Lakeshore Hospital creates a health and wellness newsletter as part of our outreach to the local community. The content varies from issue to issue, but we always focus on informative topics related to health issues of the day. A popular feature of the newsletter is the Wellness Q & A column, which includes common patient questions with easy-to-understand answers from our physicians.

I’d like you to answer the following three questions as part of the Q & A’s for the next issue of the newsletter, keeping in mind my comments below about how to direct your response for each. The questions for this particular column are related to heat stroke, a serious and life-threatening illness we see more often during warm weather.

1. Above and beyond wearing sunblock to protect against sunburn, why is it important on a hot summer day to take precautions to protect yourself from serious heat-related illnesses? (Focus your answer on heat exhaustion and heat stroke - - explain what they are, the difference between them, prevention, etc.)
   
   
2. How does your body stay at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) when it's over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) outside? (Address the body’s ability to regulate its temperature.)
   
   
3. What could go wrong with the body’s ability to regulate its temperature and what precautions should be taken? What are signs that an athlete is overheating on a hot summer day and what are the treatments for such overheating? (Answer should explain the physiology of what goes wrong in the body, why it happens and how it can be prevented, the physiology of the precautions, outward physical symptoms, and treatment.)

As you answer the questions, keep in mind that your response should be informative and easily understood by members of the general community. An important part of our mission here at Lakeshore Hospital is to educate people to make smart choices about their personal health. Your answers should explain the science behind the question (e.g., how the body regulates temperature) and include details such as prevention, signs and symptoms, and recommended treatments where appropriate.

I’ve attached an example of a sample Q & A that I wrote for a recent newsletter. In the example, you’ll see that I addressed important details about the risks of resistant bacteria and used accurate terminology like immune system, infection, bacteria, selecting, etc. – basically, all the science behind the question. You really should go into a similar level of detail when you answer your question. Really be thorough.

Thanks,

Lee Mendoza, M.D.
Lakeshore Hospital