Medical Matters: The rude lexicon of medical slang, from acronyms to argot . . .Medical jargon is something some readers will perhaps be overly familiar with. If you are a patient, or a patient’s relative, you will have been exposed to the many acronyms doctors appear to revel in.Mon Apr 06 2015 - 06:00
Meet Una, one of the ‘new poor’ of the Irish health servicePatients with major diseases may be spared the worst deficiencies of our health system. Those with lower-level illnesses, such as hernias or gallstones, are more exposedSat Apr 04 2015 - 01:00
Medical Matters: Medical paternalism and a patient’s right to know all the risks of treatmentThe ‘doctor knows best’ approach is outdated, but seeking consent is still challenging, says Muiris HoustonMon Mar 30 2015 - 18:19
Medical Matters: There is no clinical evidence to validate homeopathy – and it can even do harmThe ‘treatment’ can delay people from seeking more effective medicinces, says Muiris HoustonMon Mar 23 2015 - 10:00
Medical Matters: Following the links between antidepressant use and heart diseaseNew study by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart InstituteMon Mar 16 2015 - 05:44
Be cautious about claims that daily coffees are good for heartModeration in all things, with healthy scepticism about new studies, is best approachWed Mar 11 2015 - 12:51
Medical Matters: Enthusiasm for cancer screening is still very highThe concept of harm by overdiagnosis hasn’t really hit home, says Muiris HoustonMon Mar 09 2015 - 08:00
What’s the secret to the world’s oldest woman’s longevity?Balanced, rice-based diet and affordable healthcare help Japan’s population to live longerThu Mar 05 2015 - 14:17
Geriatric ward treatment for Gerry Feeney dismayingMuiris Houston: Failure of basic care should be taken as seriously as medical problemsFri Feb 27 2015 - 01:00
Medical Matters: Significant threat to at-risk groups from new variant of fluThe best hope is that the vaccine will mean the severity of the infection will be somewhat ameliorated, and it may help people avoid hospitalisationMon Feb 23 2015 - 16:00
Medical Matters: It’s time we faced up to the binge-drinking elephant in the roomMuiris Houston takes on third-level drinkingMon Feb 09 2015 - 17:05
A doctor writes: Is it time to reverse lifetime ban on gay men donating blood?Lifetime ban should be replaced with a one-year deferralMon Feb 02 2015 - 01:00
How intervention can reduce brain injury in babiesHead cooling is designed to prevent the further death of brain cellsSat Jan 24 2015 - 01:01
Medical Matters: Let’s feel good about the exercise we actually doDr Muiris Houston writes about the recent report saying we should do 20 minutes a dayFri Jan 23 2015 - 01:00
Medical Matters: Blood-sugar blues – how dentists can help diagnose diabetesThere are various oral features that can be detected during a routine dental examination that might suggest undiagnosed diabetesMon Jan 19 2015 - 17:28
Muiris Houston: Have you ever thought about how you would like to die?It has been suggested we should ‘stop wasting billions to cure cancer’ because terminal cancer is the best way to dieMon Jan 12 2015 - 06:00
Dr Muiris Houston: Five ways to deal with the trolley crisisWith the perennial hospital beds crisis reaching a crescendo, what can make a difference?Tue Jan 06 2015 - 22:22
Medical matters: New year’s resolutions don’t have to be a sacrificeMuiris Houston outlines some less punitive approaches to good health in 2015Mon Jan 05 2015 - 06:00
Life support case: Ethical considerations a crucial part of best medical practiceWed Dec 31 2014 - 01:00
Dr Muiris Houston on the Cobh tragedyPsychiatrists' risk assessments are not an exact scienceTue Dec 30 2014 - 01:00
Medical Matters: Is Vaping safer than smoking?50 years on from the first official smoking warning, do e-cigarettes offer a safe alternative?Mon Dec 22 2014 - 17:52
Muiris Houston: Eat chocolate, drink wine and don’t fret over your festive dietMon Dec 22 2014 - 06:00
