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#Dr Phil Kieran

General practitioner

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

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Dr Phil Kieran: My teenage daughter is listless after antibiotic
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Dr Phil Kieran: My son's childhood eczema is back and it's painful
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Dr Phil Kieran: Should we worry about my teenage son's short stature?
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Dr Phil Kieran: Does my child need a second antibiotic?
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Dr Phil Kieran: Could my child's night coughing be due to asthma?
Photo of cute tired sleepy boy pupil sleeping lying soft divan after school lesson apartment room interior indoors
Dr Phil Kieran: My sporty son says he feels tired all the time 
Fatigue after an infection is pretty common, making it harder for parents to know what is normal and when they should be concerned

Tue, 23 Dec, 2025

Female Doctor Putting Walking Brace On Person's Leg
Dr Phil Kieran: I'm worried about my teenager's stress fracture  
It is essential that your son take his time to fully recover from this injury

Tue, 16 Dec, 2025

Headshot of an annoyed teenage boy
Dr Phil Kieran: What can my teen do about his flaking scalp?
"The exact cause or mechanism for this condition isn’t fully understood, but I’ll go through what we do know about and what I can recommend for your son."

Tue, 09 Dec, 2025

sick young kid using tissue after cold, rhinitis or allergies
Dr Phil Kieran: What can I do to boost my child’s immune system?
Children and crèches are a perfect storm for bugs.

Tue, 25 Nov, 2025

Newborn child with headache
Dr Phil Kieran: I worry my grandchild will get ill when visiting from the US
She hasn’t been fully vaccinated and I’m worried that she might pick up an infection

Tue, 18 Nov, 2025

Little boy with a sore throat
Dr Phil Kieran: How can I tell if my son's sore throat needs medical attention?
Sore throats are very common and can be caused by a wide range of issues, from seasonal allergies that cause us to breathe more through our mouths at night to acid reflux, overuse of the voice (such as singing or shouting), or, more commonly, upper respiratory tract viruses.

Tue, 11 Nov, 2025

School girl with eyewear rubbing her eyes
Dr Phil Kieran: My Junior Cert child is suffering from eye strain — what could be the cause?
As we spend more time on screens, eye strain is becoming increasingly common

Tue, 28 Oct, 2025

Young woman with headache
Dr Phil Kieran: Daughter is tired all the time since starting college
"Medically, fatigue is a very common symptom, with infinite causes. She may well be fatigued as her body adapts to a new routine of early morning travel, commuting, and the intensive setting of college."

Tue, 21 Oct, 2025

portrait of young casual man or student isolated on color background
Dr Phil Kieran: What is the best treatment for a teen with a hacking cough?
"Respiratory infections are arguably the most common infections, and most, if not all, will include some degree of coughing. It is common for children to get over six viral respiratory infections per year."

Tue, 14 Oct, 2025

A boy has a stomachache from food poisoning.
Dr Phil Kieran: What can I do to help my child have regular bowel movements?
With neurodiversity, some of the sensations that most of us take for granted can be difficult to interpret, and responding to these can manifest in strict dietary preferences and aversions to certain tastes or textures.

Tue, 30 Sep, 2025

Mother Doing Head Lice Inspection On Daughter
Dr Phil Kieran: How can I treat my long-haired child's head lice?
Unfortunately, there is no sure-fire way to prevent lice, but understanding how they spread can help reduce the risk somewhat

Tue, 16 Sep, 2025

Lonely girl in bedroom
Dr Phil Kieran: My anxious Leaving Cert child is already struggling with sleep 
Life is stressful for many of us, and during the two years of the Leaving Cert cycle, that pressure builds and builds and can be difficult to manage.

Tue, 09 Sep, 2025

Closeup beautiful young asian woman applying cream and lotion onto foot dry on bed, beauty asia girl moisturizer and treatment c
Dr Phil Kieran: Could stabbing pain in her heels be plantar fasciitis?  
"Foot pain is a problem we often see in general practice and can be due to a wide array of causes. Plantar fasciitis is a fairly common condition, which is why people often hear about it."

