
When Anthony Clare met ‘calculating, disturbing’ Jimmy Savile
- Books
- October 25, 2020, 06:00
Late psychiatrist felt a deep sense of foreboding when interviewing sexual predator

When will the first Covid-19 vaccine be used in Ireland?
- Health & Family
- August 10, 2020, 06:01
Dr Muiris Houston: Some countries will get priority access to coronavirus treatments

Rise in coronavirus transmission seems inevitable as lockdown lifts
- Health & Family
- June 29, 2020, 06:01
If there’s an outbreak in areas in Cork or Dublin, citywide lockdowns will follow

How to screen for Covid-19 is still far from clear
- Health
- April 27, 2020, 02:36
Getting the right testing criteria for coronavirus presents an ongoing medical challenge

A doctor writes: Where are all the non-Covid-19 patients?
- Health
- April 7, 2020, 02:02
Staying in pandemic mode for three months means each GP will not see one person with a life-altering condition

Coronavirus: Nagging doubts fill hospital staff’s heads
- Health
- March 30, 2020, 05:00
Worries about PPE and ventilators creep in, while loss of smell emerges as odd symptom

Physical distancing steps are most effective against coronavirus, study suggests
- Health
- March 24, 2020, 18:17
Research in Lancet Infectious Diseases journal investigates early-intervention measures

Coronavirus: What should you do if you have symptoms?
- Health
- March 14, 2020, 15:41
In a bid to disrupt the spread of this virus further advice is now available, so what is it?

Dr Muiris Houston: Doctors travelling from high Covid-19 areas should self-isolate
- Health
- March 5, 2020, 20:00
Potential impact on vulnerable patients could be ‘extremely serious’, says HPSC

Coronavirus: Myths that have gained traction
- Health
- February 28, 2020, 15:53
Despite myriad online claims for this virus, there is no specific anti-viral treatment for it

New virus about 20 times deadlier than regular flu
- Health
- February 18, 2020, 15:15
First solid indication emerges of how lethal outbreak might be

Muiris Houston: Number of coronavirus cases likely to rise further
- Health
- January 28, 2020, 15:27
A Doctor Writes . . . virus can spread between humans but unclear if it can do so during incubation period

Could coronavirus become a Sars-like illness?
- Health
- January 21, 2020, 12:17
A Doctor Writes: Person to person transmission of virus raises fears about it spreading

Self-care best tonic for most as flu season stretches hospital capacity
- Health
- December 27, 2019, 18:48
It can take 10 days to recover but see doctor if you have diabetes or cardiovascular issues

Man’s 4th Best Hospital review: satirical sequel to The House of God
- Books
- December 26, 2019, 06:00
Samuel Shem returns to the world of medical care, one now ruined by software and billing

Time to stop throwing good money after bad at the health service
- Opinion
- December 23, 2019, 00:01
Muiris Houston: Adding €50m to the Budget will not solve the fundamental problem

Narcolepsy case raises important questions about vaccine approval
- Health
- November 20, 2019, 01:00
Pandemrix process was much speedier than normal assessment period for new vaccines

Diet bereft of fruit and veg has far-reaching consequences
- Health & Family
- September 7, 2019, 06:00
Arfid is a recent diagnostic category – more than just picky eating. Is your family at risk?

Risk of cancer from HRT is double that of original estimate, study shows
- Health
- August 31, 2019, 01:00
A doctor writes: If you are already on HRT, stopping abruptly is not the answer

Dr Muiris Houston: Is surgery the ultimate placebo?
- Health & Family
- August 26, 2019, 06:01
We tend to overestimate the true effectiveness of medical procedures

What should I do if I’m bitten by a Noble False Black Widow spider?
- Health
- July 18, 2019, 18:17
Dr Muiris Houston takes a look at the health issues surrounding the insects

Latest CervicalCheck controversy a communications failure
- High Court
- July 12, 2019, 19:49
A doctor writes: Contact GP if you’re worried about a recent test, says Muris Houston

How does testing for foetal abnormality work?
- Health
- May 17, 2019, 20:34
Termination may be offered where there is a condition likely to lead to the death of the foetus either before, or within 28 days o(...)