Key questions that arise when a pregnant woman is on life support‘It would be much healthier, in every sense of the word, if doctors and other healthcare professionals could approach each challenging case on its own ethical merits’Fri Dec 19 2014 - 00:03
Prostate cancer: the bigger pictureAlthough prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting men in Ireland, it is very treatable if caught in time and very often requires no treatment at allThu Dec 18 2014 - 18:17
Muiris Houston: On misdiagnosed miscarriage at Midland Regional HospitalVarious factors can contribute to a hospital’s misdiagnosis of miscarriageFri Dec 12 2014 - 06:28
Interview: Aiming to make the Medical Council a ‘true advocate in health’The president of the Medical Council, Freddie Wood, talks to Muiris Houston about maintaining public and patient trust by acting in their best interestsWed Dec 10 2014 - 08:00
A doctor writes: Failure to do basics often the cause of tragic outcomesStudy confirms maternal deaths in Ireland and the UK are still rareWed Dec 10 2014 - 01:00
Medical Matters with Muiris Houston: Act fast to save face with Bell’s palsyOften mistaken for stroke because it causes the face to fall, Bell’s palsy still calls for prompt attention to alleviate symptomsMon Dec 08 2014 - 06:00
Medical Matters: Research helps bitter pills go down in the most delightful wayTwo promising techniques can help those with difficulty swallowing medicationMon Dec 01 2014 - 06:00
Henry suffers temporary blockage of small blood vessel in brainIRFU statement says international flanker will have further tests to ascertain extent of medical problemTue Nov 18 2014 - 01:00
What are bed bugs? And how do you get rid of them?Cimex lectularius are pesky, parasitic little creatures, but all is not lostMon Nov 17 2014 - 14:58
Medical Matters: Insights into mental health of teens provide useful template for lifeA report shows older teenagers the most likely cohort to need inpatient psychiatric treatment for the first timeMon Nov 17 2014 - 01:00
Respiratory disease overview: an often undiagnosed conditionMuiris Houston looks at the symptoms, causes, treatments and prevention of the conditionMon Nov 03 2014 - 19:31
Diabetes overview: controlling an insulin conditionMuiris Houstons looks at causes, signs, symptoms, prevention, treatment and useful resources.Mon Nov 03 2014 - 17:52
Allergies: not to be sneezed atFrom hay fever to eczema, allergies can cause severe discomfort for sufferersMon Nov 03 2014 - 14:13
Medical Matters: Our every impulse is to fight – but can you live longer if you stop trying?Limitations of medicine leave doctors, patients and families facing quandriesMon Nov 03 2014 - 01:00
Heart disease overview: prevention rather than cureDr Muiris Houston looks at signs and symtoms of heart disease, as well as ways to prevent and treat it.Tue Oct 28 2014 - 17:13
Stroke overview: time for FAST actionDr Muiris Houston examines the signs symptoms and diagnosis related to a stroke as well as prevention, control and some useful resources.Tue Oct 28 2014 - 16:52
Arthritis overview: managing the painDr Muiris Houston looks at causes, signs and symptons of arthritis, as well as its prevention and treatment.Tue Oct 28 2014 - 16:15
Medical Matters: Chicken soup for a cold: why fowl solution can be better than antibioticsComfort food can help when pills are powerless against common cold virusMon Oct 27 2014 - 01:00
Research supports Irish decision not to screen for EbolaAnalysis projects fewer than three people with virus will travel on an international flight every monthTue Oct 21 2014 - 14:04
An effective, if unpalatable, gut function treatmentA significant breakthrough in the science of faecal therapyMon Oct 20 2014 - 01:00
Ebola takes heaviest toll among healthcare workersDeath rate at 57% in worst-hit west African countries, says World Health OrganisationThu Oct 16 2014 - 01:00
Ebola risk low but we need high level protocolsTrained health staff, not airport checks, can protect Irish people from EbolaSat Oct 11 2014 - 01:00
