Klinik Pakar Perubatan Heng

21/10/2026

你已经很累了。眼睛快睁不开，明天还要早起上班。

可是，你还是舍不得睡。
拿起手机，刷一下 Facebook。
再看几个短视频。
看看 Shopee 有没有什么优惠（虽然其实什么都不缺）。

突然发现，已经凌晨1点了。

你心里想：”惨了，明天又要累死了。”
但手指还是继续滑。😂

为什么我们明明很累，却偏偏不肯睡？

网络上有个很流行的说法，叫做 Revenge Bedtime Procrastination，中文常称为「报复性熬夜」。

白天，我们的时间好像都不属于自己。

早上赶着送孩子上学。
上班忙着处理工作、应付老板、回复信息。
下班后，还有家务、孩子的功课、各种责任。
忙了一整天，终于到了晚上。

孩子睡了，工作群组也终于安静下来。

这几个小时，终于是属于自己的。

所以，即使身体已经很疲倦，我们还是想再玩一下手机、追一集电视剧，或者什么都不做。

因为心里总觉得：
“我今天已经忙了一整天，难道连一点自己的时间都没有吗？”

于是，我们用睡眠来交换那一点点自由。

只是，睡得越迟，隔天就越累。白天没精神，到了晚上又更想补偿自己。

就这样，陷入一个循环。

当然，不是每个熬夜的人都在「报复性熬夜」。有时候，失眠、焦虑、轮班工作，甚至身体疾病，都可能影响睡眠。

那我们可以怎么办？

与其一直责怪自己没有自律，不如试着在白天留一点时间给自己。哪怕只是15分钟。

喝杯咖啡、散散步、听喜欢的音乐，或者安静地坐着，不需要完成任何任务。

也可以给晚上的自己设一个小界限：
例如睡前30分钟，先把手机放到一旁。

休息和属于自己的时间，其实不必每晚都二选一。

也许你舍不得放下的，是这一天里，终于属于自己的那一点时间。🌙

👇 你昨晚几点才放下手机？最后在刷什么？留言告诉我们

It's 11:30 PM.

You're exhausted. Your eyes are heavy, and you have to wake up early tomorrow.

But instead of going to bed, you pick up your phone.
A little Facebook.
A few more reels.
Maybe check Shopee for something you don't actually need.

Suddenly, it's 1 AM.

You tell yourself, "I'm going to regret this tomorrow."
And then you scroll some more. 😂

Why do we stay awake when we're already so tired?

There's a name for this that has become pop**ar online: revenge bedtime procrastination.

During the day, so much of our time belongs to other people.

Work deadlines. Meetings. Children. Household chores. Messages that need answering.
By the time everything is done, there's hardly any time left for ourselves.

Then, finally, the house goes quiet and nobody needs anything from you.

For the first time all day, the time feels like yours.

So you stay up a little longer, because going to bed feels like giving up the only freedom you had today.

The trouble is, we end up borrowing time from our sleep.

We wake up exhausted, and by the next night we want even more of that time back.

And the cycle continues.

Of course, not all late-night wakefulness is bedtime procrastination. Insomnia, anxiety, shift work and medical conditions can also interfere with sleep.

So what can help?

Instead of simply blaming yourself for lacking discipline, try making some room for yourself during the day. Even 15 minutes of uninterrupted personal time can be a starting point.

Take a walk.
Enjoy a coffee.
Listen to music.
Do something that doesn't involve being productive.

And consider setting a gentle boundary with your phone, like putting it away 30 minutes before bed.

Rest and time for yourself shouldn't have to compete every single night.

