Tawau Health Talk Spotlights Headache and Stroke

On 21 June 2026, SGM Sabah successfully held a health talk at the SGM Tawau Centre on its Soka Community Day. The event, held in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, featured neurosurgeons Dr Tan Shze Ee and Dr Andy Yap Teck Cheng from Tawau Hospital as guest speakers, attracting 110 members and guests.

Dr Tan explained that headaches can generally be classified into two categories: primary and secondary. Primary headaches, such as migraines and tension headaches, are often caused by stress or insufficient sleep and are usually not life-threatening. Secondary headaches, however, may result from underlying conditions such as brain infections, cerebral haemorrhage or brain tumours, and require prompt medical attention. She stressed the importance of not overlooking headache symptoms and advised patients to keep a detailed record of the frequency, location and characteristics of their headaches, as well as their medical history, to assist doctors in making an accurate diagnosis.

Dr Yap highlighted the growing incidence of stroke among younger people and explained that strokes are broadly classified as either ischaemic or haemorrhagic. Individuals with high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high cholesterol, as well as smokers and those who are overweight, are at greater risk. He encouraged everyone to adopt a healthy lifestyle, maintain a balanced diet and undergo regular health screenings to reduce their risk. He also warned against ignoring the warning signs of a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), often referred to as a “mini-stroke,” and introduced the BEFAST acronym – Balance, Eyes, Face, Arms, Speech and Time – to help participants recognise the symptoms of stroke and seek immediate medical attention.

The question-and-answer session was lively, with participants actively raising questions and engaging with the speakers. Dr Tan and Dr Yap patiently addressed a wide range of health-related enquiries. Many attendees expressed that they had gained valuable knowledge and hoped that SGM would continue organising similar health education programmes in the future.

Reported by Liew Le Kon, photographed by Hiew Eken