Emdoc Health

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Preventative and lifestyle medicine physician. Health promoter. Speaker. Researcher. If you are unwell, always contact your own GP.

Evidence-based health promotion discussions here are for eneral information purposes only.

09/10/2026

Crunchy doc tip: Rather than just spend so much money on synthetic, highly processed supplements and immune tonics , I do this one crazy micro-dosing hack. I take my children to purposely be exposed to tiny amounts of virus to help boost their immune system every autumn. It's such a cost saver - it's totally free.

The nasal flu vaccine has been a game changer: Free, quick spray up the nose - available in school programmes, pharmacies, and GPs. This one is a no-brainer. And yes: children can get very unwell from influenza.

Babies may also be offered RSV immunisation (not vaccination) RSV can make young infants very sick, and we can now protect them by giving them some extra antibodies, called "Nirsevimab."

At-risk groups or those who care for them (including healthcare workers!) may also be offered flu and/or covid annual vaccines for free. You can check the eligibility list on the HSE website, or talk to your doctor, midwife, GP, or pharmacist. If you are over 65 and haven't had it yet, your GP or pharmacists might suggest you get your pneumococcal vaccine at the same time.

There is lots of misinformation around vaccination - and we are importing a great deal of it lately. Patients are empowered when they make decisions based on facts, not fears. On science, not sales.

If you have questions, make an appointment to discuss it with a real-life, actuall registered healthcare professional who is accountable for the advice they give.

website has much more information - check it out. .fides

08/10/2026

If you skipped your walk last night because it was too dark, and this evening it's too wet....you're not going tomorrow, either. You know it, I know it -- maybe we need a new plan, Myrtle.

Many of my patients start skipping those evening walks this time of year. Which is fair: it's not about being soft. It frankly may not be safe due to wet leaves, high winds, or dark roads.

Rather than waiting for Irish weather to cooperate or just trying to work up the courage to brave the elements, just winterproof that workout:

1. Change the schedule - can you walk at lunch?

2. Orange really is the new Black: Get the hi-vis out for the roads.

3. Move it inside. Is it time to swap those walks for a pool class or community centre activity for a few months?

Please, please trust me on the hi-vis this time of year. Really - you just cannot be seen on the roads as the evenings close in.

08/10/2026

This time of year its darker than you think. If you run walk or cycle on these shorter evenings, BE SEEN.

Its the time of year for hi-vis, lights, and road safety.

Winterproof your Workout.
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07/10/2026

Who needs Vitamin D this winter? Most of us, actually. We just don't get enough this time of year.

Let's mythbust this one:

1) Sunbeds are NOT a source of Vitamin D.

2) You canNOT store up Vitamin D with excess sun exposure during the summer or skipping sun protection.

3) Excessive amounts of Vitamin D do not "boost" the immune system. You can overdose on Vitamin D. We just need enough to support a healthy immune system.

4) Breastfed babies DO need vitamin D

5) Expensive or fancy supplements are not better. We are just talking basic Vitamin D.

6) It is present in some foods, but might be hard to get enough in daily.

Some people with certain health conditions should not take Vitamin D or may need extra vitamin D, so always check with your doc if you're not sure. Some people who are at risk of deficiency need to take Vitamin D all year round. This can be new information for people who have recently arrived in Ireland from other climates!

For those of us who aren't at an additional risk of Vitamin D deficiency, guidelines suggest we take a Vitamin D supplement from Halloween to St. Patrick's Day (easy to remember!):

Babies under 12 months need 5 micrograms of vitamin D all year if they are breastfed/having less than 300ml of infant formula a day

Children age 1 to 4 need 5 micrograms of vitamin D

Children age 5 to 12 need 10 micrograms of vitamin D

People age 13 to 64 need 15 micrograms of vitamin D

Over 65 - you need it all year round, so you should already be on your daily 15 micrograms (or more if your doctor prescribed it!)

website has a handy guide for more information. You can also talk to your doctor, midwife, CORU-registered dietitian, or registered pharmacist.
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07/10/2026

