By Antoinette Grajeda
One of the best parts of summer is the warm temperature, but too much heat can lead to heat-related illnesses. These conditions occur when the body’s temperature control system is overloaded. The body normally cools itself by sweating, but sometimes that isn’t enough. In these instances, body temperature rises rapidly and can damage the brain or other vital organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Several factors affect the body’s ability to cool itself including high humidity, age, obesity, fever, dehydration, prescription drug and alcohol use, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation and sunburn. Those with the greatest risk for heat-related illness include people who are overweight, ill, children up to 4 years old and adults 65 years of age and older, according to the CDC. The risk may increase among those using psychotropics, Parkinson’s disease medications, tranquilizers and diuretics.

Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness and occurs when the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails and the body is unable to cool down. Within 10 to 15 minutes, the body’s temperature may rise to 106 degrees or higher. Heat stroke can cause permanent disability or death if emergency treatment is not provided, according to the CDC.

Warning signs of heat stroke vary, but include a body temperature of about 103 degrees; red, hot and dry skin; a rapid, strong pulse; throbbing headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; and unconsciousness.

If someone should experience a heat stroke, in addition to calling for immediate medical assistance, you should cool the affected person rapidly by moving them to a shady area or immersing them in a tub of cool water. If the humidity is low, wrap them in a cool, wet sheet and fan them vigorously. Monitor their body temperature until it drops to 101-102 degrees and if emergency medical personnel are delayed, call the hospital emergency room for further instructions.

Prevention
The key to avoiding heat stroke is prevention, and sitting in an air-conditioned location is a good start. Electric fans may also provide comfort, but in extreme temperatures, they won’t prevent heat-related illness, according to the CDC. Other prevention techniques include drinking plenty of fluids, replacing salts and minerals, and wearing appropriate clothing and sunscreen.

To help keep athletes safe during the hot summer months, Gatorade has teamed up with the National Football League to educate parents and coaches about heat-related illness and the importance of hydration. As part of the 4th annual “Beat the Heat” program, NFL players, coaches and their wives will lead hydration awareness efforts, while raising money for the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation. For every unique download of the Gatorade Heat Safety kit on www.nfl.com/trainingcamp, Gatorade will donate $1 (up to $25,000) to “Beat the Heat” charities.

The Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation was created in memory of its namesake who died from complications of heat stroke in 1995. The organization is located in Rogers and raises awareness about hydration and heat illness prevention locally as well as nationally by hosting an informative Web site, an annual 5K Run, and through the distribution of information, pamphlets and squeeze bottles to coaches and physical education teachers.
Last year, the House approved a resolution to designate August as National Heat Stroke Awareness month. The foundation’s executive director Rhonda Fincher said August is the perfect time to raise awareness because it’s typically a hot month and that’s when local schools begin football practice. However, she added that caution should be taken more often than one month out of the year.

“People need to be aware of it year-round because it can happen any time, any where, depending on the conditions, but especially in the heat of the summer,” she said.
While there are lots of tips for preventing and treating heat stroke, Fincher said the simplest one to remember is “pre-hydrate, hydrate and re-hydrate” and it applies to everyone, not just athletes. Information from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute supports Fincher’s insistence of the importance of hydration. The organization’s research showed that as many as 70 percent of high school football players could show up for practice poorly hydrated. The research also indicated that the recommendation of drinking fluids prior to working out increased the number of players appearing to be adequately hydrated upon their arrival to practice.

For more information, visit www.kendrickfincher.org, www.nfl.com or www.gatorade.com

The ongoing team effort between Gatorade and the NFL is built on communicating heat-illness prevention and treatment techniques, including the “4 Downs” of heat safety to athletes and parents and coaches of athletes who are playing or practicing in hot weather.

The “4 Downs” are:

• 1st Down: Prevent — Know how to avoid heat illness, identify the warning signs and treat the symptoms
• 2nd Down: Prepare — Acclimate to the heat and hydrate BEFORE you get to practice
• 3rd Down: Proper Hydration — Choose sports drinks like Gatorade to replace electrolytes, especially sodium lost in sweat
• 4th Down: Plan — Have an emergency plan and keep a cool pool nearby to immerse players suffering from heat stroke

Source: Beat The Heat Campaign, www.nfl.com

Heat Illness Prevention
What Puts Youth Athletes At Risk?
Heat-related illnesses are some of the most common problems for youth athletes playing in the heat. These conditions can be dangerous, or even fatal in some cases. Heat-induced illness is one of the most preventable sports injuries. Parents, young athletes and coaches need to understand the physiological factors that increase the risk for heat-related illness and take steps to prevent it.

Why kids are at risk:

• Children absorb more heat from a hot environment because they have a greater surface-area-to-body-mass ratio than adults. The smaller the child the faster he heats up.
• Children and adolescents may have a reduced ability to dissipate heat through sweating.
• Children and adolescents frequently do not have the physiological drive to drink enough fluids to replenish sweat losses during prolonged exercise.
• Youth athletes may be more easily distracted when occasions allow for them to rest and rehydrate.

