Author: Amanda Cheong, M.D.

Grandpa sits on a chair, head bowed. He has already fallen asleep, lulled by the comedic banter coming from the television. It’s only ten in the morning and he’ll take another nap after lunchtime. He would also excuse himself from the dinner table before the clock hits 8 pm, shuffling back to his room and […]

No one likes going to the hospital.   Yet, a 16-year-old girl found herself being admitted into a pediatric unit for a set of puzzling symptoms. Her head would often hurt, with dizziness as a twin that followed close behind. She had a sudden onset of pain in her neck. Imagine something dull and twisted […]

Does where you live influence how long you live?   The answer might sound obvious to most people. If you live in a place where sweetened drinks are cheap, you’re going to encounter higher rates of obesity [1]. Living in food deserts increases the chance of getting heart disease [2]. Living in a place that […]

It can start with a joke, a groan as you’re rising from the chair. “I’m getting old!” The joints are creaky door hinges that need to be oiled. Then, there’s the grating feel in what used to be a smooth walk. All of these things can slowly culminate into a dull and constant ache right […]

In the trailer for the movie “The Father”, there is a scene where Anthony Hopkin’s character shouts “I’m not leaving my flat!” A grimace forms on his face. His voice is heavy, frustrated, and stern. He repeats the line, each word enunciated clearly, “I am not leaving my flat!”   But the gut punch comes […]

Heart pounding, hyperventilating, thoughts racing, and a sense of impending doom sitting heavily on the chest. Is anxiety always like that? It can feel like it. But in an older individual, anxiety is rarely that simple.   What does anxiety look like? The American Psychiatric Association defines anxiety as the “anticipation for future threat”. On […]