Maybe what you're holding on to at 1 AM is the one part of the day that finally felt like yours. 🌙

👇 What time did you finally put your phone down last night? And what were you scrolling? Tell us in the comments

The Good Life Project
Dr Heng Ying Huei | Dr Poh Yih Chew

19/10/2026

星期一夜谈
"有人坐了公共厕所的马桶，结果感染了性病！"🚽😱

你也应该在社交媒体上看过类似的消息。
有人用了公共厕所，过了几天，发现自己感染了性病。

马桶圈马上成了头号嫌疑犯。
留言区瞬间炸开：
"OMG！以后真的不敢坐公共马桶了!"
"你看！所以我每次都蹲着!"

但等等。

感染真的是马桶造成的？还是刚好在那之后才被发现？

两件事先后发生，不代表前一件事就是原因。
那么，坐公共厕所的马桶，真的会感染性病吗？

对于常见的性传播感染，答案是：可能性极低。

衣原体、淋病不会通过一般马桶圈接触传播。
梅毒通常需要直接接触具有传染性的病灶。
HIV 和生殖器疱疹，也不会通过一般的马桶圈接触传播。

这些感染需要特定的传播途径，不是马桶圈还有余温，就会传染。

"医生，那阴虱呢？"

即使是阴虱，通过马桶圈传播也极其罕见。因为它们离开人体后难以长时间存活，脚也不适合抓住光滑的马桶圈。

那真正的感染风险在哪里？

主要是性接触，以及直接接触感染的皮肤或病灶。某些感染也会通过特定体液传播。就连很多人以为比较安全的口交，也可能传播疱疹、淋病和梅毒等感染。

很多性传播感染，可以完全没有明显症状。

有些人可能在感染几个星期、几个月，甚至更久之后，才发现自己感染了。
所以，一份阳性的检测报告，并不能告诉我们感染是什么时候、在哪里发生的。

如果担心自己曾经有感染风险，不需要不好意思。告诉医生发生过什么接触、大概是什么时候，才能判断需不需要检测，以及什么时候检测。

至于那个可怜的马桶圈……
它可能替很多自己没做过的事，背了不少黑锅。 🚽😂

公共厕所还是要注意卫生，尤其是上完厕所要洗手。
但不要把社交媒体上的故事，直接当成感染来源的证据。

真正值得问的，是到底有没有实际的感染传播途径。

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Someone caught an STD from a public toilet!” 🚽😱

You’ve probably seen stories like this on social media.
Someone uses a public toilet. A few days later, they discover they have an STI.

The toilet seat becomes the prime suspect.
The comments go wild.
“OMG! Never sitting on a public toilet again!”
“That’s why I always squat!”

But wait.

Did the infection really come from the toilet? Or was it simply discovered afterwards?

Two things happening one after another doesn’t mean one caused the other.
So, can you actually catch an STI from a toilet seat?

For common STIs, the answer is: Extremely unlikely.

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea don’t spread through ordinary toilet seat contact. Syphilis generally requires direct contact with an infectious sore. HIV and ge***al herpes don’t spread through ordinary toilet seat contact either.

These infections need specific routes of transmission, not a warm toilet seat.

“But Doctor, what about p***c lice?”
Even that is extremely rare. P***c lice don’t survive long away from the human body, and their feet aren’t designed to grip smooth toilet seats.

So where is the real risk?

Sexual contact is the main route, along with direct contact with infected skin or sores.
Some infections also pass through certain body fluids.
Even oral s*x can transmit STIs such as herpes, gonorrhoea and syphilis.

Many STIs have no obvious symptoms.

Someone may only discover an infection weeks, months or even longer after acquiring it. So a positive test doesn’t tell us when or where the infection happened.

If you’re worried about a possible exposure, tell your doctor what kind of contact occurred and when. That helps us decide whether and when testing is needed.

As for the poor toilet seat…
It has been blamed for plenty of things it probably never did. 🚽😂

Wash your hands.
Practise good hygiene.
But don’t confuse a social media story with proof of transmission.

The question worth asking is whether there was an actual route of infection.

