Health & Wellbeing

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How mother-of-three used salt therapy to ease child’s ‘screaming’ pain

As parents of three small children with milk intolerances, Colleen and Nicholas Fegan from Co Down were at their wits end.

Ask the doctor: I’m dreading a long haul flight — will Xanax help?

Question: I’m going on a long haul flight soon and wanted to ask my GP for something to help with anxiety and restlessness on the flight. I took a Xanax someone gave me before and it worked wonders — is that the best thing to ask for?

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Are you addicted to helping others? Then you could be creating codependent relationships. Here’s how to stop

When we talk about codependent relationships, we often think of the romantic kind. But they exist in a variety of different partnerships, between siblings, parents, friends and even coworkers.

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‘Doctors thought I had Covid or heat stroke … but it was leukaemia’

Affecting just 500 people every year in Ireland, leukaemia is a relatively uncommon disease, but it can affect people of all ages — and although receiving a diagnosis can be devastating, if caught early, it is very treatable.

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Holly Carpenter: ‘Depression isn’t fair. You do all the right things and it still comes knocking on your door’

The last time we spoke, in late 2020, former model and Miss Ireland Holly Carpenter had just met someone, and was contemplating telling him about her depression.

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‘I didn’t realise the crippling effect migraine was having on my life until I found the right treatment’

Today, March 13, sees the start of Brain Awareness Week, which aims to promote greater awareness and understanding of both the brain and brain conditions — along with the need for investment in services and research. There are many different types of conditions which can affect the brain and head, and one of the most common is migraine, which affects up to 15pc of the Irish population. A complex neurological condition, it can be extremely debilitating and can have a profound effect on people’s lives.

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Ask Allison: My wife is struggling since our son’s autism diagnosis and has checked out — how can I help her?

Question: My wife has completely checked out since our son, now five, was diagnosed with autism. We were lucky to get an early assessment, but it seems to have thrown her into a depression and she is distant with him and with me for months now.

Notions & Necessities: From a kids’ festival and a mums’ food tour to skincare for guys, there’s something for everyone

NECESSITY

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Kathy Donaghy Opinion We often want the big fix, but maybe micro joys – like the signs of spring – are the real key to a happier life

When we are overwhelmed by the big things in life it may be the small, everyday things that we can count on to bring us joy – if we open our eyes to let them work their magic.

‘Changes around contraception have been too slow for Irish women, it should be free from when we start having sex up to menopause’

Change comes dropping slowly and nowhere more slowly than in the area of contraception, according to leading women’s rights campaigners who say more needs to be done to make access to contraception easier.

Ask the doctor: I’m female and in my 40s. Would a full body health check up be worth the cost?

Question: I’m now in my 40s, female, and more health-conscious than ever before — but I’ve never been for a full body check-up. Are they worth doing? Are they pricey? What’s involved (needles)? And what do you learn?

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Five myths about obesity and the facts we all need to know about weight loss

A myth is a commonly held but inaccurate belief. Like many other diseases that have been associated with lack of knowledge, misunderstanding and false information, the many ‘myths’ about obesity have resulted in people living with this disease having to deal with bias, stigma and discrimination on a daily basis.

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‘As a non-drinker, it can be hard for a returned emigrant – but cycling helped me find my tribe'

I never imagined in 2010 when I joined my cycling club, Orwell Wheelers, that I would end up cycling some of the most famous routes in the world and end up writing a book about my many adventures — Life Is A Cycle: A true story of resilience, cycling adventures and solo travel. Originally, I joined the club in order to meet people. I had been living abroad and working on cruise ships for many years and when I returned home, I didn’t know anyone.

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‘I thought my heart palpitations were down to menopause – but I was basically a walking stroke’

‘I read about this software update to my Fitbit, and I downloaded it,” says Ann Malone, from Rathangan, Co Kildare. “It carried out an ECG and I got an alert to say ‘possible atrial fibrillation’.”

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‘I developed an eating disorder in my teens, but I was 22 before I told anyone’

‘I developed an eating disorder in my teens. But looking back, I think the thought patterns that led to the eating disorder started many years earlier.

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Welcome to ‘Bare Minimum Monday’: what is the trending TikTok term all about and can it help us beat burnout?

