Show Notes
On the Irish Pharmacy Podcast from Vital Pharmacies, Sheena speaks with GP Dr. Maura Finn about why people shouldn’t avoid seeking care due to embarrassment and how direct questions help ensure safe treatment and rule out serious disease. They discuss common “whispered” issues such as bowel problems and hemorrhoids (including why bleeding patterns and bowel habit changes matter and when colonoscopy or BowelScreen is needed), vaginal symptoms often mislabeled as “thrush” (and when to get examined or swabbed), recurrent UTIs and the potential role of vaginal estrogen in older women, and men’s reluctance to seek care due to fear and cost or access barriers. They also warn about online prescribing for erectile dysfunction missing underlying conditions and drug interactions, normalize discussing incontinence treatment options beyond pads, and cover sensitive topics like alcohol and drug use, non-adherence to prescriptions, side effects, misinformation, supplements affecting health (including renal function), snoring and sleep apnea, and medical causes of bad breath.
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 00:50 Embarrassing Questions Normalized 01:34 Feet Rashes and Exam Basics 03:03 Earwax and Human Quirks 03:58 Hemorrhoids and Direct Talk 04:57 Red Flags and Worst Case 08:30 Gender Differences and Barriers 11:37 Thrush BV and Misdiagnosis 13:05 When to See a Doctor 15:41 Recurrent UTIs and Estrogen 18:06 Blood in Stool and Screening 21:07 Online Doctors and ED Risks 24:03 Incontinence and Pelvic Floor 25:35 Pee Pads Marketing Myth 26:11 When Leaks Aren’t Normal 27:07 Awkward Questions Alcohol 28:52 Talking Weight With Consent 31:14 Drugs And Confidentiality 33:21 Nonadherence And Side Effects 35:55 Pill And Antidepressant Myths 39:57 Supplements Wellness Risks 42:51 Snoring Or Sleep Apnea 44:36 Bad Breath Medical Causes 46:15 No Shame Final Takeaway
*Follow the Irish Pharmacy Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. This podcast is brought to you by Vital Pharmacies, Ireland's biggest group of independently owned Irish pharmacies.* Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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