🌙 No judgment. Just medicine. | 不批判，只谈医学。

Dr. Heng & Dr. Poh
The Good Life Project

#性健康 #健康科普

18/10/2026

90分，还是不够好？

近日在诊所，和一位妈妈聊天。

她说，现在孩子在学校面对的竞争，和我们那时候真的不一样。

成绩要比，连才艺和表现也要比。
有时候，孩子之间的差距，还成了大人聊天的话题。

“你看，别人家的孩子又拿奖了。”
“为什么人家可以，你不可以？”

孩子考了90分，别人考了98分，大人还是不满意。

明明已经很努力，明明拿了高分，却还是觉得自己不够好。

久而久之，孩子开始怀疑自己。

原来，已经做得不错了，好像还是不够。

最让人心疼的，不是孩子输给了别人，而是他开始觉得，自己不如别人。

我们都希望孩子更优秀，怕他们输在起跑线上。

可是，当孩子总是被拿来比较，他们学会的，可能不是如何进步。
他们只学会不断寻找自己不够好的地方。

每个孩子都有自己的节奏。
有的学得快，有的需要多一点时间。

成绩固然重要，但它不是孩子唯一会发光的地方。
善良、待人处事、面对挫折的韧性，都值得被看见。

孩子需要鼓励，也需要适当的竞争。
竞争的意义，是让孩子看见自己的进步。赢过别人，不该是被肯定的前提。

与其问：
“为什么你不如别人？”

不如问：
“和以前的自己相比，你有没有进步？”

我们不可能让孩子一辈子不面对竞争。
这个世界很大，总会有人比我们优秀。

我们能做的，是帮助他们建立足够的自信，即使有一天落后了，也依然相信自己。

你可以努力变得更好，
但你不需要成为别人，才值得被爱。

作为父母，成绩优秀当然好。

但我们更希望，当孩子有一天遇到挫折，发现自己不如别人时，不会因此否定自己。

他们依然知道自己的价值，也有勇气重新站起来。

我们希望孩子努力，是因为他们想成为更好的自己，不是因为害怕自己不够好。

你小时候，有没有被拿来和别人比较过？
那句话，你到现在还记得吗？

————————————————————

90 marks. Still not good enough?

Today at the clinic, I was chatting with a mother.

She said the competition kids face in school now is nothing like what we went through.

Grades get compared. So do talents and performance.
Sometimes the gap between children even becomes something adults talk about.

"Look, someone else's kid won another award."
"Why can they do it, and you can't?"

A child scores 90. Another scores 98. The adults still aren't satisfied.

They worked hard. They scored high. And they still feel they're not good enough.

Over time, the child starts to doubt themselves.

So even doing well isn't enough.

What hurts most isn't that a child lost to someone else. It's that they start believing they're less than others.

We all want our children to do better. We worry they'll fall behind from the start.

But when children are constantly compared, they may not learn how to improve.
They only learn to keep searching for what's wrong with them.

Every child has their own pace.
Some learn fast. Some need a little more time.

Grades matter. But they aren't the only place a child can shine.
Kindness, how they treat people, the resilience to face setbacks: these deserve to be seen too.

Children need encouragement. They also need healthy competition.
Competition should help a child see their own progress. Beating someone else shouldn't be the condition for being valued.

Instead of asking:
"Why aren't you as good as them?"

Ask:
"Compared to who you were before, have you improved?"

We can't keep our children away from competition forever.
The world is big. There will always be someone better.

What we can do is help them build enough confidence that even if they fall behind one day, they still believe in themselves.

You can work hard to become better.
But you don't need to become someone else to be worth loving.

As parents, of course we're happy when our children do well.

But what we hope for more is this: when they face a setback one day and realise someone is better, they won't reject themselves for it.

They still know their worth, and they still have the courage to get back up.

We want our children to work hard because they want to become better, not because they're afraid they're not enough.

When you were young, were you ever compared to someone else?
Do you still remember what was said?

Setiap anak ada masanya sendiri.

