的数据也没有证明，大多数新生儿一定能够活到100岁。

未来寿命还会受到许多因素影响，包括医学进步、生活方式、社会环境、经济条件，甚至战争、污染和气候变化。

还有一个更重要的问题：
人们是单纯“活到100岁”，
还是能够“健康地活到100岁”？

没有人希望活到105岁，却在最后25年无法走路、思考不清楚，甚至认不出每天送早餐的人是谁。

真正重要的，不只是寿命，而是“健康寿命”。
也就是一个人可以保持体力、独立生活、头脑清醒的时间。

未来医学当然非常重要，
但日常生活习惯仍然不能被忽略。

规律运动、均衡饮食、充足睡眠、定期检查、
保持学习，以及拥有良好的人际关系，都有助于健康老化。

基因只是发给我们的一副牌，
生活方式决定我们会不会把好牌打得乱七八糟。

科技也无法完全拯救一个抽烟80年、从不运动，并且把蔬菜当成餐桌装饰品的人。

此外，未来的长寿机会也不会完全平等。

出生在富裕、安全、医疗完善地区的孩子，活到100岁的机会，可能远高于出生在贫困、营养不良、污染严重或医疗不足地区的孩子。

未来也许很快会到来，
但遗憾的是，它不会同时间到达每一个地方。

那么，今天出生的孩子，成为百岁人瑞会不会越来越普遍？

答案是：很多人很可能可以，
尤其是在医疗条件良好的国家。

但是否“大多数人”都能活到100岁，
目前仍然无法确定。

真正伟大的医学成就，不是让100岁老人只是继续呼吸，而是让他们依然可以走路、旅行、学习、思考，并且有精神地抱怨：
“现在的年轻人啊，整天玩那个取代手机的新东西！”

有一天，活到100岁也许真的会变得很普通。

真正的挑战，是确保多出来的岁月，不只是数字增加，而是值得我们继续庆祝的人生。

#白岁

27/07/2026

《他以为还能等，心脏却等不了》
《He Thought He Could Wait,
but His Heart Couldn’t》

"昨天，他还坐在我们身边..."

前一天，他还和我们一起出席会馆的月度会议。
他照常说话、聆听、微笑。
没有人想到，那竟是我们最后一次见到他。

第二天，他被发现倒毙在工作场所。
他只有63岁。

后来我们才知道，
他胸口不适已经持续了好几个月了。
也许他以为只是胃胀、疲劳或压力；
也许他害怕检查结果；
也许他觉得自己还能工作、还能走动、
还能开会，心脏就不会有事。

他拒绝进一步检查。
可是，心脏没有继续等他。

他的离去让我们震惊，也让人难以接受：
昨天还坐在身边的人，今天竟已永远离开。

但他的故事，也许能救下另一个人。

心脏病发作之前，心脏不一定会呐喊。
很多时候，它只是轻轻发出警告。

胸口压迫、紧缩、沉重、灼热，
可能被误以为是“风”、胃痛或消化不良。
也可能伴随气喘、冒冷汗、恶心、异常疲倦，或疼痛延伸至手臂、肩膀、背部、颈项及下巴。

症状可能时有时无，走路、爬楼梯或提重物时出现，休息后又缓解。
正因为如此，许多人误以为问题不大。

然而，反复胸口不适，绝不能拖。

尤其是40岁以上、吸烟者，或患有高血压、糖尿病、高胆固醇、肥胖、肾病，以及有心脏病家族史的人，更不能掉以轻心。

定期检查应包括血压、血糖、胆固醇、体重和心血管风险评估。
出现症状时，一张正常心电图并不能完全排除冠状动脉阻塞，医生可能需要安排更深入的检查，例如运动心电图检查，或冠状动脉造影。

现代医学能够救命。
药物、冠状动脉造影、血管成形术和支架治疗或心脏搭桥手术，都可能及时恢复心脏血流。

但医生只能帮助那些愿意及早求医的人。

最危险的几句话往往是：
“应该没什么。”
“过几天再说。”
“我很忙。”
“我不想知道。”