Happy Monday to everyone catching up on their work emails from bed. If you woke up fearing a to-do list you’ve been avoiding all of last week, TikTok’s favourite new work trend is more promising than a lazy cup of coffee to wake you up. Close all your tabs and listen, because Bare Minimum Monday might be the only thing that needs your attention today.

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Ask Allison: I don’t like sex – how do I stop this ruining my new relationship?

Psychologist Allison Keating answers your queries about life and relationships.

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PMDD: ‘Thanks to a painful menstrual condition, I feel like a stranger in my own skin four days every month’

A couple of Sundays ago, I was lucky enough to be invited along to the live taping of RTÉ’s Dancing With The Stars.

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It’s capitalism on ginger shots: Why I’ll never join the TikTok 5am-9am brigade

If your algorithm is anything like mine, there's no doubt you've probably seen the “5-9 before your 9-5” trend on TikTok and Instagram. If it's not, a quick explainer is that it shows people (usually young, usually beautiful, usually rich) filming themselves getting up at 5am to do tasks before they begin a nine-to-five job.

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‘Trust your gut and have lots of sex’: The best pieces of life advice we’ve ever been given

We may sniff at it when it’s unsolicited, perhaps even bristle, but where would we be without advice?

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An expert guide to glowing, youthful skin through menopause – using affordable, everyday products

We already know that the road to menopause is paved with big changes. But what does it do to your complexion? Well, turns out, quite a lot.

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Want to go dairy free? Here’s everything you need to know about plant-based ‘milks’

Going to the shop to pick up some milk isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. There are lots of drinks available that can be used in place of regular cow’s milk. However, they do differ from milk with regard to the nutrients they offer. What makes it more confusing is that each of the milk alternatives differs from one another and from brand to brand. So what are the things to look out for when buying plant-based drinks?

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Childbirth reflections: ‘Someone might have a normal delivery that is hugely traumatic – everyone’s experience is valid’

Millions go through childbirth every day, and there can be a feeling that as long as your baby arrives safely, you should focus on the job in hand and throw yourself into motherhood without a backward glance. But often the process of childbirth can stir up a range of feelings, raising questions about what happened, whether it could have gone differently — and whether you’re remembering it right at all.

Ask the doctor: I am caring for my elderly father and his flatulence is causing me distress. Is there anything we can do?

Question: I have been looking after my elderly father lately and there is an issue that sounds funny but is actually causing me a lot of distress. He breaks wind a lot and it is really bothering me. He eats a fairly healthy Irish diet — potatoes, meat and veg, porridge etc. He doesn’t drink alcohol, coffee, juice or anything fizzy. Is there anything you can think of that would help?

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Ovarian cancer: ‘I went into hospital thinking I had a UTI and came out with a cancer diagnosis’

For most women in their mid-20s, period pain is a common, if unpleasant, reality of female life which can usually be remedied with painkillers, a hot water bottle on the tummy, some gentle massage or exercise and a bit of TLC.

‘We need to talk about mental health’ – Emer O’Neill on own struggles as she leads 26km charity walk

More than 2,000 people will walk the 26km journey from Howth to Dún Laoghaire, or vice versa, this St Patrick’s Day in aid of mental health charity Aware.

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Ask Allison: I fantasise about cutting ties with my toxic, controlling sibling but they have no one else. What do I do?

Psychologist Allison Keating answers your queries about life and relationships.

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‘As my hearing got progressively worse, I started to isolate myself. Hearing aids have changed my life’

According to the HSE, up to 300,000 people in Ireland have significant hearing loss. But while this amounts to 8pc of the adult population, the National Hearing Loss survey has revealed that only one in five of these have hearing aids.

Notions & necessities: From whiskey flights to essays about the animal world, there’s something for everyone

NECESSITY

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Bake Off star Kimberley Wilson: ‘Food has a shocking effect on our mental health’

If Kimberley Wilson looks familiar, it may be because you recognise her as a finalist from the Great British Bake Off from a decade ago. These days the counselling psychologist — who has a master’s in nutrition — is less interested in show-stoppers and technical challenges than in starting a long-overdue conversation about how what we eat is creating a mental health apocalypse.