You matter. Always.
你，很重要。一直都是。

❤️The Good Life Project

16/10/2026

15/10/2026

没减肥，却突然瘦了？先别开心。

“我什么都没做，竟然瘦了！”

这位女士一开始也很开心。

直到后来，她偶尔出现心悸。身边的家人也不断提醒她：“你是不是瘦得太多了？”

我替她检查甲状腺功能，结果令人担忧。

🔴 FT4 >100（正常 9–25）
🔴 FT3 47.1（正常 3.5–6.5）
🔴 TSH 100 (normal 9–25)
🔴 FT3 47.1 (normal 3.5–6.5)
🔴 TSH

14/10/2026

Dia duduk, dan ayat pertama yang diucapkannya:

“Doktor, saya bukannya gemuk pun. Tapi kenapa saya ada diabetes, kolesterol pun tinggi? Saya rasa tak adil betul.”

55 kilogram.
Apabila berpakaian, memang tidak kelihatan.

Sehinggalah laporan InBody dikeluarkan:

Peratus lemak badan: 42.7%
Tahap lemak viseral: 14 (julat rujukan peranti ini: 1–9)
J***m otot pada kedua-dua tangan, kaki dan bahagian badan: rendah.

Inilah keadaan yang dikenali sebagai TOFI.
Thin Outside, Fat Inside.
Kurus di luar, gemuk di dalam.

Berat badan yang rendah tidak semestinya bermaksud metabolisme yang sihat.

Apabila lemak di bahagian abdomen dan di sekeliling organ dalaman berlebihan, ditambah p**a dengan j***m otot yang tidak mencukupi, keupayaan badan untuk memproses gula dan lemak darah boleh terjejas.

Oleh itu, terdapat individu yang tidak kelihatan gemuk, tetapi sudah menghidap diabetes, dislipidemia, malah penyakit hati berlemak.

Langkah seterusnya baginya bukanlah berusaha keras untuk menurunkan berat badan.

Sebaliknya, membina otot, mengambil protein yang mencukupi dan memperbaiki komposisi badan.

Bagaimanakah caranya?

💪 Bina otot
Lakukan latihan beban 2–3 kali seminggu, latih kump**an otot yang berbeza dan berikan masa rehat yang secukupnya.

Fokus pada otot-otot besar melalui pergerakan mencangkung, menolak, menarik dan melipat pinggul (contohnya angkat mati atau deadlift).

Mulakan dengan beban yang ringan dan teknik yang betul, kemudian tingkatkan beban secara beransur-ansur. Beberapa ulangan terakhir sepatutnya terasa agak mencabar, namun teknik mesti kekal betul.

🥚 Pastikan setiap hidangan mengandungi protein
Ikan, ayam, telur, tauhu dan tempe merupakan pilihan yang baik.

Sepotong ikan atau ayam sebesar tapak tangan biasanya membekalkan kira-kira 20–30 gram protein, manakala dua biji telur membekalkan kira-kira 12–14 gram.

Sarapan merupakan hidangan yang paling kerap kekurangan protein.
Sepinggan nasi lemak bersama kopi, tanpa telur, ayam atau sumber protein tambahan yang lain, mungkin tidak mencukupi.

🚶 Berjalan selepas makan
Berjalan selama 10–15 minit selepas makan merupakan cara mudah untuk membantu mengawal paras gula darah selepas makan.

😴 Tidur secukupnya
Cuba tidur selama 7–8 jam setiap malam.

Kekurangan tidur mengurangkan kepekaan badan terhadap insulin. Ini menyebabkan gula darah lebih sukar dikawal, dan pada keesokan harinya, kita lebih mudah berasa lapar serta mengidam makanan manis.

Otot juga dibaiki dan bertumbuh semasa badan berehat.

Individu yang menghidap diabetes, penyakit jantung atau retinopati diabetik hendaklah mendapatkan nasihat doktor sebelum memulakan latihan beban yang lebih berintensiti, supaya pelan senaman yang sesuai dapat dirancang.