What do you buy a book-lover for their birthday? Not a book
- Books
- April 29, 2019, 05:52
Bibliophile Muiris Houston’s present was a personal consultation in a bookshop

The ‘disease’ on track to become a bigger killer than cancer
- Health & Family
- March 11, 2019, 07:01
The explosion of superbugs already claims 33,000 lives in the EU every year

Dr Muiris Houston: Talk of a ‘cure’ for HIV is premature
- Health & Family
- March 9, 2019, 06:00
There are good reasons to be circumspect about the anti-HIV technique reported this week

Let’s stop the war talk when it comes to cancer
- Health & Family
- February 25, 2019, 06:01
A recent poll shows most people with cancer are fed up with the language of battle

Irish anti-vaping sentiment needs to be stubbed out
- Health & Family
- February 11, 2019, 07:01
Dr Muiris Houston: It’s good that many former heavy smokers who quit carry on vaping

We need doctors and nurses more than a new children’s hospital
- Opinion
- February 7, 2019, 01:17
Investing in people is the first step in turning around a health system close to collapse

Tech is invading our medical privacy: another reason to beware Dr Google
- Health & Family
- January 28, 2019, 06:01
Medics are using more and more AI tools but how safe is your data?

Bitter pill: how Brexit could interrupt medical supplies
- Health & Family
- January 21, 2019, 06:01
Despite efforts of Government and health agencies, a no-deal scenario will affect supply

Billy Connolly is helping others by talking about Parkinson’s disease
- Health & Family
- January 14, 2019, 06:01
Big Yin’s forthright attitude about his condition in keeping with his attitude to life

Flu vaccine offers best defence against current strain
- Health
- January 11, 2019, 15:35
A doctor writes: Influenza virus has arrived and it is not too late to protect yourself

Plane speaking: airports a hotbed of infectious diseases
- Health & Family
- January 7, 2019, 07:01
From security trays to infected passengers on aircraft, flying puts us at risk of contracting a host of respiratory viruses

Calling all Christmas chocolate guzzlers
- Health & Family
- December 17, 2018, 06:01
Muiris Houston: Time for my annual search to see if I can come up with some health benefits of eating chocolate

Practising medicine: from experienced-based to evidence-based to interpersonal
- Health & Family
- December 4, 2018, 06:01
Better physician communication is associated with significant gains in outcomes for patients

A doctor writes: cervical and endometrial cancers are two distinct diseases
- Health
- November 22, 2018, 18:05
Dr Muiris Houston explains differences in the detection, investigation and treatment of the cancers

How to become the patient Vicky Phelan wants you to be
- Health & Family
- November 20, 2018, 08:01
It’s time we saw critical thinking as an essential life-skill to be taught in schools

Antibiotics: When the drugs don’t work
- Health & Family
- November 12, 2018, 06:01
While the discovery of a new antibiotic is rare and welcome, the focus must remain on tackling the rising rates of resistance to t(...)

Varadkar insists lack of staff in hospitals at Christmas results in delayed treatment
- Health
- November 9, 2018, 22:00
Taoiseach said his experience working in various hospitals helped form his views

Anatomy of a Dublin hospital that reaches back to 1703
- Health & Family
- November 6, 2018, 05:01
A new book chronicles the history of St James’s, which started out as a workhouse

Caesarean sections: ‘Too posh to push’ or ‘too poor to choose’
- Health & Family
- October 29, 2018, 06:01
The time has come to increase the percentage of operative interventions for women who are treated in the public system

No cause for alarm but check your child’s polio vaccination up to date
- Health
- October 23, 2018, 02:00
Dr Muiris Houston: Symptoms include loss of muscle tone, facial droop, slurred speech

Are you allergic to penicillin? Are you sure?
- Health & Family
- October 22, 2018, 06:01
There’s an 80 per cent chance that they have been incorrectly labelled

Danger of a catastrophic influenza pandemic far from over
- Health & Family
- October 15, 2018, 05:01
On the centenary of the Spanish flu epidemic, a worldwide authority on infectious diseases issues a timely warning

‘If I was a 3 glasses of wine a week person, I wouldn’t stop in the face of recent scare stories’
- Health & Family
- October 8, 2018, 06:01
So what does the new information really mean for moderate drinkers?

Dr Muiris Houston: Got kidney stones? Hop on a rollercoaster
- Health & Family
- September 24, 2018, 06:01
The ‘Ig Nobel’ awards honour achievements that make people laugh – then think

‘Rx’, ‘Po’ and ‘alt die’: the doctor’s indecipherable prescription
- Health & Family
- September 17, 2018, 07:01
Doctors are being asked to ditch Latin terms and use language patients understand

Muiris Houston: Scally report signals deep problems in Irish healthcare
- Opinion
- September 14, 2018, 01:00
Communication and disclosure are key flaws among CervicalCheck’s systemic deficits

How important is taking time off work? Very
- Health & Family
- September 10, 2018, 06:13
Don’t think having an otherwise healthy lifestyle compensates for working too hard