It's a sunny day. But you know if you hang out laundry, the sun is not as strong, not as high in the sky, and in the sky for fewer hours a day. By the end of the month, most of us need extra Vitamin D to support healthy bones and immune system -- and we need it until St Patrick's Day. How much varies by age. Some people need less, some people need it all year round! Check out Ireland website for guidelines. Not sure? Talk to a registered healthcare professionals (not a supplement seller) Doc, Midwife, coru-registered dietitian, registered Pharmacist. Mythbusting: Vitamin D sources do not include storing it up from summer, skipping sunprotection, or tanning beds. And just enough is enough: you can overdose this! Did you know: This whole extra Vitamin D thing can be new information for people who have moved to Ireland from other latitude! Fides

06/10/2026

It's October which means I'm having regular conversations in my clinics daily about 5 things:

1. Vitamin D

2. Winterproofing That Workout

3. Immunisations

4. Meal Planning

5. Opting in for the national 24 hour digital detox CyberSafeKids

October is a good time to bring the facts - not fears. Let's leave the spooky and make believe in the pumpkin patch.

All week we are skipping the surplus supplements sales, and bringing the science as we break down evidence-based steps you can take this October for a healthier winter.
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06/10/2026

5 Things that we talk about my Clinics in October:

1. ( Ireland guidelines!)
2. , Covid, and immunisations - we talk facts not fears
3. winterproofing that workout you started over the summer
4. during really busy months between now and [nope, wont say it because it's only October!]
5. Plan to do the Digital Detox with your family 16/10/2026

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03/10/2026

Its not a beautiful photo.

Its a sunny day that has no business being beautiful.

I said goodbye to a colleague there today.

As doctors, we should get used to death
Death equally comes for all humans.

Grief however is not the same.

My colleague's last wishes were for us remember joy and laughter.

But I can't today. Today, grief is not yet bittersweet. It feels raw anger at the injustice and just profoundly sad at how great a loss she is to her family, patients, community.

02/10/2026

I saw a patient recently who expressed some serious buyer's remorse after bringing me in pages and pages of tests they ordered from an online company. (No, we won't say home much they spent and I'm not blaming them. They'd gotten a hard sell.)

How to Save Money on your Healthcare: Blood Test Edition.

Since I'm a huge fan of educating and empowering patients:

1. Stop getting 100+ blood tests. More isn't better. You'd be shocked at how many blood tests a hospital lab will theoretically let me order as your doctor. It's insane, actually. But like other competent docs, I don't order tests that you don't actually need. Because it's common sense. I mean what's the point? Unless, hypothetically, the results were then used to upsell worthless and overpriced supplements. Think you need something? Talk to an actual doctor that you have met in-person in real life and make a plan - based on science, not profit. I do preventative health. Trust me: more and more unneeded tests isn't preventing anything.

2. Just getting more tests is NOT the same as personalised healthcare. Read past the marketing.

3. Be a savvy consumer: why are you paying €200-900 to someone who does not have a recognised qualification to interpret the blood tests in the context of your health? Allied healthcare professionals should be CORU registered; doctors should be IMC registered; nurses NMBI registered. Ask for someone's credentials and accountablity before you pay them for expertise. Many charge far more than self-paying to see an actual IMC-registered consultant physician in a private hospital. The Medical Practioner Act of 2007 was written to protect patients and consumers -- but has alot of loopholes.

4. Warning signs you probably should walk away: When the blood tests are sold along side bespoke supplements or detoxes or IV infusion clinics. (Clues you should pause and re-think may include overuse of words like "functional", "holistic" "immune-boosting" or "root cause" or using bloods to test food sensitivity.)

5. sh24.ie is FREE home s*xual health testing kits from

6. Don't skip the ones you DO need. Talk to your GP.

29/09/2026

"I just don't have the time!"

This is something I hear daily in clinic. And I agree - they don't have Pressures of balancing work, life, and parenting duties is overwhelming. So we start with small steps -- the ones above are real steps I've talked about with my patients and their families in the past year. Even small steps can start to make a big impact.

And: If you are old enough to be a parent, you're probably old enough that it's time to know your numbers like cholesterol and blood pressure! Learn more from resources you can trust: Heart Foundation
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