Health stories from BIMC.
Guidance on staying well in Bali, travel-health advice and updates from across the BIMC network — written by our medical teams.
669 articles
closeClear filtersCuckoo for Coconuts: A Worldwide Health Craze Falls from the Trees
For the global health conscious, coconut oil isn’t just an ingredient in cooking, it’s a invaluable and perfectly natural tonic used to promote heart health, lose weight, control diabetes, fight candida and for general well being, and it comes from a resource that grows right above our heads here in Bali. At many roadside warung
Tiny Organ Controls Blood Pressure
The mere size of a grain of rice, the carotid body, located between two major arteries of the neck that supply the brain with blood, has recently been discovered to control blood pressure. Clinical scientists at the University of Bristol found a new way to treat high blood pressure in their research “Unilateral carotid body
To Vape or Not to Vape
The 67 percent of Indonesian males and five percent of females over 15 years old trying to wean themselves off smoking tobacco have been provided controversial assistance with the advent of the electronic cigarette, those handheld devices that vaporize a flavored liquid usually made of nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerin and other chemical concentrations. Invented in
Melanoma can be deadly. Are you at risk of skin cancer?
Prevention is better than misguided beliefs Skin cancer is responsible for 80% of new cancers diagnosed each year in Australia and the incidence and mortality rate of melanoma has increased significantly. Prevention is the best strategy. An attitude that understands that a tan is not a sign of good health and wellbeing is a great
Think Pink in the Month of October
October is once again wonderfully awash in pink for worldwide breast cancer awareness and for good reason —breast cancer remains the top cancer in women around the globe with incidence in countries like Indonesia only increasing due to urbanization and the adoption of western lifestyles. Early detection (see mammogram screening below) remains paramount to improve
No Emergencies Reported at 2016 Sanur Village Festival
The 11th annual Sanur Village Festival (SVF) held at Inna Grand Bali Beach from August 24-28, attracted more than one hundred thousand visitors and despite the record-breaking turnout that left traffic in chaos, only minor injuries were reported. BIMC Hospitals provided medical tents, doctors and nurses, ambulance and first – response motorcycle in cooperation with
BIMC Supports the 2016 Bali International Triathlon
Local and international athletes participated in the 2016 Bali International Triathlon held Sunday August 14 attracting thousands of onlookers to the Sanur area. BIMC Hospitals supported the event providing two ambulances, a first – response motorbike and medical tent with doctors and nurses, and like the Sanur Village Festival held in the same month of
Exercise matters: it will look after your body, wellbeing and mental health
Valuing physical activity for the positive effects it brings to your body and soul is the first step in creating a lifestyle that adds value to your well being, physical and mental health. Contributions to health and welfare come from several dimensions and include social and mental health, emotional and intellectual being and physical health.
Brown Rice versus White Rice: It All Started in Java
Bali’s neighboring island of Java is curiously where the benefits of brown rice over white rice were discovered in the 1890s by Dutch military physician Christian Eijkman who was assigned to try to grow the microbe responsible for beriberi,a disease that causes inflammation of the nerves and heart failure due to deficiency of vitamin B1.
