It’s common and it’s unpleasant but it’s usually transient and rarely life-threatening

‘Short (weekday) sleep is not a risk factor for mortality if it is combined with a medium or long weekend sleep’

Dozens of cases of ebola reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent weeks

Method shown to be highly effective and safe when used up to 22 weeks of pregnancy

The exclusion of pregnant women from drug trials means there is little drug-safety information for them to rely on

Dr Muiris Houston: Emotional resilience, the ability to deal with difficulty, can be learned

The HSE keeps getting the basics wrong. It’s time for organisational change, writes Muiris Houston

CervicalCheck tragedy shows risks in communication failures not widely appreciated

Public trust in Ireland’s health service continues to be eroded, writes Dr Muiris Houston

Dr Muiris Houston on the big decision faced by many terminally ill cancer patients

Can women have confidence in the national cervical screening programme?

Analysis: CervicalCheck review should extend to all screening programmes

Do its labs follow best practice, and why wasn’t a flag raised for three years?

Medical argot, beloved by the profession, can stray into unacceptable territory when carelessly applied to patients

Flu pandemic of 1918 killed only slightly fewer Irish people than four years of the Great War

Thanks to the kindness of fantastic friends and neighbours, we gave ‘Nan’ a great send-off

Sergei and Yulia Skripal’s poisoner delivered neurotoxin via air conditioning in victim’s car

Respiratory infections cause inflammation, while the flu virus and pneumonia can damage heart muscle

Sometimes the recommendation contained in the aphorism is worse than the disease

There are three subgroups of meningococci: A, B and C. Vaccines are available against B and C

Dr Muiris Houston: A body of evidence links shift work with diabetes, heart disease and cancer

Dr Muiris Houston: Major new research contains valuable information on antidepressant medicines

Shingles risk risk rises sharply when you hit 50. The pain has been likened to childbirth

New approach needed to combat false information about vaccines

We must future proof the next generation by upping their education in risk and critical thinking

Cancer survivors can face post-traumatic stress and a higher risk of heart failure

Questions to ask yourself, and tips to remember, before visiting your GP

Muiris Houston: Degree of patient’s trauma must be identified as early as possible

A number of medical issues will arise if there is a policy of termination of pregnancy on request

The incidence of Type 2 has more than doubled between 1998 and 2015, so eradicating the disease has enormous appeal

In the UK, children and young people have the highest death rate from asthma in Europe

Despite the doomsday predictions of some, infection rates are not yet at epidemic levels

More people will die as a consequence of not being treated in a fully functioning ward

Making health resolutions is a double-edged sword for some of us

Provisional diagnostic error rate attributable to specialist within international norms

A glass of red wine, perhaps? Some dark chocolate, almonds and cocoa? Yes you can

Death of Shelbourne FC player likely due to sudden arrhythmic death syndrome

Research reveals men suffer more from viral respiratory illness than women

Study shows there are very real threats to patient safety in State’s hospitals

Dr Muiris Houston: Patients who overestimate their survival do not live longer

Drugs that report when you’ve taken them break trust between doctor and patient

Scientists have yet to discover a reason for the fever’s return, but its virulence has diminished

If the flu vaccine is less effective than hoped, there's an alternative, low-tech solution

Report calls for substantial investment to move away from ‘hospital centric’ system

Drawing on US evidence, TCD authors urge philosophical, political and financial journey

Unprotected oral sex can result in HPV-associated cancers, a growing health problem

Dr Muiris Houston: Latest ‘Lancet’ research suggests procedure may have placebo effect

Inflammation is re-emerging as a likely reason for blockages in the coronary arteries of some patients with ischaemic heart diseas(...)

The ineffectiveness of this year’s flu vaccines means hospitals will not be able to cope

Chronic back pain sufferer Muiris Houston welcomes a dynamic new approach to the problem

Annual awards celebrate scientific studies that ‘cannot, or should not, be repeated’

Burnout series: Toxic stress is at the root of burnout. Tackling it may require serious change

Follow a low-salt high-olive-oil diet and enjoy some dark chocolate

A long-term study suggests a protective effect for women taking oral contraceptives

A wartime mustard gas explosion led to the development of a life-saving treatment

Or do they have a role in modern healthcare, asks Muiris Houston

The threat to human health from weather is rising, as heatwaves increase across Europe

Research suggests that humour has a positive effect on patients, so here goes

Scientists have used Crispr-Cas9 to repair disease-causing mutations. Here’s a guide

When you you look at trends, urban life expectancies are increasing at a faster rate than rural lifespans

Sleep-deprived junior doctors are unable to look after patients safely

The most commonly reported drug allergy may be misdiagnosed in 90% of cases

Statements of ‘absolute certainty’ from self-styled health experts are dangerous

Analysis: Ring-fencing of cancer drug funding may be necessary in future health budgets

Telling a patient that a drug has side-effects can bring on that very problem

Practical help for the sometimes lonely infertility journey

The medical lexicon is littered with phrases that can feel top-down and demeaning

Why has CPR become a reflex response in hospitals rather than allowing nature to take its course?

Why flying can be an unpleasant experience for young children

Techniques like framing and using the placebo effect can make us more effective healthcare professionals

High ratio of surface area to body mass makes children vulnerable to heatstroke

It’s placebo vs nocebo as new study casts doubt on muscle pain effect of statins

Medication can control nearly all cases, but too few people are diagnosed

There’s an epidemic of fatty liver disease in this country, and teetotallers aren’t immune

Seizures can be more harmful to your baby than the medication

Modern chemotherapy can be traced back to military chemical agents

As you bask in the good feelings induced by eating an Easter egg, what is the evidence for the health benefits of chocolate?

The Amazon’s Tsimane tribe's diet is made up mostly of fruit and nuts and they walk up to 17,000 steps a day

Many elderly patients are being inappropriately resuscitated. Let them die ‘ordinary deaths’

One of the best things doctors could do for patients is to listen to them

For some, the October and March clock changes trigger profound sleep disturbance

Emotional distress and fear of pain are cited as reasons for reduced adherence to cervical screening, US review finds

From spiders and clowns to stairs and slopes, phobias, like people, come in all shapes and sizes

It is argued that the continuous sharing of other people’s pain is not good for doctors

As authoritarianism rises, indicators of health fall

Arguments in favour of better incremental care in US and UK are also pertinent to HSE

Cause of condition unknown in most cases but symptoms include uneven shoulders or hips

Less well-off face reduced life expectancy of 2.1 years, new research shows

‘Technology drives diagnosis, but it often merely substitutes our fears of uncertainty with delusions of certainty’

Dr Muiris Houston on his own experiences of taking a prescribed drug, and the mail he got from you

The Irish Cancer Society's campaign may be a social-media success. Medically, it's anything but

‘She said she really wanted to be with Carrie and, within 15 minutes, she faded out’

There are more than 5,400 deaths in Ireland each year due to smoking

Irish report is the first in Europe to examine the cost effectiveness of e-cigarettes

Oh no – 88 per cent of those who set New Year resolutions fail!

From hair of the dog to Mexican prawn salad, seasonal over-indulgers seek best cure

How appropriate was it for Dr Bernadette Scully to act as GP to an ill family member?

Drinking too much water can lead to abnormally low levels of sodium in the body

Thunderstorm asthma may be related to the sudden and widespread breaking open of pollen grains in the atmosphere

A doctor writes: Drug can help patients who are suffering but evidence is unclear