The Irish Times - Health

Dear diary, I've got swine flu

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:38:53 GMT

A. “It causes mild to moderate flu illness, and most people are able to get better at home after about a week.”B. “Aches and pains – often severe, extreme exhaustion, fatigue, weakness can be prolonged for a number of weeks.”

Getting a flavour of business

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:53 GMT

NEW LIFE:Despite a background in engineering and architecture, Stewart Mansfield changed direction to launch an online wine shop

A fair way to fund our care?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:53 GMT

How does the Fair Deal scheme work, who qualifies and how do you apply? asksFIONA REDDAN

Discomfort after drinking a lot of fluids

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:53 GMT

MEN'S HEALTH MATTERS:Obstruction in kidney may require surgical intervention

Time to invest heavily in a little generosity

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:53 GMT

THAT'S MEN:If you’re trying to impress a mott, dig deep and throw a few bob about. Could be the best investment you ever made, writesPADRAIG O’MORAIN

Lifelines

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:53 GMT

A summary of up-coming health events

No cause for alarm if he's sleepwalking

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:53 GMT

CHECK-UP:Sleepwalking is most common in children aged four to eight

'I can't afford to be sick'

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:53 GMT

Many people in the US are going to work sick as they cannot afford to lose pay or put their jobs in jeopardy

Fearful of the everyday event

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:53 GMT

Social phobia is a major problem for about 8 per cent of the population, writesDR HARRY BARRY

Pitfalls of surfing for ills

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:53 GMT

Searching the web for information on an ailment can send you into total head spin, writesCAROLYN BUTLER

Seeking a safe and effective alternative to HRT

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:53 GMT

DOES IT WORK?Phytoestrogens are relatively safe for women, especially for those under 55

Needling issue of weight loss

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:53 GMT

About 80 per cent of Chinese people use acupuncture to treat obesity, writesSYLVIA THOMPSON

Prevention programme is on chopping block

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:53 GMT

MEDICAL MATTERS:Despite its obvious success, Heartwatch is under threat of cancellation, writesMUIRIS HOUSTON

A woman's heart

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

Women need to be more aware of their heart disease risk and symptoms, and more gender-specific clinical studies are being called for.CLAIRE O’CONNELLinvestigates

Taking the hump at the younger generation

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

IT'S A DAD'S LIFE:I don’t register on her radar – she’s early 20s and distracted – but I do want her to see me

The complex undertaking of giving a speech

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

HEALTH PLUS:The phenomenon that is the after-dinner speech

Unexpected depression

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

Clinical depression in pregnancy can be equally detrimental for both mother and baby with higher risks of poor attendance at antenatal clinics, substance misuse, low birth weight and pre-term delivery, writesJUNE SHANNON

New group aims to support more women to breastfeed

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

Both men and women are welcome to join ‘Friends of Breastfeeding’

Immersed in a culture of bottlefeeding

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

How has it happened that the breastfeeding rate in Ireland is one of the lowest in Europe?

The childcare dilemma

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

ASK THE EXPERT:How to choose the right childcare and prepare your child for your return to work

You people in the Oireachtas just don't get it

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

Government seems to believe it will all be business as before, once the mob has settled down. It won’t, writesMAURICE NELIGAN

Right to apologise

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

The Irish Medical Council’s revised guide to professional conduct and ethics says patients are entitled to ‘honest, open and prompt communication from doctors about adverse events that may have caused them harm’

Seeking a clear focus on openness

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

Victims of medical negligence sometimes meet a wall of silence. For the sake of justice, much more openness is required

In Short

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

A round-up of this week's health news in brief

Pieta House extends its opening hours

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

PIETA HOUSE, which claims to be the Republic’s only centre providing a therapeutic service for the prevention of suicide and self-harm, has announced the extension of its opening hours to cope with demand for its services.

Make a speedy recovery by choosing a quiet room with a view in hospital

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

IF YOU are ever a patient in hospital, be sure to get a quiet room with a view of nature out the window – it could speed you towards recovery.

Websites offer advice to troubled teenagers

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

TWO NEW WEBSITES which offer practical advice to teenagers on issues such as depression, domestic abuse, parental separation and death, have recently come online.