2016: A Year of Amazing Medical Technology
Millions of people are living longer and in better health thanks to major advances in medical technology that have produced new high-quality, cost-effective therapies, from Microsoft to university researchers to a simple medical lab in Cuba. Clot Retriever for Stroke Victims Medical teams use clot-dissolving drugs to treat the most common type of stroke, but
Broga: It’s Yoga Dude
A new male-oriented exercise technique offers a workout that combines traditional yoga with functional fitness exercises and high-intensity interval training to improve core-strength, cardio and muscle tone while reducing stress and sharpening clarity. Can’t touch your toes? No worries mate. Broga is designed for guys who may have been heavily into sports but their bodies
Rabies Then and Now
In 2011 the Balinese government made a significant effort to curb the spread of rabies through vaccinations and culling however the 500,000 dogs on the island at the time presented enormous challenges they weren’t prepared for. A total of 55 patients were treated, 30 of them succumbing to the fatal virus while 25 tested positive
BIMC Supports the 2016 Bali Ocean Swim
Held July 3rd and in its 7th year, the Bali Ocean Swim, organized by the Bali Sports Foundation (BSF) was held at Kuta Beach (at Bali Garden Hotel) with 1.2km and the 5 & 10k swims along the coastline as far as Seminyak. All swimmers were monitored by professional lifeguards from the Balawista with medical
Use your body or lose it also rings true with your mind and they both work together
A recent US medical study put over 100 elderly people on a brain fitness regimen for three months that included meditation training, cognitive behavior therapy, and education about the Mediterranean diet, exercise, stress reduction and proper sleep habits. At the end of the program, over 80% of participants said they experienced significant improvements in cognitive
Fat is Your Friend
One of the leading causes of the rising rate of obesity in SE Asia is the over consumption of fat resulting in heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol; what most don’t realize however is all fats are not created equal. There are three types of dietary fat: saturated, unsaturated and trans fat. While many are
A Fantastic Voyage: Nanotechnology
The 1966 movie, The Fantastic Voyage, starring Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch, and Edmond O’Brien, has proven a storyline well ahead of its time. The film’s premise finds a comatose scientist with a blood clot in his brain and to save him, and here’s where the Jules Verne’s imagination of the 60’s comes into play, a
Two Zika Cases Prompt Australian Advisory to Indonesia
Urging its citizens to protect themselves from mosquito bites and other dangers while traveling in Indonesia,the Australian Dept. of Health website listed the country with “sporadic and limited” Zika virus cases amongst 49 countries with varying degrees of transmission. Sporadic transmission means from time-to-time there is a case yet Indonesia has only two confirmed cases
Vitamins: Shattering Another Myth
The global dietary supplements market combined, that is to say, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs and other botanical ingredients, is expected to exceed $130 billion dollars in 2016with the vitamin segment on its own a major contributor to the steady revenue stream the past several decades. But are we really not getting the vitamins we
Conrad Resort to the Rescue
In recent months, BIMC hospitals have reported an increase in drowning and near drowning cases, many sadly involving children holidaying at hotels and villa complexes. BIMC is constantly reminding the hospitality community that the speed in which first aid and medical care is given has a major impact on the survival of the person
20 Healthy Restaurant Dining Tips
Here’s what you might not wish to hear: most restaurants don’t serve healthy food. They’re often loaded with processed crap and enough calories that could be spread over 3-4 balanced meals. And here’s the good news: it’s very possible to eat both healthy and delicious restaurant meals with the following Health-e guide: Tip 1.
Yoga’s BIG New Market: Overweight People
Many plus size people will say “not for me” when it comes to yoga although it might be time to have another look not only as a possibility but an opportunity to get in shape by way of one of the most natural physical disciplines available. For all sizes and certainly all levels of
A New Medical Threat: Antibiotic Resistance
In May a “superbug” that is resistant to colistin — the antibiotic of absolute last resort — was found in a U.S. patient’s urinary tract infection. Colistin is used to treat people infected with a type of bacteria called CRE, or carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae. E. coli is one type of enterobacteria, though not all E. coli strains have acquired
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease Makes News in Asia
In March a medical research team in Shanghai were reported to have developed an effective antibody that could dramatically curb the spread of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), which has been troubling children, mostly in Asia, for decades. As recent as June HFMD reached outbreak proportions in Malaysia prompting its Health Ministry to
BIMC and Balawista: Providing Safety at Bali Beaches
As the high season approaches BIMC Hospitals will once again prepare for its role working alongside Balawista, an organization that saves and protects lives on Bali beaches through education, prevention and rescue, by providing first-aid kits for Balawista lifeguard stations along the busy beaches of Badung regency. As tourism numbers to Bali swell, safety for