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
Why you need to get a Covid-19 booster vaccine this autumnDr Muiris Houston: Vaccine fatigue seeps through the populace amid unclear messaging about boosters and new bivalentsMon Sept 19 2022 - 05:31
Aspirin: From willow bark to the polypill, it’s been some journeyDr Muiris Houston: Aspirin is 125 years old and remains one of the world’s most used and most affordable drugsMon Sept 05 2022 - 06:01
Dr Muiris Houston: Why we need more research into long and mid-Covid-19Readers have helpfully cast light on debilitating effects of persisting Covid symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness and chest painMon Aug 22 2022 - 05:01
Monkeypox: Ignore the misinformation on social media. Here are the key things you need to know Dr Muiris Houston on whether you can catch the virus from clothes, whether it’s transmitted through the air, and moreMon Aug 22 2022 - 05:00
Booster vaccine: When and where can I get boosted, and why should I bother? Dr Muiris Houston: Are you entitled to a booster vaccine, and will it work against new strains?Wed Aug 10 2022 - 15:59
Dr Muiris Houston: We need to acknowledge ‘mid Covid’. Many are suffering in silenceIt’s time we focus on the considerable number who suffer symptoms directly after acute illnessMon Aug 08 2022 - 05:01
Muiris Houston: This week’s column is brought to you through a Covid brain fog Whether it was carelessness or bad luck, the virus has finally got me, but has Omicron lulled us all into a false sense of security?Mon Jun 27 2022 - 06:01
The stigma of obesity: Time for a hard look in the mirrorDr Muiris Houston: It is wrong to call obesity an epidemic as it frames larger people as inherently diseased and even a menace to societyMon Jun 13 2022 - 06:00
Childhood hepatitis: How to spot the severe illness and why it’s on the riseDr Muiris Houston: None of the usual viruses has been identified as a causeWed Apr 20 2022 - 12:01
Dr Muiris Houston: Omicron may push Delta out for goodLatest variant is likely to raise immunity, ushering in a sharp drop in transmissionMon Jan 10 2022 - 06:01
Novak Djokovic: What are the grounds for a medical exemption from Covid-19 vaccination?Dr Muiris Houston: In Ireland, medical exemptions from vaccination are rareThu Jan 06 2022 - 16:45
Bird flu virus is back, should we be worried?Experts concerned an avian flu variant could ‘jump’ and cause outbreak in humansSat Nov 27 2021 - 06:00
Do we need to reassess our confidence in the Covid-19 vaccine?Vaccines remain highly effective at preventing severe disease and deaths from Covid-19Tue Nov 02 2021 - 06:01
Rocky ride for Trudeau as election takes ugly, un-Canadian turnSaskatchewan Letter: PM targeted by Covid protesters with big parties neck and neckSun Sept 12 2021 - 20:00
We have entered a ‘pseudo-war’ phase of the Covid-19 pandemicCould future variants lengthen the pandemic or make vaccines less effective?Mon Aug 23 2021 - 06:01
Vaxxers: The inside story of the AstraZeneca vaccineBook review: Scientific discovery on this scale is rarely a Eureka moment for a lone geniusTue Aug 03 2021 - 06:00
Europe should approach new Alzheimer’s drug with careA decision by the US FDA to approve aducanumab has alarmed many expertsMon Jul 12 2021 - 06:01
When Anthony Clare met ‘calculating, disturbing’ Jimmy SavileLate psychiatrist felt a deep sense of foreboding when interviewing sexual predatorSun Oct 25 2020 - 06:00
Rise in coronavirus transmission seems inevitable as lockdown liftsIf there’s an outbreak in areas in Cork or Dublin, citywide lockdowns will followMon Jun 29 2020 - 06:01
How to screen for Covid-19 is still far from clearGetting the right testing criteria for coronavirus presents an ongoing medical challengeMon Apr 27 2020 - 02:36
A doctor writes: Where are all the non-Covid-19 patients?Staying in pandemic mode for three months means each GP will not see one person with a life-altering conditionTue Apr 07 2020 - 02:02
Coronavirus: Nagging doubts fill hospital staff’s headsWorries about PPE and ventilators creep in, while loss of smell emerges as odd symptomMon Mar 30 2020 - 05:00
Physical distancing steps are most effective against coronavirus, study suggestsResearch in Lancet Infectious Diseases journal investigates early-intervention measuresTue Mar 24 2020 - 18:38
Coronavirus: What should you do if you have symptoms?In a bid to disrupt the spread of this virus further advice is now available, so what is it?Sun Mar 15 2020 - 23:27