Jangan hanya menumpukan perhatian pada angka di penimbang.
Kerana sihat bukan sekadar kelihatan kurus.

Kurus tidak semestinya sihat. ❤️

❤️ The Good Life Project
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
她坐下，第一句话就是：

"医生，我又不胖。
为什么我还是有糖尿病、胆固醇又高？
真的很不甘心。"

55公斤。
穿上衣服，真的看不出来。

直到 InBody 报告出来：
体脂率：42.7%
内脏脂肪等级：14（该设备参考范围 1–9）
四肢和躯干肌肉量：偏低。

这就是我们常说的 TOFI。

Thin Outside, Fat Inside.
外瘦内胖。

体重轻，不代表代谢一定健康。

当腹部及内脏周围脂肪过多，加上肌肉量不足，身体处理血糖和脂肪的能力可能受到影响。

所以，有些人看起来不胖，却已经有糖尿病、血脂异常，甚至脂肪肝。

她接下来的功课不是拼命减重。
而是 练肌肉、吃够蛋白质、改善身体组成。

具体怎么做？

💪 练肌肉
每周 2–3 次重量训练，训练不同肌群，安排适当休息。

深蹲、推、拉、髋关节屈伸（例如硬拉），以大肌群为主。

从轻重量、正确姿势开始，再慢慢增加重量。最后几下有点吃力，但动作仍然要标准。

🥚 每一餐都要有蛋白质
鱼、鸡肉、鸡蛋、豆腐、天贝，都可以。
一掌大小的鱼或鸡肉，通常能提供约 20–30 克蛋白质；两颗蛋则约有 12–14 克。

早餐尤其容易吃不够。
一盘椰浆饭配咖啡，如果没有额外的蛋、鸡肉或其他蛋白质来源，可能就不够了。

🚶 饭后走一走
吃完饭散步 10–15 分钟，是帮助改善餐后血糖的简单方法。

😴 睡够
每晚尽量睡 7–8 小时。
睡眠不足会降低身体对胰岛素的反应，血糖更难控制，第二天也更容易饿、想吃甜的。
肌肉也是在休息时修复和生长的。

有糖尿病、心脏病或糖尿病眼底病变的人，开始较高强度的重量训练前，应先咨询医生，制定适合自己的运动计划。

先别只盯着磅秤上的数字。
因为，健康不只是看起来瘦。

You matter. Always.
你，很重要。一直都是。

❤️ The Good Life Project

***motot

13/10/2026

"医生，我很开心怀孕了。但为什么，我对自己那么不满意？"

她三十多岁。
刚知道怀孕时，她开心得不得了。

可是肚子一天天变大，她开始焦虑。
最喜欢的牛仔裤穿不下了，漂亮的裙子越来越紧。
手脚开始水肿，连鞋子和戒指都变紧了。

每天早上打开衣橱，心里就很难受。
经过商场的服装店，心情更糟。

"我觉得很内疚。这个宝宝，我等了很久。"
她停了一下。
"可是照镜子，我已经认不出自己了。"