€17 million boost for cardiac renal unit

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

A €17 MILLION funding allocation by the Health Service Executive (HSE) which will allow the equipping and phased opening next year of a new 151-bed cardiac renal facility at Cork University Hospital (CUH) has been warmly welcomed by both hospital management and medical staff.

Mental health concerns rise

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

COMMUNITY MENTAL health nurses are growing increasingly concerned about the fragmentation of Irish society and the loss of defined community structures and supports, a new study carried out by a researcher at Waterford Institute of Technology has found.

Families cut back on visits to doctor

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT

IRISH PEOPLE are cutting back on visits to the doctor and on medicines – even prescribed doses – as a result of the recession, a new survey has shown.

GPs face delays over locum payments

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:51 GMT

GENERAL PRACTITIONERS in the west are facing delays in repayment of locum cover, due to HSE West’s non-replacement of staff on maternity leave.

Lowering costs without lowering healthcare

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:51 GMT

THE PROBLEM of how to reduce health spending without reducing the standard of healthcare will be the subject of the nextIrish Times/Pfizer health debate which will be held on Wednesday, November 25th in Dublin.

'Confident advice' needed to ease fears over HRT

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:51 GMT

WOMEN SHOULD be given “confident advice” which allows them to make an “informed choice” about using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to relieve symptoms of menopause, Irish Menopause Society (IMS) president Dr Barbara O’Beirne has said.

Walking habit gathers pace

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:51 GMT

A NEW fitness craze is beginning to hit community centres and parish halls around the country: teaching walkers how to squeeze every ounce of fitness out of their walking – indoors.

Medical card 'bias' emerges in new figures

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:51 GMT

PEOPLE LIVING in the northeast and in north Dublin are much less likely to be granted discretionary medical cards than individuals living in other parts of the State, it has emerged.

Let them eat cupcakes

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:41 GMT

A cookery programme on TV about the art of making cupcakes was just the inspiration Kay Weldon needed to open old-fashioned tea rooms in Blarney

Fitness just a stretch away, advises dance guru

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:40 GMT

Maria Putkisto has led a quiet revolution in fitness after devising her own programme

The real symptoms of a tough winter

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:40 GMT

Winter has arrived, as we knew it would, but are our hospitals ready for the extra workload this season inevitably brings?

PSA levels, acupuncture and tennis elbow

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:40 GMT

MEN'S HEALTH MATTERS:If you are over 75 years of age, there is no need to get your PSA level checked

How fear can point us in the right direction

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:40 GMT

THAT'S MEN:Fear should act as a catalyst for action rather than instil a feeling of paralysis

Travel opens our minds to fresh thinking

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:40 GMT

MIND MOVES:The joy we derive from travel has often more to do with the mindset we bring with us, writesTONY BATES

I have never let my Tourette's stop me

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:40 GMT

Simon Pitcher from Dublin talks toMICHELLE MCDONAGHabout lving with Tourette's Syndrome

Lifelines

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:40 GMT

A selection of up-coming health events countrywide

Spooning out some good caffeine advice

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:40 GMT

CHECK-UP:Although excessive caffeine can lead to a fast heart rate, stopping it abruptly can cause other problems

Taking care of negligence

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:40 GMT

In New Zealand, timely and appropriate compensation and support for injury as a result of medical negligence is the norm – we could learn from them, writesJAMES REILLY, Fine Gael’s health spokesman

Asthma techniques can take your breath away

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:40 GMT

Research shows that substantial numbers of asthma patients don’t take their medications as prescribed, contributing to poor control of the condition.CLAIRE O’CONNELLreports

Pumpkin seed oil may help with urinary issues

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:40 GMT

DOES IT WORK?Pumpkins and men’s health

Caring for the carers

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:40 GMT

An innovative centre is offering relaxation therapies at a reduced rate for family carers and the people they care for.MICHELLE MCDONAGHreports

ICGP has more to celebrate than its 25 years

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:40 GMT

MEDICAL MATTERS:As the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) celebrates its 25th birthday, its achievements for both Irish doctors and Irish patients have been outstanding

From bench to bedside

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:40 GMT

A major funder of health research in Ireland is moving its focus away from basic research and towards the patient.CLAIRE O’CONNELLreports

