A doctor on why now is the time to get your flu vaccineDuring the last flu season, more than 4,500 people aged 65 and older were diagnosed with the virus, resulting in 159 deathsMon Oct 21 2024 - 05:01
The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke: A case that changed the history of transplant surgery in the UKThe moving story about how the lives of two nine-year-olds became entwined around a single heartSat Sept 07 2024 - 00:00
How your tongue and gait can give important clues as to your overall healthDr Muiris Houston: What does it mean if your tongue looks like a world map, or your gait is asymmetrical or stop-start?Mon Aug 26 2024 - 05:31
Why Covid cases are rising this summer, and the latest dominant variantsDr Muiris Houston: Given the latest summer surge, experts are doubtful that a winter seasonality is in the offingMon Aug 12 2024 - 05:31
When is a cancer not a cancer?When caught early many cancers, including certain types of breast, prostate, testicular and thyroid cancers, have survival rates of up to 98%Mon Jul 29 2024 - 05:31
Dr Muiris Houston: How do our bodies adapt when challenged by high temperatures?Dr Muiris Houston: Our internal temperature is controlled by a small area of the brain called the hypothalamus which functions as the body’s thermostatMon Jul 15 2024 - 05:31
Why has the incidence of type 1 diabetes begun to increase again in Ireland?Dr Muiris Houston: It’s important that parents and guardians know the symptoms to look out for and seek help earlyTue Jun 18 2024 - 05:31
Is there a relationship between voting and good health?Dr Muiris Houston: There may be short-term ill-effects on health from election campaignsMon Jun 03 2024 - 05:31
Is bird flu close to causing the next global infectious disease pandemic?Dr Muiris Houston: The H5N1 virus likely spilled from birds into cows in late 2023, and spread undetected among cattle for months before the first cases were reported this MarchMon May 20 2024 - 05:31
What is Toxic Shock Syndrome and how is it treated?There are several known causes of this rare diseaseTue May 14 2024 - 17:30
Just how unsafe are emergency departments in Irish hospitals?Dr Muiris Houston: University Hospital Limerick has been a black spot for many years, while Beaumont is a good example of how a hospital can turn things aroundMon May 06 2024 - 05:31
How could it be that hypochondriacs have shorter lifespans?Dr Muiris Houston: The inescapable truth is that everyone with illness anxiety disorder is eventually proved rightMon Apr 22 2024 - 05:01
Would you want to know if you had dementia many years before you developed symptoms?Dr Muiris Houston: Even if you felt well, you would be placing a Sword of Damocles over your future healthTue Apr 09 2024 - 05:01
Long Covid: ‘I feel alone and lost . . . it is difficult to see an end to this’Dr Muiris Houston: We urgently need more research into understanding its underlying pathology and to find better treatmentsMon Mar 25 2024 - 05:31
Cancer: How to navigate the mental challenges of a diagnosisDr Muiris Houston: A new book highlights the common myths and misinformation surrounding the diseaseMon Mar 11 2024 - 05:31
Long Covid must be treated as the serious threat it is to public healthDr Muiris Houston: Up to 20% of people who contract virus develop the health complications that make up long Covid syndromeMon Feb 26 2024 - 06:00
Kate Middleton may have had a very sensible reason for her long hospital stayDr Muiris Houston: While there was some speculation online about the princess’s recent diagnosis, she may simply have wanted time to convalesceMon Feb 12 2024 - 05:31
How worried should I be about measles? A doctor’s guide to a highly infectious diseaseMeasles spreads very easily among those who are unvaccinated. In some children it is very serious, leading to hospitalisation and even death in rare casesThu Feb 08 2024 - 16:33
Ozempic has big potential, but caution is necessaryFor all the popular clamour for the new medication it is not without side effectsMon Jan 29 2024 - 05:01
EMA issues warning for males with epilepsy or bipolar disorder being treated with group of medicinesDr Muiris Houston: Drugs used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder linked to neurodevelopmental disorders in patients’ childrenTue Jan 16 2024 - 19:00
Is it possible the HSE is beginning to change for the better?Bernard Gloster’s focus on accountability over death of teenager in Limerick hospital is new ground for a HSE chief and is welcomeMon Jan 15 2024 - 06:01
Why New Year’s health resolutions are a waste of timeDr Muiris Houston: They tend to be inherently self-critical and stem from magical thinking that with one big change your life will be transformedMon Jan 01 2024 - 07:24
Warning issued over potential injuries caused by flying champagne corksReport in British Medical Journal says pressure in a 750ml bottle can launch corks at a speed of 80/kmhWed Dec 20 2023 - 23:30
‘Elf and safety’: Live Christmas trees can bring on unfestive issues for someDr Muiris Houston: For those who are sensitive, prolonged indoor exposure to live Christmas trees can lead to respiratory and skin health issuesMon Dec 11 2023 - 05:31
Will hospital-at-home system be better for Irish patients?Stephen Donnelly announces rollout for next year of a ‘virtual ward’ programme for patients of two public hospitalsMon Dec 04 2023 - 12:19