害怕检查可以理解，但拒绝检查，并不会让疾病消失，只会让它继续沉默地恶化。

若胸痛持续、加剧、在休息时出现，或伴随气喘、冒冷汗、恶心、头晕甚至昏倒，请立即拨打 999 或 911。
不要等待，不要自己驾车，
也不要想着睡一觉就会好。

下一次开会，他的座位将空着。
对于认识他的人来说，心中也留着一份空虚。
我们无法让他回来。

但愿他的故事，能让另一个人及时走进药房；
让一个丈夫听从妻子的劝告，
让一个父亲愿意接受检查，
也让一个家庭免于接到那通改变一生的电话。

请在心脏低声警告时认真倾听，
别等到它永远沉默。

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

《He Thought He Could Wait,
but His Heart Couldn’t》
《他以为还能等，心脏却等不了》

"Yesterday, He Was Sitting Beside Us..."

The day before he died, he was sitting with us at our association’s monthly meeting.

He looked much the same as usual. He spoke, listened and shared the same room with friends who had known him for years.
No one imagined that it would be the last time we saw him alive.

The following day, he was found dead at his workplace.

He was only 63.

We later learned that he had experienced chest discomfort for several months.
Perhaps he thought it was indigestion, stress, tiredness or simply part of getting older.
Perhaps he was afraid of what the doctors might find.
Perhaps, like many people, he believed that if he could still work, walk and attend meetings, nothing serious could be wrong.

So he refused further medical investigation.
Sadly, his heart did not wait.

His sudden passing has left all of us shocked and deeply saddened. It is difficult to accept that someone who was sitting beside us one day could be gone the next.

But his story carries an important message that may save another life:

The heart does not always scream before a heart attack. Sometimes, it only whispers.

The warning may be just mild pressure, tightness, heaviness or burning in the chest.
It may feel like “wind” or indigestion.
There may be breathlessness, unusual tiredness, sweating, nausea, or discomfort spreading to the arm, jaw, shoulder or back.

The symptoms may come and go.
They may appear only when walking, climbing stairs or carrying something heavy.
Because the discomfort improves with rest, many people convince themselves that it is harmless.

But recurring chest discomfort is never something to ignore—especially in people over 40, smokers, or those with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, kidney disease or a family history of heart problems.

A medical check-up should include blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, weight and an overall assessment of heart risk.

When symptoms are present, an ECG alone may not be enough. Further investigations like stress ECG test or coronary angiogram may be necessary to detect narrowing or blockage of the heart arteries.

Modern treatment can save lives.
Medicines, angioplasty and coronary stenting or bypass surgery can restore blood flow before permanent damage occurs.

But doctors can only help when patients come forward in time.

The most dangerous words are often:
“It is probably nothing.”
“I will check it next month.”
“I am too busy.”
“I do not want to know.”

Fear of medical tests is understandable.
But not knowing does not make the disease disappear. It only allows it to progress silently.

If chest discomfort is persistent, worsening, occurs at rest, or is accompanied by sweating, breathlessness, faintness or nausea, call 999 or 911 immediately. Do not wait. Do not drive yourself. Do not try to sleep it off.

Our friend’s passing has left an empty chair at our next meeting and an emptiness in the hearts of those who knew him.

We cannot bring him back.

But perhaps his story can persuade another person to seek help early.
Perhaps a husband will listen to his wife.
Perhaps a father will agree to see a doctor.
Perhaps someone reading this will stop dismissing the discomfort that has been troubling him for weeks.

And perhaps one family will be spared the shock of receiving a phone call that changes everything.

Listen when your heart whispers—
before it becomes silent forever.

#心脏健康 #心脏病

24/07/2026

《The Magic Slimming Jab》
Medical Miracle or Modern Vanity?
《神奇瘦身针：医学奇迹现代，还是虚荣?》

Human beings love shortcuts.

We want wealth without hard work, wisdom without reading, and a smaller waist without saying goodbye to dessert.

Then came the slimming jab.

Suddenly, everyone knew someone who had lost 15 kilograms. What they rarely mention is that the same person now feels full after three spoonfuls and turns pale when the buffet waiter asks, “Second round?”