我们多聊了一会儿。
她很想念以前的自己。
那个随手拿起一件裙子，穿上就能自信出门的自己。

身边的人说：
"Aiyo，怀孕了嘛！身材当然会变啦！"
"不用担心啦，生完就可以瘦回来。"
他们都是好意。
可是，知道身体会变，不代表就容易接受。

很多妈妈还没生，就已经在担心：
"我的肚子还能恢复吗？"
"万一生完瘦不下来，怎么办？"
看到别人产后很快就恢复身材，压力更大。

可是每个人的身体都不一样。
产后恢复需要时间，有些变化也未必能完全回到从前。
不需要在宝宝还没出生的时候就急着给自己定一个必须瘦回去的期限。

你可以很期待当妈妈，同时也想念以前的样子。
这两种心情并不冲突。

穿不下的衣服，先收起来，不必每天早上面对。
买几件现在穿得舒服的衣服，怀孕的时候，也一样可以漂漂亮亮。

别因为内疚，把心情藏起来。
找丈夫或信任的朋友聊聊。
如果难过或焦虑一直没有好转，影响到睡眠和生活，记得告诉医生。
孕期焦虑和抑郁是可以治疗的。

还有，如果手或脸突然明显水肿，尤其伴随头痛、视力模糊或上腹痛，要当天就医，这可能是子痫前症（preeclampsia）。

她离开前，我对她说：
"你不需要喜欢身体的每一个变化，也一样可以是个很爱孩子的妈妈。"

下次遇到准妈妈，别说"哇，肚子好大哦！"
问她一句："你最近感觉怎么样？"❤️

💬 妈妈们，怀孕时哪一个身体变化，让你花了最长时间才适应？

----------------------------------------------------------------------

“Doctor, I’m happy to be pregnant. So why do I feel so unhappy with myself?”

She was in her 30s.
When she found out she was pregnant, she was over the moon.

But as her bump grew, she became anxious.
Her favourite jeans no longer fit. Her dresses got tighter.
Her hands and feet swelled. Even her shoes and rings felt tight.

Every morning, opening the wardrobe upset her.
Walking past boutiques in the mall made it worse.

“I feel so guilty. I’ve wanted this baby for so long.”
She paused.
“But when I look in the mirror, I don’t recognise myself.”

We talked a little longer.
She missed her old self.
The one who could pick a dress, put it on and walk out feeling confident.

People around her said:
“Aiyo, you’re pregnant lah! Of course your body will change!”
“Don’t worry, after delivery can slim down again.”
They meant well.
But knowing your body will change doesn’t make it easy to accept.

Many mothers start worrying before the baby is even born:
“Will my tummy ever go back?”
“What if I can’t lose the weight?”
Seeing someone get her figure back quickly after birth only adds to the pressure.

But every body is different.
Recovery takes time, and some changes may never fully go back.
There’s no need to set yourself a deadline to slim down before your baby has even arrived.

You can be excited to become a mother and still miss how you used to look.
The two feelings don’t contradict each other.

Pack away the clothes that don’t fit for now, so you don’t face them every morning.
Get a few outfits that feel good on you today. You can still look beautiful during pregnancy.

Don’t hide these feelings out of guilt. Talk to your husband or a friend you trust.
If the sadness or anxiety doesn’t lift, or starts affecting your sleep and daily life, tell your doctor. Anxiety and depression in pregnancy are treatable.

And if your hands or face suddenly swell, especially with headaches, blurred vision or upper abdominal pain, see a doctor the same day. It could be pre-eclampsia.

Before she left, I told her:
“You don’t have to love every change in your body to be a loving mother.”

Next time you meet an expectant mother, instead of “Wah, your tummy is so big!”, ask her:
“How have you been feeling lately?” ❤️

💬 Mothers, which change in your body during pregnancy took you the longest to get used to?

You matter. Always.
你，很重要。一直都是。

❤️ The Good Life Project

#孕期心理健康 #孕期身材 #身材焦虑

12/10/2026

药真的有效。可是，代价是什么？

他高大、好看，穿上制服的时候，整个人看起来很有自信。
可是那天他走进诊所时，我差点认不出他。

帽子压得低低的。口罩戴得紧紧的。头也一直低着。
他坐下来，第一句话就是：
"医生……你看看我的脸。"

然后，他把口罩拉了下来。
原本干净的脸，现在长满了痘痘，有些已经发炎化脓。整张脸也明显变圆、变肿了。

"发生什么事了？"

