A few weeks ago I wrote a piece discussing options for smoking cessation, and I specifically plugged varenicline, known as Chantix in most countries, as being perhaps the most effective tool we doctors can now offer. Since my posting, a few drug warnings have come out, and it begs the question: do the benefits still outweigh the risks?… Read the rest
Category Archives: Illness
Insomnia: Is Your Lifestyle Causing It?
Since arriving in Beijing I’ve suffered terrible insomnia. I’ve had problems before, but never like this. I’m 55. What can I do to guarantee a good night’s sleep?
Insomnia is a common problem all over the world, but there are many causes for sleeping problems, so we need to dig deeper into your history.… Read the rest
Tired Every Afternoon? Here's How To Avoid It
… Read the restBy midday, I feel completely beat. I’m 37 and work as an English teacher in Beijing. I’m fine on mornings but by about 2 pm I just want to go home to sleep. Afternoon classes really drag. It’s been like this for a few months now.
Barbecue and Cancer: Let's Review The Risks
Summer is in full swing, and many of us are enjoying one of life’s favorite past times — eating barbecued foods. Who can’t resist ears of corn, or a burger or hot dog? I certainly can’t, and have no intention of stopping — but I am now more careful about what and where I eat barbecue , as well as how I prepare it. … Read the rest
Obesity and Diabetes: How Does Your Country Rank?
It’s no secret that obesity, and its twin sister disease of diabetes, have become epidemics of every modernizing country. I work in a family medicine clinic in China and am now witnessing firsthand the expanding waistlines of Chinese people, as they quickly adopt the “Western” diet.… Read the rest
Happy Birthday, Dad. Alcoholism Took You Too Soon.
My dad would have been 76 years old today. “Should have been 76,” I need to clarify — but he died far too early, eight years ago from cirrhosis of the liver. He was a wonderfully warm-hearted man with a hearty laugh, but he was also an alcoholic who slowly drank himself to death.… Read the rest