Generations apart but allied in academia

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:39 GMT

HEALTH PLUS:Prof Noam Chomsky knows the potential which lies in the young

Is it time to tell the truth about the tooth fairy?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:39 GMT

IT'S A DAD'S LIFE:I am a father of girls . . . I am in the ‘most easily manipulated’ category

Tuning into their needs

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:39 GMT

A new programme which aims to support parents from disadvantaged backgrounds to become more attuned to the needs of their offspring has proved very successful

Staying safe on the internet

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:39 GMT

ASK THE EXPERT:I don’t know who my daughter’s ‘hanging out’ with on the web – and it terrifies me

Teenage kicks in mind

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:39 GMT

Forget the hormones, neuroscientists have discovered that physical changes in teenagers’ brains may account for their strange behaviour.SHEILA WAYMANreports

How do you explain Nama to the kids?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:39 GMT

HEART BEAT:Nursery rhymes might do the trick, but they need to be modified

Drumm loses his dream team

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:39 GMT

Four years after picking his reform team, three of the five advisers Prof Drumm chose to be at his side have taken flight, leaving many to wonder if things just got too hot in his ‘kitchen’.EITHNE DONNELLAN, Health Correspondent, reports

In Short

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:39 GMT

A round-up of today's health news in brief

Hospital study shows nutritional deficits

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:39 GMT

UP TO 11 per cent of patients admitted to hospitals in Ireland are malnourished, according to a new Department of Health report published last week.

Third-level students under stress as recession kicks in

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:39 GMT

THIRD-LEVEL STUDENTS are increasingly under stress due to financial worries and concern over their future, according to the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).

Number with private health insurance still falling

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:39 GMT

THE NUMBER of people covered by private health insurance is continuing to fall, according to new figures compiled by the regulator for the industry, the Health Insurance Authority (HIA).

Specialist clinics reduce waiting lists

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:39 GMT

A GENERAL review of services resulting in the introduction of a number of specialist clinics has helped reduce outpatient waiting lists at the Mercy University Hospital (MUH) in Cork city by almost three-quarters.

Parents' attitude to food can affect children's eating habits

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:39 GMT

PARENTS NEED to be made more aware of how their attitudes to eating can affect their children, a conference has been told.

HSE to offer under-fives swine flu vaccine

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:39 GMT

CHILDREN UNDER five years and those aged 65 and over are to be offered the swine flu vaccine later this month and early next month, the HSE confirmed yesterday. They will be offered the vaccine at special HSE clinics across the State, not at GP surgeries.

I have learned to live with constant fatigue

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:04:39 GMT

Bébhinn Nic Liam, who suffers from endometriosis, sometimes called a hidden disease, talks to SYLVIA THOMPSON

In US health system, money is everything

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:04:39 GMT

Some 46 million Americans don’t get healthcare because they can’t afford to pay for it – will the government succeed in bringing in a more equitable system, asks DR CHARLES DALY

Humble garlic becomes hot topic of conversation

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:04:39 GMT

The healing powers of garlic are legendary. Now it seems that they have been given the seal of approval by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, writes SYLVIA THOMPSON

Debate puts shortages to bed

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:04:39 GMT

The controversial issue of bed capacity was hotly contested during the fifth of the series of Irish Times/Pfizer health debates

Fears emerge over weight-loss drug's links with kidney damage

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:05:17 GMT

THE EUROPEAN Medicines Agency has recommended the product information for the widely used weight-loss drug Alli be updated after kidney and pancreatic problems were reported in a number of patients using the drug.

Blessed with two careers

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:39:11 GMT

Siobhan O’Keeffe has answered the call of two vocations in her life, firstly to work as a nurse and now to join a religious order

Get right to the heart of private insurance

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:39:11 GMT

How expensive is it to access cardiac services in private and high-tech hospitals and which policies offer the best cover?

Suicide surrounded by culture of concealment

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:39:11 GMT

Statistics reveal that Ireland has the fourth highest under-25 suicide rates in the EU

Plan early to avoid tension at Christmas

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:39:11 GMT

THAT'S MEN:Separated parents shouldn’t leave it until the season itself to decide what will happen with the kids

Lifelines

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:39:11 GMT

Health news in brief

Nailing the presence of poor circulation

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:39:11 GMT

CHECK-UP:The capillary nail refill test can help in assessing dehydration