The bathroom scale is equally remarkable: small enough to hide under the bed, yet powerful enough to ruin an entire morning.

When the number rises, we blame water retention, constipation, uneven flooring, a faulty machine—even Earth’s gravity.

Never the last night’s cheesecake.

But obesity is not merely a wardrobe problem. It is a chronic condition influenced by genetics, appetite hormones, sleep, stress and the modern environment. It increases the risks of diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, sleep apnoea, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.

Telling someone with severe obesity to “just eat less” is like telling someone with insomnia “just go to sleep.”

Technically correct. Practically useless.

So do slimming injections work?
Yes. Surely.

Medicines such as Ozempic (semaglutide), Saxenda (liraglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) suppress appetite, increase fullness and silence the little voice at midnight that says:
“It is only 12.30 a.m. Perhaps the refrigerator is lonely....”

For suitable patients, they can produce meaningful weight loss and improve blood sugar, mobility and some cardiovascular risks.

That is not cheating—just as taking blood-pressure medicine to lower blood pressure is not cheating.

But even a miracle pen is still a medicine.

Trouble often begins with online illegal purchases, borrowed friends' injections or from some dubious sellers promising, “Guaranteed genuine. No doctor needed.”
That sentence alone should make you nervous.

Unauthorised slimming jabs may be counterfeit, contaminated, poorly stored or wrongly dosed. They may contain too much medicine, too little, the wrong ingredient—or no genuine medicine at all.

The packaging may look convincing. The hospital bill that follow may look even more impressive.

Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and abdominal discomfort. After three bites, the stomach may announce: “Closed for the day.”

Persistent vomiting or diarrhoea can cause severe dehydration, low blood pressure and acute kidney injury. The injection usually does not directly attack the kidneys; dehydration does the damage.

So older adults, kidney patients and people taking diuretics or certain blood-pressure medicines need particular caution.

Another often-overlooked danger is muscle loss and sarcopenia.

During rapid weight loss, not every kilogram lost is fat. Some may be the muscle needed to climb stairs, rise from a chair and carry groceries.

The scale proudly announces,
“Twenty kilograms gone!”
Unfortunately, the legs may also begin to resemble two weak breadsticks.

Then there is the so-called “Ozempic butt”—a flatter, looser appearance of the buttocks after major loss of fat and muscle.

The waistline has left, and the backside has submitted its "resignation" too.

Prevention is not mysterious: just adequate nutrition, protein adjusted to kidney function, and resistance exercise two or three times a week—such as squats, bridges, resistance bands and chair-rise exercises.

Muscles are very practical.
Use them, or lose them.

Appetite also commonly returns or rebound after treatment stops. The refrigerator becomes attractive again, and the biscuits begin whispering from the cupboard.

Obesity usually requires long-term management. It is not a two-month beauty project before a wedding or reunion.

Stopping without a plan is like switching off the air conditioner in Malaysia and expecting the room to remain cool.

Slimming injections are neither magic nor poison.

Used properly, they can improve health and transform lives. However if bought illegal products secretly online, injected blindly and increased doses recklessly, they can turn an ordinary weekend into an emergency admission.

The medical truth is simple:
Right patient. Right medicine. Right dose. Licensed source. Proper monitoring.

Do not inject merely to please the mirror.

The real goal is to become healthier—not so thin that standing up from a chair deserves applause.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

《神奇瘦身针：医学奇迹现代，还是虚荣?》
《The Magic Slimming Jab》
Medical Miracle or Modern Vanity?

人类最爱走捷径。

我们希望不必辛勤就能发财，不必读书就有智慧，也希望不用告别甜点，腰围便自动缩小。
于是，瘦身针登场了。

突然间，人人都有一个“打针后瘦了15公斤”的朋友。只是没人告诉你，他现在吃三口就饱，听见自助餐服务员问：“还要第二轮吗？”马上脸色发白。

体重秤也很神奇：
小得可以藏在床底，却足以毁掉一个人的早晨。

数字一上升，我们怪水肿、便秘、地板不平、机器失灵，甚至怪地球引力。
就是不怪昨晚的芝士蛋糕。

不过，肥胖绝不只是衣服变紧。
它是一种与遗传、食欲荷尔蒙、睡眠、压力和生活环境有关的慢性疾病，它会增加糖尿病、高血压、脂肪肝、睡眠呼吸暂停、心血管疾病和某些癌症的风险。

