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
Hello, my name is Dr ChatGPT: Are robot doctors really the future?Dr Muiris Houston: Simulated empathy can never replicate human communicationTue May 02 2023 - 05:01
‘Coffin tablet’ misuse: Why the painkiller pregabalin must be made a controlled drug in IrelandDr Muiris Houston: Pregabalin has become a ‘street drug’ and is contributing to an increasing number of deaths in IrelandMon Apr 17 2023 - 05:31
Dead or alive? The doctor’s challengeDr Muiris Houston: Dying is a process. It’s a doctor’s job to decide at what point in this process death can be appropriately declaredMon Apr 03 2023 - 06:01
Clocks are about to change. Our body clocks turn out to be key to making medicine workDr Muiris Houston: As the clocks spring forward, we would be wise to look at chronotherapy and the link between time and drugsMon Mar 20 2023 - 05:01
Unfortunately, I advise patients to choose private hospital care over publicDr Muiris Houston: Public hospitals represent a growing danger. If you have a choice, choose private healthcareTue Mar 07 2023 - 05:31
The next global pandemic just got closerDr Muiris Houston: The latest evolution of bird flu raises serious concerns - it is time to increase testing and sequencing samplesMon Feb 20 2023 - 05:01
‘Before you go to bed tonight hang a scarf or a cloth outside your door’Dr Muiris Houston: Folk cures often have some of the same methods and goals of biomedicine and must not be neglectedMon Feb 06 2023 - 05:31
Dr Muiris Houston: When young athletes collapse, it could be a rare form of heart diseaseAmerican football’s Damar Hamlin suffered commotio cordis, the second leading cause of sudden cardiac death among athletesMon Jan 23 2023 - 05:31
Covid-19 Q&A: What you need to know about the new variant they’re calling KrakenDr Muiris Houston looks at the latest variant of Omicron and the challenges it posesTue Jan 10 2023 - 14:37
Where do you rank smell in the hierarchy of senses?Scientists have looked at our sensual hierarchy by evaluating how much space the brain devotes to processing each senseMon Jan 09 2023 - 05:31
Tornado of Life - A Doctor’s Journey through Constraints and Creativity in the ER: powerfulBook capture stories of ER patients in all their complexitySat Jan 07 2023 - 05:00
People are dying in Irish hospitals due to A&E delays. It is time to declare a national emergencyAnd that should mean fast and effectively. For now our public hospitals are under such pressure that patient safety is endangered. Here’s how to proceedThu Jan 05 2023 - 05:00
Chrishaps: Are the Christmas holidays good for your health?Dr Muiris Houston: Falls, sprains, allergic reactions and high calorie intake are all part of the festive seasonMon Dec 26 2022 - 05:31
Is there any evidence to suggest religious practice boosts your health?Dr Muiris Houston: research indicates that routines and rituals of various kinds can be good for you .Mon Dec 12 2022 - 05:01
Strep A: When do normal symptoms become an emergency? Dr Muiris Houston on the recent spike in respiratory infections in children and when to seek medical advice for themWed Dec 07 2022 - 05:00
Setting the record straight on the term ‘immunity debt’Infectious disease experts say term and its surrounding narrative are dangerous and can promote Covid-19 misinformationMon Nov 28 2022 - 06:00
Dr Muiris Houston: How climate change is hurting our health in Ireland We are at higher risk of emerging diseases, heat-related illnesses and mental-health issuesTue Nov 15 2022 - 05:01
Dr Muiris Houston: Is laughter the best medicine?Dr Muiris Houston: ‘Laughing is contagious: it unites us, makes us more sociable and signals the end of fear or worry’Mon Oct 31 2022 - 06:01
Is it safe to have a Covid booster and a flu vaccine on the same day, doctor?flu to mount a major comeback this yearMon Oct 17 2022 - 05:01
Is the Covid-19 pandemic over? That depends on who you areDr Muiris Houston: Some experts say it’s best to think of pandemic’s end in terms of disease’s ongoing effects on humansMon Oct 03 2022 - 06:01