几个月前，他出差时弄伤了腰。
他在当地找了一位中医，对方给了他一些药粉。
吃了以后，真的有效。

可是停药后，一两个星期，腰痛又回来了。
于是，他又回去拿药。

好了。停。
痛了。再吃。
这样反反复复，吃了三个多月。

慢慢地，他的脸越来越圆，身材也开始改变，痘痘越来越严重。

我检查他的腹部时，又发现了一个东西 - 紫红色的纹路。
这引起了我的注意。

这让我开始怀疑一个诊断：
Cushing syndrome（库欣综合征）。

这时候，我也开始很在意那包药粉。
一些来路不明的药粉、药酒或所谓的「草药」，有可能含有没有标示出来的类固醇。

类固醇的抗炎效果很强。所以，它真的可以「很有效」。
问题是，如果长期服用，自己却完全不知道里面有类固醇，麻烦就来了。

我们检查了他的血压、血糖、电解质，还有 cortisol 和 ACTH。
结果都不正常。
结合检查结果、身体变化和用药经过，我们高度怀疑，他可能在不知情的情况下，长期服用了含有类固醇的药物，出现了外源性类固醇相关的库欣样表现。

长期使用类固醇，可能导致：
1)脸部变圆、浮肿
2)腹部脂肪增加、身材改变
3)严重痘痘、皮肤出现紫红色纹路
4)血压、血糖升高
5)骨质疏松，甚至增加骨折风险

更麻烦的是，长期服用类固醇，还可能抑制身体自己制造皮质醇的能力。

这意味着，有些人即使发现问题，也不能贸然停药，否则可能引发危险的肾上腺功能不全。

当然，不是所有中药或草药都有问题，也不是药物见效快，就代表里面一定有类固醇。

真正需要警惕的，是你长期吃着一种药，却完全不知道它里面有什么。

尤其是那些效果好得让人觉得「很神奇」的药粉、药酒或所谓的祖传秘方。

有时候，痛是消失了，但身体可能正在悄悄付出代价。

家里有没有长辈或亲友，长期在吃某种「特效」药粉或药酒来止痛？

也许，是时候问一句：
"这药里面，到底是什么？"

**故事细节已作调整，以保护病患隐私。

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The medicine really worked. But what was the cost?

He’s tall and good-looking, the kind of man who looks confident in a uniform.
But when he walked into my clinic that day, I almost didn’t recognise him.

Cap pulled low. Mask on. Head down.
He sat down and said,
“Doctor… look at my face.”

Then he pulled down his mask.
His face used to be clear. Now it was covered with acne, some inflamed and filled with pus. His face also looked noticeably rounder and puffy.

“What happened?”

A few months earlier, he’d injured his back during a work trip.

He went to a Chinese medicine practitioner nearby and was given a powdered medicine.
It really worked.
But whenever he stopped taking it, the back pain came back within a week or two.

So he went back for more.
Better. Stop. Pain returns. Take again.
This went on for more than three months.

Slowly, his face became rounder, his body started changing, and the acne got worse.

Then I examined his abdomen and found something else.
Purple-red stretch marks.
That caught my attention.

It made me suspect one diagnosis: Cushing’s syndrome.

And I became very interested in that powder.

Sometimes, unregulated powders, tonics or “herbal” remedies may contain undeclared steroids.
Steroids are very effective against pain and inflammation. That’s exactly why they can work so well.

The problem is taking them for a long time without knowing they’re in there.

We checked his blood pressure, blood sugar, electrolytes, cortisol and ACTH.
The results weren’t normal.

Taken together with the test results, his physical changes and his history, we strongly suspected that he had been taking a steroid-containing product without knowing it, and had developed Cushing-like features from the exogenous steroid.

Long-term steroid use can cause :
1) a rounder, puffier face,
2) abdominal weight gain and a changed body shape
3) severe acne, purple-red stretch marks
4) Higher blood pressure and blood sugar.
5) osteoporosis and a higher risk of fractures.

What makes it harder is that long-term steroids can suppress the body’s own cortisol production.

