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Head Lice – Help!!!

Every parent’s heart sinks when they receive the dreaded note from school warning about head lice. Don’t worry – Jane Brennan from Brennan’s Life Pharmacy in Donabate is here to to give us advice and tips. The first thing to do is to check the child’s head. You will need some tea tree conditioner, a... Read more >

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Are You SunSmart?

We ask Jane Brennan from Brennan’s Life Pharmacy Donabate how to make the most of great sunny summer days whilst protecting our skin from harmful rays. Jane says “The Irish Cancer Society SunSmart program has great guidelines to keep us safe. See below for some useful tips and advice” Ways to protect your skin: Shade... Read more >

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Pollen Highs & Watery Eyes

Pollen Highs & Watery Eyes… Talk to Jane Brennan, your Hay Fever Expert in Donabate Are your eyes itchy, red or watery? Is your throat scratchy? Are you sneezing? Do you have itchy ears, nose or mouth? Do you have a blocked or runny nose? Do you wake up feeling exhausted? Hay fever can cause... Read more >

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Life Pharmacy Ireland – Live Better

Bringing you the best health advice for your family

NHS Choices - 'I thought it would never happen to me again, but it did'

(18/06/2014)

Mike Smith has had three heart attacks. As he nears 60 and enjoys life to the full, he explains how the attacks affected him.

"My first experience was many years ago. I thought it was heartburn but ended up at my local hospital, where they told me I’d had a heart attack.

"After that, I was put on a course of tablets and didn’t have any more problems for the next 14 years. I stopped smoking and, with the help of the tablets, I was leading a normal life.

"However, I started smoking again, which was not the wisest thing to do. I was feeling so fit and healthy that I thought I'd never have a heart attack again, but I did. And after this second heart attack, I had another one a month or two later. The doctors decided that I needed a heart bypass operation.

"I remember waking up in intensive care about 10 hours after the operation. I stayed there for about two days, before being moved to the normal ward. The doctors had me up and walking pretty much immediately. I was in hospital for about a week.

"On my first day home, I was visited by a cardiac nurse. For the next week or so, I had to hold a cushion every time I was about to sneeze because it hurt. 

"Once I'd recovered, I went to the gym in my local community centre, where I met other people who'd had the same problem. It was useful chatting with them about a common condition.

"I now take three tablets every morning and one at night. It's a small price to pay.

"You don’t have to sit in a corner and be woeful all day. I got married and had a son after my first heart attack. Life certainly doesn’t end after you’ve had a heart attack."