#Patientadvocacy

A new comprehensive review published by the American Heart Association highlights the often-overlooked issue of sexual health following a stroke, calling for increased awareness and tailored support from healthcare professionals worldwide, including Thailand. As stroke survivors face numerous physical and psychological challenges, the report underscores that the impact on sexual function and intimacy is significant, yet remains rarely addressed in standard care.

Sexual health plays a crucial role in overall quality of life, particularly for stroke survivors, whose relationships and sense of self can be deeply affected. In Thailand, where over 250,000 people experience a stroke each year and the number of survivors continues to rise due to advances in acute care, the topic frequently falls outside the scope of post-stroke rehabilitation programs. According to the American Heart Association review, addressing the sexual wellbeing of stroke survivors should be an integral part of recovery—not only for physical rehabilitation but also for emotional and social reintegration (ahajournals.org).

A comprehensive review from the American Heart Association highlights a frequently overlooked aspect of stroke care: sexual health. The report calls for greater awareness and tailored support from healthcare professionals worldwide, including in Thailand, noting that sexual wellbeing significantly affects quality of life but is often not addressed in standard rehabilitation.

Sexual health matters deeply for stroke survivors, influencing relationships, self-esteem, and overall recovery. In Thailand, where more than 250,000 people experience a stroke annually and surviving patients rise with advances in acute care, post-stroke programs often exclude intimate health. The review emphasizes that sexual wellbeing should be an integral part of recovery—encompassing physical rehabilitation, emotional healing, and social reintegration.

A growing body of international research and expert commentary challenges common myths about pelvic floor health. For Thai readers, this means reevaluating prevention, treatment, and social awareness to reduce stigma and improve quality of life for all genders and ages.

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles at the base of the pelvis that support the bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs. Yet many people are not educated about how these muscles work or what is normal. As one licensed pelvic floor therapist notes, “We’re never really taught about it… There isn’t enough education on how these muscles function.” Such gaps can lead to urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, sexual health concerns, and other life-disrupting issues.

A growing body of international research and recent expert commentary has exposed common myths about pelvic floor health, raising crucial questions for Thai readers about prevention, treatment, and societal awareness. As pelvic floor issues increasingly surface in medical and lifestyle conversations, Thai health professionals and the public alike must reconsider the idea that pelvic floor disorders are inevitable, unpreventable, or exclusive to women — and whether the all-popular Kegel exercises are always the answer.

The question of whether people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), should engage in physical exercise remains a subject of intense discussion in the medical community. Recent studies confirm that while carefully managed exercise can benefit some individuals living with CFS, an overly aggressive or poorly supervised approach risks worsening symptoms—a dilemma with high relevance for patients and clinicians in Thailand and worldwide.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a debilitating condition characterised by overwhelming fatigue that does not improve with rest and is often accompanied by cognitive issues, sleep disturbances, pain, and the hallmark symptom known as post-exertional malaise (PEM), where physical or mental activity provokes a sharp worsening in symptoms, sometimes days after the exertion. According to recent overviews, including the extensive summary on Wikipedia, CFS affects millions globally and is increasingly recognised as a sequela of post-viral illnesses, including long COVID, making up-to-date recommendations especially timely.

New research shows that exercise can help some people with chronic fatigue syndrome, but it must be careful and personalized. In Thailand, where awareness of CFS is still growing, these findings emphasize the need for careful medical guidance to avoid worsening symptoms.

Chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, causes profound fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest. It often comes with cognitive difficulties, sleep problems, pain, and post-exertional malaise, where activity triggers a later worsening of symptoms. Global data indicate millions are affected, and CFS is increasingly linked to post-viral illnesses such as long COVID. This makes updated guidance especially timely for Thai patients and clinicians.