Tue, 26 Aug, 2025

Teen boy wipes his nose with a napkin
Dr Phil Kieran: Should we worry about my teen's nosebleeds? 
Anything that irritates the inside of the nose can cause bleeding. The most common of these is direct trauma from itching or picking (which is much more common than most people think, with a study showing that 91% of us do so).

Tue, 19 Aug, 2025

woman shaving her armpit with red shaver
Dr Phil Kieran: How can we stop our daughter’s painful skin infections?
Hidradenitis suppurativa is also known as acne inversa and is a recurring condition 

Tue, 12 Aug, 2025

Left foot with bruised big toe
Dr Phil Kieran: Is there anything we can do to save my son's injured toenail?
"If your son’s bruise is large enough, it can cause the nail to separate from the underlying nail bed. This is what causes the nail to fall off."

Tue, 22 Jul, 2025

Smiling doctor showing diet plan
Dr Phil Kieran: Is my son's weight gain due to hormone changes?
Your child likely has nothing to worry about, but making a conscious effort at this stage to develop a positive attitude towards food and body image is an investment in their future health

Tue, 15 Jul, 2025

Small boy coughing from with closed eyes at home.
Dr Phil Kieran: How can I help my child avoid croup?
Croup usually starts with a mild, cold-like illness, characterised by a runny nose, mild fever (around 38.5 °C), and, sometimes, sticky eyes. This can then progress to a cough, followed by the classic ‘seal bark’ croup cough.

Tue, 08 Jul, 2025

Unhappy teenage girl with head in hand
Dr Phil Kieran: What can my teen do to avoid getting swimmer's ear? 
My 13-year-old daughter developed painful swimmer’s ear while we were on holiday last summer. Can she prevent it this year?

Tue, 24 Jun, 2025

Happy handsome sleeping child boy lying bed and resting
Dr Phil Kieran: Is my teen's growth spurt to blame for his marathon sleeping? 
Oversleeping regularly can contribute to changes in mood and concentration

Tue, 17 Jun, 2025

Close-up woman massaging her arthritic hand and wrist, she is suffering from pain and rheumatism
Should my teen get the cyst on her wrist aspirated? 
The old advice was to 'bash' a ganglion cyst with a Bible giving them their other name of 'Bible bumps'. This approach aims to burst the cyst without breaking the skin, however, this treatment is painful, risks bone fracture, and isn’t very effective

Tue, 27 May, 2025

Woman having stomach ache
Can my teen speed up recovery from cracked ribs? 
With rib injuries, we tend not to breathe very deeply. Pain relief is important to reduce the risk of developing a chest infection. This is because the movement of the ribs is painful, so we try to reduce it

Tue, 20 May, 2025

Isolated young fitness woman training
What can my teen do about cramps after gym workout?
Building a good exercise habit in your teens is a crucial step in maintaining a healthy lifestyle into adulthood, so I would be keen to find a solution for your daughter

Tue, 29 Apr, 2025

young boy with broken arm
Can my son speed up recovery from a broken wrist?
People often think that a fracture or a break is different but, in medicine, we use the terms interchangeably

Tue, 22 Apr, 2025

Rear view of man looking away
Dr Phil Kieran: What can my teen do about his excessive sweating?
Interestingly, body ‘odour’ is primarily caused by normal skin bacteria digesting the oils in the sweat produced by these glands, rather than the sweat itself

Tue, 15 Apr, 2025

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My daughter has to take painkillers during her periods — I'm worried she might have endometriosis
How do I find out if this bad period pain is endometriosis?

Tue, 08 Apr, 2025

Young Girl Feeling Ill
Dr Phil Kieran: My teenager is finding it difficult to shake off her bug
Most of the time, when we pick up a bug, it will take somewhere between one and two weeks to settle down

Tue, 25 Mar, 2025

Hemangioma in the head
Dr Phil Kieran: Should my young grandson undergo surgery?
Although surgical intervention will often result in a quicker result, it carries some risk.

Tue, 18 Mar, 2025

Mother giving cough syrup to her daughter in bedroom
Dr Phil Kieran: Paracetamol or ibuprofen or both for my sick child?
"The difference between paracetamol and ibuprofen can be confusing and cause a lot of worry for parents trying to pick which one they should use in any given situation."