Dr Muiris Houston: Mounting evidence of link between Covid and a range of heart diseasesDr Muiris Houston: There is a definite link between Covid infection and a range of heart diseases, even for those who had a relatively mild infection and made a good recoveryMon Nov 13 2023 - 05:31
Does it matter if your doctor is kind or not?Dr Muiris Houston: Kindness, it has been claimed, is an ideal component of patient care. But not everyone agreesMon Oct 30 2023 - 05:31
Bed bugs: ‘Until you go through an infestation, you have no idea just how horrifying it really is’Dr Muiris Houston: These home invaders bite psychologically as much as physicallyMon Oct 16 2023 - 05:31
Give Me a Crash Course in . . . Parisian bed bugsThese bloodsucking insects are causing paranoia for fans during the Rugby World CupWed Oct 04 2023 - 19:00
Many spina bifida patients lead full lives thanks to their own and their parents’ heroic effortsDr Muiris Houston: Ireland has one of the highest rates of the condition in the world, with it occurring in one in every 1,000 live birthsMon Oct 02 2023 - 05:31
Cures of Ireland: A Treasury of Irish Folk Remedies - An authoritative exploration of alternative medicine From faith cures to herbal remedies, Cecily Gilligan’s research covers several aspects of Irish folk medicineSat Sept 23 2023 - 00:00
How one Irish hospital has turned its performance around in quite a dramatic wayDr Muiris Houston: A patient experience confirms the absolute transformation of Beaumont’s emergency departmentMon Sept 18 2023 - 06:01
What is botulism and how is it caused? Condition explained after Bordeaux outbreakBotulism is caused by a poisonous toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinumWed Sept 13 2023 - 19:43
It looks like Covid-19 is on the move again – how concerned should we be?Two new strains of the Omicron variant are prompting concerns for illness severity and vaccine efficacyMon Sept 04 2023 - 06:01
Various factors behind sharp rise in Caesarean sections at Rotunda hospitalOf almost 3,200 such deliveries in Rotunda last year 42% were primary — first time on a pregnant womanWed Aug 30 2023 - 05:00
HPV vaccine for boys: why it’s needed, how it works and its safety recordOver 100 million people have been fully vaccinated with Gardasil worldwide- including over 550,000 people in IrelandFri Aug 25 2023 - 08:18
Dr Muiris Houston: Ironman deaths highlight dangers of extreme sporting eventsYoughal Ironman saw deaths of two athletes in same part of triathlete event. What may have caused this?Mon Aug 21 2023 - 15:53
Health risks of mobile phone use: is there anything to be worried about?Definitive evidence is lacking, but precautions might be wise regarding tissue heating, interactions with pacemakers, and microbesMon Aug 21 2023 - 05:01
The dangers, and health benefits, of gardeningDr Muiris Houston: You can pick up serious injuries and ailments from horticultural activity, but some risk assessment will mean you enjoy only the advantagesTue Aug 08 2023 - 06:01
State-funded IVF: Hands of bean counters all over crude cut-off criteriaThose behind scheme would have better served Irish public by adopting weight-based treatment criteria on case-by-case basisTue Jul 25 2023 - 18:07
Think twice before booking your next foreign holiday, especially if you have heart or lung diseaseHeatwaves abroad can change everything for your health, especially if you have a pre-existing conditionMon Jul 24 2023 - 06:00
Q&A: Alzheimer’s trial results offer hope for sufferers and their familiesCure for condition that affects over 64,000 people in Ireland has moved a step closer following successful trials of a new drugTue Jul 18 2023 - 13:10
Why has WHO declared that aspartame is a possible carcinogen?Aspartame is an artificial sweetener widely used in diet fizzy drinks, chewing gum and low-sugar breakfast cereals and yoghurtsFri Jul 14 2023 - 15:30
Why a chickenpox vaccine is now recommended and what we know about the dose scheduleVZV vaccine already in use in Canada, South Africa and New ZealandThu Jul 13 2023 - 15:10
Voice changes alone will not help with early disease diagnosis, but can be a signpostDr Muiris Houston: Scientists hope they can use a database to develop algorithms linking certain ailments to how we speakMon Jul 10 2023 - 05:01
Vital Signs by Martin Dyar – The anthology that converted me from being indifferent to poetryCollection features humane accounts of patient experiences, and I was moved by Patrick Kavanagh’s The HospitalSat Jul 01 2023 - 00:00
Fungi have had a fleeting presence in our lives – but that may be about to change Dr Muiris Houston: Given global warming, Candida auris is a serious concern as it’s resistant to nearly all antifungals, spreads rapidly in hospitals - and can withstand temperatures of up to 42CMon Jun 12 2023 - 05:01
Flying afflictions and how to avoid them, from popping ears to deep-vein thrombosisDr Muiris Houston: A few problems to watch out for this holiday season, particularly on or after long-haul flightsMon May 29 2023 - 05:31
The Covid pandemic may never be over, but the public health threat should continue to declineDr Muiris Houston: The best indicator that the pandemic is far from over is the nearly three million cases and more than 17,000 deaths reported in AprilMon May 15 2023 - 05:01
Don’t label babies born by new IVF procedure as having three parents - that’s not correctMitochondrial replacement treatment is a modified form of IVF that uses tissue from a healthy donor egg and does not constitute a ‘third parent’Sat May 13 2023 - 05:00