叫严重肥胖的人“少吃一点”，
就像叫严重失眠者“赶尽去睡”。
理论正确，实际无用。

瘦身针有效吗？
当然有效。

Saxenda (利拉鲁肽/Liraglutide) 、Mounjaro (替尔泊肽/Tirzepatide)、Ozempic (司美格鲁肽/Semaglutid）等药物能够抑制食欲、增加饱足感，也让半夜脑中那个声音安静下来：
“才晚上12.30点半，不如看看冰箱会不会寂寞...‘’

对合适的患者，它们可明显减重，并改善血糖、行动能力和部分心血管风险。

这不是作弊，就像服用降压药也不算作弊。

但再神奇的针，仍然是药。
危险往往从网上购买非法产品、向朋友借针，或相信卖家那句“保证正品，不必看医生”开始。
这句话本身，就足以让人神经紧张。

未经授权的瘦身针可能是假货、受污染、储存不当或剂量错误；里面可能药太多、太少、成分不对，甚至根本没有真药。

骗子的盒子可能很漂亮，
但是住院账单通常会更漂亮。

常见副作用包括恶心、呕吐、腹泻、便秘和腹胀。有些人吃到第三口，胃便宣布：
“本店今日提早打烊。”

若持续呕吐或腹泻，可造成严重脱水、血压下降和急性肾损伤。瘦身针通常不是直接攻击肾脏，真正伤肾的往往是脱水。

所以年长者、肾病患者，以及正在服用利尿剂或某些降压药的人，尤其要小心。

另一个常被忽略的问题，是肌肉流失和肌少症（sarcopenia）。

快速减重时，掉的不一定全是脂肪，也可能包括帮助我们爬楼梯、站起身和提购物袋的肌肉。

体重秤高兴地宣布：“20公斤不见了！”
可惜，腿也可能变成两根无力的面包棒。

还有所谓的 “Ozempic butt/臀：
大量减重后，臀部因脂肪和肌肉流失而变得扁平、松弛。腰围离开了，屁股也顺便递上"辞职信"。

预防方法也并不是神秘：只要有足够营养、依肾功能调整蛋白质，并每周进行两至三次阻力训练，如深蹲、臀桥、弹力带和坐站训练。

肌肉很现实。
你不用它，它就离开你。

停药后，食欲也常会回来。
冰箱重新变得迷人，饼干又开始在橱柜里低声呼唤你过来。

肥胖通常需要长期管理，不是婚礼或同学会前两个月的美容工程。

没有实际的计划便停药，就像在马来西亚关掉冷气后，却期待房间继续凉爽。

瘦身针既不是魔法，也不是毒药。

用得正确，它可以改善健康、改变人生；
偷偷网购非法产品、盲目注射、随意加量，则可能把一个周末变成紧急住院。

医学真相很简单：
对的患者、对的药物、对的剂量、合法来源、
以及专业监测。

不要只为了取悦镜子而打针。
真正的目标，是瘦得更健康，而不是瘦到连从椅子站起来都需要鼓励掌声。

21/07/2026

《肾脏专科医生的重要提醒：如何预防肾衰竭》
《Nephrologist’s Crucial Advice -
Prevent Kidney Failure》

肾脏病在早期往往没有明显症状。
不要等到双脚浮肿、容易疲倦或尿量减少时，才开始检查肾脏。

预防肾衰竭，最重要的是：

1. 控制好血压、血糖和体重。
高血压和糖尿病是慢性肾脏病最常见的原因。

2. 高风险人士应定期检查肾功能。
如果患有糖尿病、高血压、心脏病，或家族中有人患肾衰竭，应检查血清肌酐、肾小球过滤率（eGFR）和尿蛋白。

3. 避免长期或随意服用伤肾药物。
尤其是布洛芬 (ibuprofen)、双氯芬 (diclofenac)、萘普生 (naproxen) 等非类固醇消炎止痛药 (NSAID painkillers)，以及成分不明的草药和保健品。