Tue, 25 Feb, 2025

Thinking boy
Dr Phil Kieran: How can I help my child recover after norovirus? 
Norovirus is a small, highly contagious virus that causes ‘winter vomiting illness’

Wed, 19 Feb, 2025

Sunset jogging
Dr Phil Kieran: My sporty teenager has yet to get her periods
Could her intense exercise regimen explain why she is not menstruating?

Tue, 04 Feb, 2025

Little boy scratching me his chickenpox
Dr Phil Kieran: When is it safe to mix with others after chickenpox?
Chickenpox is a ‘vesicular’ rash, meaning it shows up as fluid-filled spots that burst.

Tue, 28 Jan, 2025

Vaccination little girl.
We missed our baby's 12-month vaccinations — can they get them all at their next appointment?
Is it ok to get the MMR and MenB vaccines along with the Hib/MenC and PCV vaccines at the 13-month appointment? That seems like a lot for a baby to get at one GP visit...

Tue, 21 Jan, 2025

portret funny baby toddler blonde boy
Phil Kieran: How do I stop my toddler getting hand, foot, and mouth disease again?
Hand, foot and mouth disease typically occurs in children younger than five and is highly contagious. It is caused by enteroviruses (usually the Coxsackie virus) and can be caused by a number of different strains

Tue, 14 Jan, 2025

Making sure it's fastened correctly
Dr Phil Kieran: I’m worried about my grandson’s angry nappy rash
"For most children, a barrier cream will quickly settle the irritation, and there is no evidence that ones containing zinc or petroleum jelly harm the skin."

Tue, 31 Dec, 2024

family celebrating Christmas
Dr Phil Kieran: I am worried we'll pass on a virus to my elderly parents at Christmas
You can take a few simple steps to try and ensure they aren’t at any increased risk

Tue, 10 Dec, 2024

Little boy complaining of a sore throat during medical appointment at pediatrician's.
Dr Phil Kieran: My GP is reluctant to prescribe antibiotics 
Antibiotics are amazing, lifesaving, readily available and, unfortunately, potentially dangerous medications that should be treated with respect. 

Tue, 26 Nov, 2024

please wash your hands
Dr Phil Kieran: What can we do to prevent return of worms?
"Worms are a very common condition in children. They most frequently are found when a child complains of an itchy bottom, particularly at night, and can be seen in their poo as moving, tiny, white, thread-like things."

Tue, 19 Nov, 2024

Boy sleeping in bed with crisp white sheets
Dr Phil Kieran: What can I do about my child's bedwetting? 
"Bedwetting can be a very sensitive topic and difficult to sort out. The good news is that it usually settles down by itself."

Tue, 12 Nov, 2024

Close up of calluses. Problem skin on the steps of a teenager
Dr Phil Kieran: My gym-going teenager has blisters on his feet 
"Most, if not all, of us will experience these at some point in our lives unless we are inactive, so it's a good idea to know what they are, how to prevent them, and what to do if you do have them."

Tue, 22 Oct, 2024

Sore Throat - Boy holding his neck in pain
Dr Phil Kieran: Should my son get his tonsils taken out?
"Recurrent tonsillitis can be a real pain in the neck. The tonsils sit in the back of the throat and form part of a ring of immune tissue surrounding the upper openings of the oesophagus (food pipe) and trachea (windpipe)."

Tue, 15 Oct, 2024

shocked beautiful woman covering mouth on blue background
Phil Kieran: How can my teen stop her cold sores from coming back?
"It’s possible to spread it even without getting cold sores yourself. A significant portion of people who have ‘never had a cold sore’ will shed the virus occasionally without knowing it."

Tue, 08 Oct, 2024

Asthma Inhaler
Phil Kieran: Could my daughter grow out of her asthma?
Asthma is one of the most common respiratory conditions in Ireland, affecting one in 10 children and one in 13 adults. 

Tue, 24 Sep, 2024

Sick curly boy has a sore throat, strong pain, need medical treatment isolated
Dr Phil Kieran: What can I do about my child’s recurring throat infections?
He is not very sporty and rarely eats fruit and vegetables

Tue, 17 Sep, 2024

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Mick Clifford
Mick Clifford

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