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.
229 articles
closeClear filtersIs it heartburn…or something else?
Q : When is a burp more than a burp and something perhaps to be concerned about? A : When the burp is a symptom not for just simple heartburn but for something called “gastroesophageal reflux disease,” or GERD. That’s the main reason the annual GERD Awareness Week is being marked this month (Nov. 23-29)—to
Beyoncé Made Me Do It
4 Detox Ingredients You Need to Add to Your H2O This is it? Even if lemon does “alkalize the body” and mint “aids digestion” and cucumber has “anti-inflammatory properties” and ginger “cleanses the system,” if all you have to do is add very small amounts to a big pitcher of cold water, is that really
Rainbow Rice—Is It Healthier?
Everybody knows about brown rice, long judged to be healthier than white. What about all those other colors now offered in shops and restaurants? Can the color of your rice make you healthier? One of the most beautiful sights in Bali are the terraced rice paddies, appearing as great green, curving steps following
Hard to pronounce, easy to contract
Osteoporosis may not roll off the tongue easily, but globally, one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50 will contract it in their lifetime. A disease that literally means “porous bone,” it strikes silently, builds slowly, and the first symptom often is the bone’s fracturing. In Indonesia, where statistics
Flu season’s coming — Are you ready for it?
The statistics vary from year to year, but influenza along with other respiratory disease is always on Indonesia’s top 10 killer lists, as well as a pandemic that sweeps much of the world. A “seasonal” affliction, the risks usually intensify in late autumn or early winter, so now is the time to get
5 Myths About Heart Disease
Heart disease myth and misconception—much of it spread on the Internet—can put your heart and life at risk. As World Heart Day is celebrated this month, September 29, you can boost your heart smarts by separating fact from folklore. The Facts Any disease of the heart, vascular disease of the brain, or disease of the
An Apple a Day? Says Who?
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Oh, yeah…who says so? The phrase may date back to 1866 when the proverb’s original form was “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread,” but eating a varied selection of fruits each day is best. Indonesia certainly
What Kind of Sunburn Leads to Cancer?
Bali is an outdoor place, justly praised for its beaches and world-class surfing, its dedication to enjoying unspoiled nature. It’s benevolent climate year-round tells visitors and residents to slow down, shed some clothing, take a walk, relax. That’s why there are so many happy people here, year after year, Bali is one of the
‘Pass the sugar, please…’
The Threat of Sugary Drinks “A Spoonful of Sugar” is a song in Walt Disney’s movie Mary Poppins, sung by Julie Andrews in 1964 but still a popular film for children of all ages. Half a century ago, it was believed sugarcoating a pill was okay. How about today? How about seven spoons full of
What you need to know about Immunizations and Vaccines
Immunization is the process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine. Vaccines stimulate the body’s own immune system to protect the person against subsequent infection or disease. Immunization is a proven tool for controlling and eliminating life-threatening infectious diseases and is estimated to
A Visual Guide to Healthy Eating
The Healthy Eating Plate Edges Closer to Perfection Harvard Health Publications together with experts on nutrition from the Harvard School of Public Health have launched their “Healthy Eating Plate,” a graphic guide for eating the most researched healthy meals. Similar to the US government’s MyPlate, the Healthy Eating Plate is comprehensive and it points to
DASH Diet Rushes to the Front of the Line
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) is a dietary model to prevent and control hypertension but it’s not just those with high blood pressure that it helps. Considered a true diet plan over a “fad” diet, DASH is regarded by physicians worldwide as the best overall way of losing weight and lowering blood pressure. Originally developed by
Five Tips to Control Diabetes
Type-two diabetes is the most common type of diabetes and it can be controlled by some easy lifestyle adjustments. If you are overweight or have a family history of diabetes you need to take special preventative measures such as losing a few extra kilos, eating better and just that little extra physical activity. 1. More
The Gluten Debate
Nutrition The Gluten Debate “Gluten-free” has been the buzzword for the past decade, going from something once considered important for a subset of people with food intolerances to a worldwide market for gluten-free products with a projected worth of 24 billion US dollars by 2020, according to statista.com. But where did this phenomeoeon come from
Why Hair Dye Allergies Are Nothing To Sneeze At
The Story Of My Hair Is The Story Of My Life Most people in all probability associate carrying a wig with a costume get together corresponding to you’d attend around Halloween time but not every girl feels the same about wigs. Human hair wigs, till just a few centuries in the past have been inexpensive
Ancient Cures For Hair Loss
Ancient Cures For Hair Loss Sew in hair can actually work wonders for black ladies, by enhancing the texture and high quality of their hair. Search out a licensed black hair care professional in the event you need assistance styling and managing black hair. There’s a serious aspect to why individuals wear wigs and that
Swimmer itch
What is a Swimmer’s Itch? Swimmer’s itch is a skin rash caused by a parasite (shistosomes) which ordinarily infect birds, semi-aquatic mammals, and snails. Common grackles, red-winged blackbirds, ducks, geese, swans, muskrats and moles have been found to carry the parasite. As part of their developmental life-cycle, these parasites are released from infected snails, migrate
Alcoholic Liver Disease
Alcoholic liver disease refers to a range of conditions and associated symptoms that develop when the liver becomes damaged due to alcohol misuse. Harmful drinking Harmful drinking means drinking alcohol at levels that lead to significant harm to physical and mental health and that may cause substantial harm to others. Examples of harm include liver damage or cirrhosis, dependence
High Blood Pressure
The Importance of a Healthy Blood Pressure People who do not yet have high blood pressure at age 55 still face a 90% chance of developing high blood pressure during their lifetime. So this is a condition that most people will have at some point in their lives. Here you will read some important advice
World Kidney Day – 8 March 2012
EARLY DETECTION OF KIDNEY FAILURE IS VERY IMPORTANT Any health system in the world should include simple methods for early detection of kidney disease. When indications are that you are at ‘increased risk’ of developing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), one simple method to measure your kidney function is to measure albumin in the urine by
Holiday Stroke
A study showed result that more brain infarction or also known as a non-hemorrhagic stroke occurred more during the weekends and holidays. There was a significant correlation between alcohol drinking, lack of sleep, unhealthy diet during the holidays and weekends with the incidence of stroke, especially in the young adult population. The study proves the
Food Allergy
An adverse reaction to a food can be the result of either food allergy or food intolerance. Many people think these two terms mean the same thing, but they do not. A food allergy occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks a food protein. Ingestion of the offending food may trigger the sudden release of
Kidney Failure
Your kidneys filter waste from your blood and also regulate other functions of your body. Healthy kidneys clean your blood by removing excess fluid, minerals, and waste. They also produce hormones that keep your bones strong and your blood healthy. When your kidneys fail, harmful waste build up in your body, your blood pressure may
Kidney Stones
The human body is an amazing “machine” with an amazing “filter” organ, the kidneys. Unused metabolites will be transported through the blood stream and filtered by the kidneys, then excreted in the urine. When there is an imbalance of water, salt and mineral, these substances get stuck in the filter and accumulate becoming stones. They