Beijing has the best collection of doctors and hospitals in China; unfortunately for most expats, it’s next to impossible to find which ones are good. If you have any need for a good doctor or surgeon here in Beijing, the best way is usually to talk first with your expat doctors as they would have …

Diabetes can be a terrible disease for people; it’s a chronic disease that involves not just medicines but aggressive lifestyle changes as well as intrusive and painful glucose checks, not to mention the insulin injections. And the long term effects on your body can be devastating — nerve pain, foot infections and amputations, kidney failure, …

The hepatitis B virus is one of those dangerous viruses that can cause chronic disease; this one attacks the liver, and after many years can cause liver failure (cirrhosis), liver cancer and death. Unfortunately, in China this disease is extremely common, with an estimated 10% of Chinese infected for life. In China, most people get …

There’s an interesting new study published in Lancet this week; in China, the #1 killer is hypertension. This, along with stroke, are common killers all over the world. The problem in China is that treatment levels are much lower than in other countries, especially in rural areas. An easy thing to help high blood pressure …

I’ve previously discussed outdoor pollution, a common worry for expats. Less commonly discussed but possibly more concerning is indoor air pollution. It’s important to realize that a poorly ventilated house can have more dangerous air than outdoor air — especially if a smoker lives there. Someone (thanks, Liora!) passed along to me an outstanding review …

A cough is one of the most annoying symptoms of the common cold, and OTC cough syrups are one of the most popular purchases in pharmacies. But which ones really work? No Combos For Children Under Four Recent reviews have consistently shown that, unfortunately, there is no major evidence that any common OTC products help …

Diabetes is the disease of high sugars in your system; it is a potentially devastating disease for many people, and it is reaching epidemic proportions among all societies that have more of an American diet (including China). It is definitely a lifestyle disease; each person’s dietary intake, exercise and weight issues play a huge factor …

Smoking is obviously bad for your health, for many reasons. Everyone knows that, including smokers. It’s extremely difficult to give up this addiction, but it’s good to keep reinforcing just how unhealthy it is, and to keep up with the latest research. After all, China’s rate of male smoking is 57%, so there’s a long …

Here’s a warning shot across the bow for those workaholics and students who are chronically sleep deprived. I’ve mentioned in my slide show about the common cold, as well as my accompanying article, that there are a lot of preventive things you can do to fight off colds and flu viruses. And it may seem …

It’s definitely the start of a new wave of H1N1 flu right now; and in a few weeks we will also start to see the “regular” seasonal flu as well. Many people recommend wearing a mask. A new study (review below) suggests that the cheaper surgical mask is not effective in stopping the flu virus. …

Many expats feel that a trip to Tibet is a highlight of their stay in China. It can be a fantastic vacation — but many trips have been ruined by getting altitude sickness. Let’s review what this is, and what medicines you can consider taking to prevent this. Symptoms At elevations over 8,000 feet (2,500 …

Nasal congestion, whether from the common cold or flu, or chronic allergies, can be the most annoying symptom for many people. A runny nose is usually treated with over the counter nasal sprays such as oxymetazoline (Afrin), which works well for up to half a day; this medicine is good for 3-5 days maximum. Another …