4. 减少盐分摄取、戒烟、保持运动，并避免严重脱水。

5. 尿路阻塞、肾结石或反复尿道感染，应尽早治疗。

肾衰竭很多时候是可以预防，或至少可以延缓的。早期发现，加上严格控制危险因素，是保护肾脏最有效的方法。

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

《Nephrologist’s Crucial Advice -
Prevent Kidney Failure》
《肾脏专科医生的重要提醒：如何预防肾衰竭》

Kidney disease is often silent until it becomes advanced. Do not wait for swelling, tiredness or reduced urine before checking your kidneys.

The most important preventive steps are:

1. Control blood pressure, diabetes and body weight. These are the leading causes of chronic kidney disease.

2. Check your kidneys early if you have diabetes, hypertension, heart disease or a family history of kidney failure. Ask for a blood creatinine/eGFR test and a urine albumin test.

3. Avoid unnecessary kidney-damaging substances, especially frequent NSAID painkillers such as ibuprofen, diclofenac and naproxen, as well as unregulated herbal remedies.

4. Reduce salt, stop smoking, exercise regularly and avoid severe dehydration.

5. Treat urinary obstruction, kidney stones and recurrent infections promptly.

Kidney failure is often preventable—or at least delayable. Early detection and disciplined control of risk factors remain our strongest protection.

#肾脏病

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Imagine being thirsty on a sweltering afternoon but having to ration every sip of water because your body can no longer get rid of excess fluid.

10/07/2026

《Spirituality Is Good Medicine Too》
《灵性也是一种养生》

One day in the clinic, someone asked me, “Doctor, are you a religious person?”

I paused and replied, “I am not very religious, but I am very spiritual.”

It sounds simple, but it is worth thinking about.
Many people today may not strictly follow religious rituals, yet they still believe in kindness, gratitude, humility, conscience, inner peace, and the deeper meaning of life.

Religion often involves formal practices such as praying, worshipping, chanting, or attending religious activities. These practices have value.
Religion has over the centuries, comforted many people and reminded us to stay humble before life, nature, and the unknown.

But when religion becomes only a matter of form, it may lose its heart.

Some people burn incense faithfully, but their temper burns even stronger.
Some pray every day, but return home and scold their family as if running a “hell-on-earth training camp.”
Some know every ritual, yet forget the simplest spiritual practice — being kind to the people beside them.

From a medical point of view, health is not only about blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, or kidney function. Long-term anger, anxiety, resentment, and stress can affect sleep, appetite, immunity, digestion, blood pressure, and even heart health.

Sometimes a patient says, “Doctor, I feel chest tightness, stomach discomfort, poor sleep, and constant tiredness.”

After examination, the reports may look acceptable. But after talking further, we may discover that the problem is not blocked arteries, but a "blocked heart"; not too much stomach acid, but too much bitterness in life; not kidney failure, but being emotionally “dialysed” by daily worries until all energy is drained.

That is why spirituality matters.

Spirituality does not necessarily mean religion. It is more like inner awareness.
Why am I living? Am I living with meaning?
When I succeed, can I remain humble?
When I fail, can I remain steady?
When I have money, power, or status, can I still keep my conscience?

Inner cultivation (心灵修养) is spirituality put into daily life.

It is revealed not only in temples, churches, or meditation rooms, but also when we are stuck in traffic, waiting in line, being misunderstood, facing slow internet, losing phone battery, or when the waiter brings the wrong dish.

If a person can stay grounded in success, not become bitter in difficulty, not explode when offended, and choose restraint when they have the power to hurt others — that is inner cultivation.

Medically speaking, it means the brain’s emotional control system is still working. Humorously speaking, the inner brake system has not failed.

Of course, spirituality cannot replace medicine.
High blood pressure cannot be treated simply by chanting, “Blood pressure, please go down.”
Diabetes cannot be controlled only by praying for insulin to appear.
Medication is still medication. Exercise is still exercise. Follow-up appointments are still important.

But beyond medicine, human beings also need inner peace.