So even when the problem is discovered, the medicine can’t simply be stopped suddenly. Doing so can cause dangerous adrenal insufficiency.

Of course, not every Chinese medicine or herbal remedy is a problem, and a medicine working fast doesn’t automatically mean it contains steroids.

What deserves caution is taking something regularly without knowing what’s inside it.
Especially a powder, medicinal w**e or “secret family recipe” that seems almost miraculous.

Sometimes the pain goes away, but the body may be quietly paying for it.

Anyone in your family taking a “miracle” powder or tonic for pain?

Maybe it’s time to ask:
“What exactly is inside this?”

**Story details have been changed to protect patient privacy.

10/10/2026

Let's break the stigma! 💚

Seeking help for your mind is no different from seeing a doctor for your body.

🌿 10.10.2026｜世界精神卫生日
World Mental Health Day 💚

「我又没有精神病，为什么需要关注心理健康？」

很多人以为，心理健康只是患有忧郁症、焦虑症的人才需要关心的事。

其实不是。

你有没有试过……

明明睡了八个小时，醒来还是觉得很累。

工作一整天，回到家，连跟家人说话的力气都没有。

手机讯息不断，却越来越不想回复任何人。

明明生活看起来一切正常，心里却总觉得少了些什么。

这些感受不一定代表你患上了精神疾病。

但它们可能在提醒你：你的心理健康，也需要被照顾。

我们会定期验血、量血压，身体不舒服就去看医生。

可是，当我们长期失眠、情绪低落、焦虑，甚至开始影响工作和生活时，却常常告诉自己：

「忍一忍就好了。」
「别人比我更辛苦。」
「我应该没有那么严重吧。」

为什么我们愿意照顾身体，却总觉得照顾心理健康是一种奢侈？

心理健康，不只是没有精神疾病。

它也包括你能不能好好休息、面对压力、维持人际关系，以及在生活中找到一点快乐。

有时候，照顾自己并不需要做什么惊天动地的改变。

可以是今晚早点睡。
可以是学会拒绝不合理的要求。
可以是找一个信任的人聊聊。
也可以是在撑不下去的时候，勇敢寻求专业帮助。

我有一位病人，犹豫了两年，才来咨询他的心理问题。

他害怕别人知道他看心理医生，说他疯了。

两年。

你不需要等到自己崩溃，才值得被帮助。

今天是世界精神卫生日。

希望我们对别人的痛苦多一点理解，也记得对自己温柔一点。

心理健康，是每一个人的事。💚

⸻

🌿 World Mental Health Day 2026

"I'm not mentally ill. Why should I care about mental health?"

Because mental health is not just about having or not having a psychiatric diagnosis.

It's also about how we cope with stress, connect with others, find enjoyment in life, and manage everyday challenges.

You can be doing well at work and showing up for everyone around you, and still feel emotionally exhausted.

That doesn't necessarily mean you have a mental illness. It's still worth paying attention to.

We take care of our physical health through check-ups, exercise and medical treatment.

Our mental health deserves the same attention.

Rest when you need to.
Set boundaries without guilt.
Talk to someone you trust.
And seek professional support when things become overwhelming or persistently affect your life.

One of my patients hesitated for two years before he came to see me about his mental health.

He was afraid people would find out he was seeing someone for it, and say he was crazy.

Two years.

You don't have to reach breaking point before asking for help.

This World Mental Health Day, let's make mental health something we can talk about openly, without shame or judgement.

Your mind is part of your health, too. 💚

Tak perlu tunggu sampai tak larat, baru minta bantuan.

📞 需要倾诉？Need someone to talk to?
Befrienders KL: 03-7627 2929 (24 hours)
Talian HEAL: 15555

You matter. Always.
你，很重要。一直都是。

The Good Life Project
Dr Heng Ying Huei | Dr Poh Yih Chew

#世界精神卫生日 #心理健康