Dr Muiris Houston

Dr Muiris Houston

Contributor

Dr Muiris Houston is medical journalist, health analyst and Irish Times contributor.

Clocks are about to change. Our body clocks turn out to be key to making medicine work

Dr Muiris Houston: As the clocks spring forward, we would be wise to look at chronotherapy and the link between time and drugs

Unfortunately, I advise patients to choose private hospital care over public

Dr Muiris Houston: Public hospitals represent a growing danger. If you have a choice, choose private healthcare

The next global pandemic just got closer

Dr Muiris Houston: The latest evolution of bird flu raises serious concerns - it is time to increase testing and sequencing samples

‘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 neglected

Dr Muiris Houston: When young athletes collapse, it could be a rare form of heart disease

American football’s Damar Hamlin suffered commotio cordis, the second leading cause of sudden cardiac death among athletes

Covid-19 Q&A: What you need to know about the new variant they’re calling Kraken

Dr Muiris Houston looks at the latest variant of Omicron and the challenges it poses

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 sense

Tornado of Life - A Doctor’s Journey through Constraints and Creativity in the ER: powerful

Book capture stories of ER patients in all their complexity

People are dying in Irish hospitals due to A&E delays. It is time to declare a national emergency

And that should mean fast and effectively. For now our public hospitals are under such pressure that patient safety is endangered. Here’s how to proceed

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 season

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 .

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 them

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 misinformation

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 issues

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’