We are in the middle of the summer travel season, and many expats are travelling to southern and tropical countries near China. Many of those areas have mosquitoes that can transmit malaria, a nasty parasite that can make people very sick. Malaria still kills about 1 million people a year worldwide — 85% of whom …

We are in the thick of mosquito season, and I’m sure we all have our favorite bug-killer products, from zappers to plug-ins to that Chinese spray in those tall greenish bottles. But what really works? I found a nice new resource from the good folks at the doctor-oriented Prescriber’s Letter; they have a free detail-document discussing …

Most of you are aware of a recent increase around Beijing of cases of hand, foot and mouth disease among children. This very contagious virus has been on a major outbreak since May, and hospitals and clinics are reportedly overflowing. I’ve found a nice description of the basics of hand, foot and mouth disease from …

Last autumn I wrote a very popular piece covering my escapades around town with an air particle monitor. I had so much fun that I borrowed the monitor again last winter and published my findings in CityWeekend Beijing Parents & Kids magazine, now published every two months. Here is my reprint: Winter this year started …

(Click here for part one, with tips #1-5…) Tip #6: To Every Thing, There Is A Season. Beijing has a surprising variety of all four seasons, which I think is a great thing. Spring and fall, the best times of year here, are unfortunately short, but in general you can expect the same seasonal variations …

I subscribe to a free weekly email at expatpackage.com, whose goal is “to introduce Beijingers to one new cool thing each week”. A couple weeks ago they had a more serious piece on air pollution, with an interview by Dr Will Chickering, an emergency doctor at United Family hospital. Like myself, he is also a …

Case study: A 45 year old woman eats leftovers of sushi and salad (1 day in fridge). Two days later, she has diarrhea, stomach cramps, gas, and vomiting… The Basics Literally, gastroenteritis means “inflammation of the stomach”. This is the treaded traveler’s diarrhea, also known as Turista. It is an infection of the stomach tract, …

My clinic, the Beijing International Medical Center, has a quarterly newsletter. Below is the PDF file, which you can read real-time and full-screen (click on the FULL icon on the bottom panel). This summer’s edition has special articles on: New changes to our facilities, including 4-D ultrasound Pharmacy additions, including U.S.-made vitamins Articles on malaria …

Beijingers have a lot of traditions, but one of the most fun newer traditions has to be summer’s heatwave migrations to Ikea, with everyone sleeping in the beds, enjoying swedish meatballs and 1 kuai ice cream, and reveling in their air conditioning. This week’s major heat wave may be running out of steam, but we …

Those of you with diabetes, or on the verge of the disease, should take note of a new study which reaffirms what nutritionists recommend: white rice is much less healthy than brown rice and can lead to worse diabetes — or cause diabetes for those on the verge. The new data comes from a study …

My website is getting a bit top-heavy and it’s starting to be difficult to find posts, so I thought I’d remind readers that I have a more casual section devoted to my favorite local weekends and road trips. Now that the hot and humid weather is here, you may like some of these mountain and …

Do you know which produce has the most pesticides? The website www.foodnews.org, sponsored by the Environmental Working Group, has a Shoppers Guide to Pesticides which you can download as a PDF. There is also a nice, free iPhone/iPod Touch application called Dirty Produce, which also lists the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15. I find the iPhone …