Dr Phil Kieran

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#Dr Phil Kieran

General practitioner

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Going to the doctor to get medication or to make sure medication isn’t needed can seem like the conscientious thing to do. But harm can arise from unintentionally teaching children that all health issues are scary or complicated and need to be seen by a doctor. Picture: iStock </p>

parenting

Dr Phil Kieran: Sometimes what the doctor orders is not visiting the GP

I’m a GP and I'm always trying to empower my patients to understand their health and to know what they can sit with while the body’s immune system gets to work and what needs medical intervention.

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Dr Phil Kieran: When should you call your GP?

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Dr Phil Kieran: Why is my teen sleeping so much but still tired?

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Dr Phil Kieran: My son has nosebleeds three times a week

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Dr Phil Kieran: My teenage son can’t handle the heat

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Dr Phil Kieran: My son has developed warts on his back and thumb

Smiling Little boy posing looking at the camera at a public park

Dr Phil Kieran: I'm worried about my sporty child who recently got glasses

I worry that my child's sight will deteriorate, what can I do?

Tue, 23 Jun, 2026

Close up of the legs of a teenager walking through the park.

Dr Phil Kieran: Should I worry if my son is still limping five weeks after a toe injury?

We used the RICE method — rest, ice, compression, elevation — and buddy taping to treat my son's injured toe. Did we do the right thing?

Tue, 16 Jun, 2026

burnt female skin in the sun close-up in a blue t-shirt

Dr Phil Kieran: Does my daughter need medical help for a serious sunburn on her back?

The good news is sunburn (even with blisters) should heal fully in three to 10 days

Tue, 09 Jun, 2026

Teenager boy tired stressed of reading, doing homework

Dr Phil Kieran: Should we manage our son’s Leaving Cert anxiety with medication?

Several options other than medication could be helpful for your son, such as counselling, physical activity, and apps such as Headspace and Clear Fear, which teach tools to manage anxiety and stress

Tue, 19 May, 2026

Wide angle. Dynamic photo of young girl tossing ball in motion, training dribbling technique against white background.

Dr Phil Kieran: Is overdoing it on the basketball court the cause of my child’s knee pain?

For overuse injuries, treatment usually involves identifying the cause, resting until the pain goes away, and gradually building the exercise back up

Tue, 12 May, 2026

Getting a good night's rest

Dr Phil Kieran: My grandson is still wetting the bed at six

Your grandson is still very much at an appropriate age for bedwetting, and chances are high this issue will resolve itself in the next year or so

Tue, 28 Apr, 2026

Woman lay on a bed holding a pillow to her stomach

Dr Phil Kieran: Should I take my 13-year-old to our GP for her painful periods?

From the symptoms you describe, it sounds more like dysmenorrhoea rather than endometriosis

Tue, 21 Apr, 2026

Frusrated redhead teenage boy after he lost the game while playing video games

Dr Phil Kieran: Are computer games the cause of my son's hand and wrist pain?

I appreciate that he may not be keen on this, but I would encourage him to look at the longer-term picture.

Tue, 14 Apr, 2026

severe hand itching scratching. scary wound Itchy rash, allergies, fungal skin diseases

Dr Phil Kieran: My teenager got scabies on a camping trip

It is important to let your son know that he won’t be left with this rash forever, and the itch will pass

Tue, 07 Apr, 2026

Sad woman holding her nose because sinus pain

Dr Phil Kieran: What can my teen do about her repeat sinus infections?

They leave her feeling miserable and she's stressed about her upcoming Junior Cert, which probably isn't helping

Tue, 24 Mar, 2026

Cropped shot of young woman with white stretch marks from a weight loss or weight gain on her thigh

Dr Phil Kieran: Is there a treatment for my teen's stretch marks?

Stretch marks occur in up to 70% of adolescent girls - there is nothing to feel embarrassed about them

Tue, 17 Mar, 2026

Pensive sad boy teenager

Dr Phil Kieran: My son's mood has dipped since getting an injury

For people with an injury, it can be easy to focus on what they can’t do rather than what they can

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

Tired student trying to study in the night

Dr Phil Kieran: My teenage daughter is listless after antibiotic

Post-infection fatigue syndromes are a complex and variable group of conditions which are still poorly understood

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Allergy skin of an Asian kid on her legs with hand to scratch in natural light.

Dr Phil Kieran: My son's childhood eczema is back and it's painful

Eczema often settles down to some extent with age. For your son, this means that although it hasn’t settled yet, there is a decent chance it will over the next few years

Mon, 09 Feb, 2026

front and side and back view of same teenage boy standing on white background,

Dr Phil Kieran: Should we worry about my teenage son's short stature?

Height is a complex and sensitive topic that can be normal or indicate a medical issue that may need treatment

Tue, 27 Jan, 2026

Boy Coughing

Dr Phil Kieran: Does my child need a second antibiotic?

Frequently, I talk to people who feel the course of antibiotics should be longer than the one they received, but I point out that antibiotics are meant to help the immune system clear the infection. The full recovery often happens only with time.

Tue, 13 Jan, 2026

Sick child girl coughing, sitting on bed at home, close up, side view

Dr Phil Kieran: Could my child's night coughing be due to asthma?

There are specific tests, such as pulmonary function tests, but most of the time, asthma is diagnosed clinically and confirmed by a successful response to treatment

Tue, 30 Dec, 2025

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

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

Photo of charming teen girl sit sofa suffer stomach pain wear yellow clothes modern interior flat indoors

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