The body needs treatment, but the heart needs direction. Blood vessels need to flow smoothly, but the mind must not stay "blocked" for too long. The kidneys need to remove toxins, and the heart also needs to remove resentment.

Religion and spirituality do not have to conflict.
Ideally, a religious person should also have compassion. A person who performs rituals should also have wisdom. A person who worships God should also respect people. A person who chants prayers should also scold less.

At the end of life, what truly matters may not be the label we carry, but the person we have become.

People may not remember how many times we prayed, chanted, or attended rituals.
But they will remember whether we warmed their hearts, whether we remained fair when we had power, and whether we still chose kindness when life was not kind to us.

Perhaps the best wellness plan is not only less sugar, less salt, and less oil — but also less anger, less resentment, less ego, and less unnecessary comparison.

In the end, the real question may not be:
“Are we religious?”

The deeper question is:

After all our prayers, rituals, knowledge, success, and suffering — have we become kinder, calmer, wiser, and more human?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

《灵性也是一种养生》
《Spirituality Is Good Medicine Too》

有一天在诊所里，有人问我：
“医生，你是一个很有宗教信仰的人吗？”

我停顿了一下，回答说：
“我不算很宗教化，但我很重视灵性。”

这句话听起来简单，却值得深思。
现代许多人未必严格遵守宗教仪式，也未必强烈归属于某个宗教团体，但他们依然相信善良、感恩、谦卑、良知、内心平静，以及生命更深层的意义。

所谓“宗教化”，通常重视形式、仪式、传统与身份认同，比如祈祷、拜神、诵经、参加宗教活动。
这些当然有价值。宗教安慰过无数痛苦的人，也
提醒我们在生命与无常面前，保持谦卑与敬畏。

可是，任何美好的东西，一旦只剩下形式，就可能失去原本的心。

有些人香烧得很勤，脾气也烧得更旺；
有些人每天拜神，回家却把家人骂到像参加“人间地狱体验营”；
也有些人很懂仪式，却忘了最简单的修行——对身边的人温柔一点。

从医学角度看，健康不只是血压、血糖、胆固醇和肾功能。长期愤怒、焦虑、怨恨和压力，也会影响睡眠、胃口、血压、免疫力，甚至心血管健康。

有些病人说：“医生，我胸口闷、胃不舒服、睡不好，整个人很累。
”检查之后，报告还可以。
再聊下去，才发现问题未必是血管堵塞，而是心里堵塞；未必是胃酸太多，而是生活太酸；也未必是肾功能不好，而是每天被烦恼“透析”到没有力气了。

这就是为什么灵性很重要。

灵性不一定等于宗教，它更像是一种内在觉察：
我为什么而活？我是否活得有意义？
成功时能否谦卑？失意时能否稳定？
拥有金钱、权力、地位时，是否还能守住良知？

真正的心灵修养 (Inner cultivation)，不只在庙堂、教堂或禅房里才看得出来。它往往在堵车时、排队时、被误会时、网络很慢时，甚至服务员上错菜时，才真正显露出来。

一个人若能在顺境时不飘，逆境时不苦毒，被冒犯时不马上爆炸，有能力伤害别人时选择克制，这就是修养。
医学一点说，是大脑情绪控制系统还算正常；
幽默一点说，是内心的“刹车系统”还没有失灵。

当然，灵性不能代替医学。
高血压不能只靠念“血压下降”；糖尿病不能只靠祈祷胰岛素自动出现。该吃药还是要吃药，该运动还是要运动，该复诊还是要复诊。

但是，在医学之外，人也需要内在安定。
身体需要治疗，心灵需要方向；
血管需要通畅，内心也不能长期堵塞；
肾脏需要排毒，心灵也需要排怨气。

人生走到最后，真正重要的，或许不是我们挂着什么标签，而是我们活成了什么样子。

也许，最好的养生不只是少糖、少盐、少油，也包括少怒、少怨、少自我，少一点无谓的比较。

到最后，真正的问题也许不是：
我们到底有没有宗教信仰？

更深的问题是：
经历了所有祈祷、仪式、知识、成功与痛苦之后，我们是否变得更善良、更平静、更有智慧，也更像一个真正的人？

#灵性 #宗教交流