What is the CPE superbug that is present in Irish hospitals?
- Health & Family
- September 4, 2018, 06:00
Dr Muiris Houston: CPE is the latest bug that is hard to kill with antibiotics

Dr Muiris Houston: I fear we are witnessing a resurgence in measles infection
- Health & Family
- September 3, 2018, 06:00
In the cot was an eight-year-old boy: he could not swallow and was almost completely blind

Doctors who trust their gut, vs doctors who order more tests
- Health & Family
- August 27, 2018, 10:25
Study highlights the important role human intuition plays in medical decisions

I’m not joking: laughter really is the best medicine
- Health & Family
- August 20, 2018, 06:01
A belly laugh is good for the heart, clears up rashes and lowers blood sugar in diabetics

Study linking e-cigarettes to lung function adds to concerns over vaping
- Health
- August 14, 2018, 00:35
Small study in ‘Thorax’ medical journal adds to growing body of research on e-cigarettes

When a sudden descent is too much for the eardrum
- Health & Family
- July 30, 2018, 06:01
After a dramatic change in cabin pressure passengers can experience bleeding and intense pain

‘I would be horrified to see tattoos or a nose ring on an attending doctor’
- Health & Family
- July 23, 2018, 06:01
There was a huge response to a column on presentation and professionalism

Why you should hug your doctor the next time you see them
- Health & Family
- July 16, 2018, 06:01
Research shows if you see the same doctor you are likely to reduce your risk of death

Would you care if your doctor had a ‘Mad Max’ tattoo?
- Health & Family
- July 9, 2018, 06:01
Research into doctors’ appearance finds body art doesn’t affect patient trust. But piercings ...

Anabolic steroids and adolescents’ culture of invulnerability
- Health
- July 6, 2018, 01:53
Dr Muiris Houston: Risks associated with sex, dosage and duration of administration

Dental neglect: A painful reality for 37% of Irish children
- Health & Family
- July 2, 2018, 06:01
37% of HSE dentists see children with neglected dentition at least daily, study finds

Heatwave health risks: From dehydration to heat stroke
- Environment
- June 25, 2018, 14:54
A Doctor Writes: Health effects of hot weather linked to the body’s ability to adapt

Traveller’s diarrhoea: from Delhi belly to the Kathmandu quickstep to Montezuma's revenge
- Health & Family
- June 18, 2018, 08:55
It’s common and it’s unpleasant but it’s usually transient and rarely life-threatening

Hopefully, you were able to sleep in over the Bank Holiday weekend – your body will thank you
- Health & Family
- June 4, 2018, 08:01
‘Short (weekday) sleep is not a risk factor for mortality if it is combined with a medium or long weekend sleep’

Six out of every 10 human infections spread by animals
- Health & Family
- May 28, 2018, 06:00
Dozens of cases of ebola reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent weeks

Home-based abortion by medication will become Irish norm
- Health
- May 28, 2018, 01:10
Method shown to be highly effective and safe when used up to 22 weeks of pregnancy

Pregnant pause: why expectant mothers with medical conditions stop taking medication
- Health & Family
- May 21, 2018, 08:01
The exclusion of pregnant women from drug trials means there is little drug-safety information for them to rely on

Why are some people unaffected by mental health problems?
- Health & Family
- May 14, 2018, 07:01
Dr Muiris Houston: Emotional resilience, the ability to deal with difficulty, can be learned

Opinion: Trust in HSE must be earned from ground up
- Health
- May 12, 2018, 00:00
The HSE keeps getting the basics wrong. It’s time for organisational change, writes Muiris Houston

When it comes to health checks, no news is not good news
- Health & Family
- May 7, 2018, 10:01
CervicalCheck tragedy shows risks in communication failures not widely appreciated

CervicalCheck: How did such a huge communications failure occur?
- Health
- May 3, 2018, 21:45
Public trust in Ireland’s health service continues to be eroded, writes Dr Muiris Houston

Four months free of chemo or six months with it?
- Health & Family
- April 30, 2018, 07:01
Dr Muiris Houston on the big decision faced by many terminally ill cancer patients

A doctor writes: Can women trust CervicalCheck?
- Health
- April 28, 2018, 01:00
Can women have confidence in the national cervical screening programme?

Phelan case: The days of doctor knows best are behind us
- Health
- April 28, 2018, 01:00
Analysis: CervicalCheck review should extend to all screening programmes

A doctor writes: What went wrong at CervicalCheck in the Vicky Phelan case
- Health
- April 26, 2018, 20:06
Do its labs follow best practice, and why wasn’t a flag raised for three years?

Dark humoured doctors need to watch their language
- Health & Family
- April 23, 2018, 05:01
Medical argot, beloved by the profession, can stray into unacceptable territory when carelessly applied to patients

Lessons from the great influenza pandemic for today's world
- Health & Family
- April 8, 2018, 07:01
Flu pandemic of 1918 killed only slightly fewer Irish people than four years of the Great War

Waking the dead a balm to the grieving process
- Health & Family
- April 2, 2018, 06:01
Thanks to the kindness of fantastic friends and neighbours, we gave ‘Nan’ a great send-off

Dr Muiris Houston: Bio-weapons are scarily easy to get and use
- Health & Family
- March 27, 2018, 06:00
Sergei and Yulia Skripal’s poisoner delivered neurotoxin via air conditioning in victim’s car

Flu increases heart attack and stroke risk, study claims
- Health
- March 22, 2018, 00:30
Respiratory infections cause inflammation, while the flu virus and pneumonia can damage heart muscle

Does ‘an apple a day keep the doctor away’ and should you ‘feed a cold, starve a fever’?
- Health & Family
- March 19, 2018, 09:01
Sometimes the recommendation contained in the aphorism is worse than the disease

What is bacterial meningitis and what are the symptoms?
- Health & Family
- March 13, 2018, 01:00
There are three subgroups of meningococci: A, B and C. Vaccines are available against B and C

Shift work: bad for your diet and sleep, and raises your cancer risk
- Health & Family
- March 12, 2018, 06:01
Dr Muiris Houston: A body of evidence links shift work with diabetes, heart disease and cancer

GPs prescribe antidepressants because therapy isn’t available
- Health & Family
- March 5, 2018, 06:00
Dr Muiris Houston: Major new research contains valuable information on antidepressant medicines

Shingles: Bring on the vaccine and free us from ‘hell’s fire’
- Health & Family
- February 26, 2018, 06:01
Shingles risk risk rises sharply when you hit 50. The pain has been likened to childbirth

Measles back with a vengeance due to fake health news
- Opinion
- February 23, 2018, 01:00
New approach needed to combat false information about vaccines

‘Truth Decay’ – it is up to us to challenge fake health news
- Health & Family
- February 19, 2018, 07:01
We must future proof the next generation by upping their education in risk and critical thinking

After cancer: Relapse is the biggest fear, but not the only risk
- Health & Family
- February 12, 2018, 06:01
Cancer survivors can face post-traumatic stress and a higher risk of heart failure

How to go to the doctor: A GP’s guide for patients
- Health & Family
- February 5, 2018, 07:01
Questions to ask yourself, and tips to remember, before visiting your GP

Trauma injuries require immediate expert attention
- Health
- February 1, 2018, 01:00
Muiris Houston: Degree of patient’s trauma must be identified as early as possible

Questions and Answers: Key abortion issues
- Health
- January 30, 2018, 01:00
A number of medical issues will arise if there is a policy of termination of pregnancy on request

Can we reverse Type 2 diabetes? Yes, we can
- Health & Family
- January 22, 2018, 06:01
The incidence of Type 2 has more than doubled between 1998 and 2015, so eradicating the disease has enormous appeal

Asthma: what happens in your lungs, and why you shouldn't underestimate it
- Health & Family
- January 15, 2018, 07:01
In the UK, children and young people have the highest death rate from asthma in Europe

The flu: what are the symptoms and what should I do?
- Health & Family
- January 7, 2018, 06:01
Despite the doomsday predictions of some, infection rates are not yet at epidemic levels

Politicians and HSE to blame for our health service debacle
- Health
- January 5, 2018, 01:00
More people will die as a consequence of not being treated in a fully functioning ward

Don’t allow yourself to be shamed into New Year health resolutions
- Health & Family
- December 31, 2017, 07:01
Making health resolutions is a double-edged sword for some of us

Radiologist at Tralee hospital signed off on 3,000 reports per month
- Health
- December 20, 2017, 01:00
Provisional diagnostic error rate attributable to specialist within international norms

How some of your Christmas diet may actually be good for you
- Health & Family
- December 18, 2017, 06:00
A glass of red wine, perhaps? Some dark chocolate, almonds and cocoa? Yes you can

Dr Muiris Houston on the death of footballer Izzy Dezu (16)
- Health
- December 14, 2017, 01:00
Death of Shelbourne FC player likely due to sudden arrhythmic death syndrome

The sickening truth at last: ‘Man flu’ is real
- Health
- December 12, 2017, 00:03
Research reveals men suffer more from viral respiratory illness than women