Signs Of Dehydration And Heat Illness
If dehydration progresses unchecked, the risk of heat illness increases. Heat illness is best understood in three separate degrees of severity: heat cramps, heat exhaustion and the most serious and deadly form, heat stroke. The symptoms outlined above do not necessarily occur in progression, so young athletes could experience heat stroke in absence of other indicators.
Source: Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation, www.kendrickfincher.org

By Dee Duren
The thyroid is a small organ with a huge impact on the human body. A butterfly-shaped gland located in the base of the throat just above the collarbone, the thyroid produces hormones that affect the way every other organ in the body works. For an estimated 27 million Americans, malfunctions in this little gland cause a wide range of problems ranging from mild to severe. According to the American Association of Endocrinologists, about half of those Americans have not yet been diagnosed.

About The Thyroid
Part of the endocrine system, the thyroid secretes two main hormones — tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) — that regulate the body’s metabolism, or the way it stores and uses energy, grows and heals. Imbalances in the production of these hormones can cause a personal energy crisis. The way the body uses fats and carbohydrates, controls temperature, heart rate, mental functioning and more can all suffer from thyroid disease.
“Through its production of the two thyroid hormones T4 and T3, the thyroid controls the metabolism of every cell and organ system in the body, especially the heart, liver muscle and brain,” said Dr. Irwin Klein, American Thyroid Association Research Committee chairman and Thyroid Disease Program director at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. “The diseases of over- and underactive thyroid disease — hyper- and hypothyroidism — have many symptoms relating to energy, weight, heart, cholesterol, muscle strength, skin and hair.”
Studies show that women are five to eight times more likely to have thyroid disease than men, and thyroid imbalances can be especially harmful for women who are or want to become pregnant. Men, infants and children are also at risk of thyroid disease.

Types Of Thyroid Disease
Hypo- and hyperactive thyroid disorders are the most common forms of thyroid disease. Other forms of thyroid disease include goiter, or enlarged thyroid gland. Goiter is usually harmless but can become uncomfortably large and affect breathing and swallowing. Thyroid nodules are lumpy growths within the thyroid and are usually benign. Thyroid cancer is found in about 8 percent of nodules in men and in about 4 percent of nodules in women, according to The Hormone Foundation.
Thyroiditis is a condition in which the thyroid becomes inflamed. Depending on the nature of the inflammation, thyroiditis can cause the same symptoms as hypo- or hyperthyroidism. Women who experience metabolism problems after giving birth may be suffering from a condition known as postpartum thyroiditis. About 8 percent of women are believed to develop postpartum thyroiditis within a few months of giving birth. According to the National Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Information Service, these women will probably experience thyroiditis with each pregnancy. If the thyroid gland doesn’t recover, they may need to be placed on lifelong thyroid medication.

Hypothyroidism
The most common thyroid disorder is hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid. It occurs most often in women over the age of 50, and its effects increase with time.
“Hypothyroidism often causes symptoms that are mild like mild fatigue and weight gain,” said Dr. Alan P. Farwell, director of endocrine studies at Boston Medical Center and an associate professor at Boston University School of Medicine.
“It can also cause severe symptoms such as severe fatigue, constipation, very low body temperature, heavy menstrual periods, confusion and memory loss.”
If left untreated, hypothyroidism can cause high blood cholesterol levels that can lead to heart disease, joint pain, obesity and infertility. In infants and children, untreated hypothyroidism can result in developmental problems. Infants with underactive thyroid glands may show signs of jaundice, frequent choking, an enlarged tongue and puffy face. Constipation, poor muscle tone and excessive sleepiness may develop as the disorder progresses. Children whose hypothyroidism remains untreated may have delayed and stunted mental and physical development.

Hyperthyroidism
“Hyperthyroidism often has the most dramatic symptoms with racing or pounding heart beats, shakes and tremors, severe weight loss, insomnia and marked sweating,” Farwell said. Hyperthyroidism occurs when the body produces too much of the hormones that regulate the metabolism. Other symptoms include nervousness or irritability, muscle weakness, mood swings, diarrhea and heat intolerance.
Hyperthyroidism is sometimes caused by the presence of nodules, goiter or thyroiditis. Graves’ disease, the most common form of hyperthyroidism in the U.S., is an autoimmune disease where the body’s defense system acts against itself. Graves’ Disease is most common in women starting in their 20s. In addition to the usual symptoms of hyperthyroidism, Graves’ Disease sufferers also may have swelling of the tissues and muscles behind the eyes that cause the eyes to bulge. A less common symptom is patchy, puffy red skin on the shins and tops of the feet.
Older adults with hyperthyroidism can be misdiagnosed with depression or even dementia if their symptoms remain untreated. Overactive thyroid also speeds up the development of osteoporosis and causes heart problems that may lead to heart failure or stroke.

Testing Is Key
Fortunately, testing for thyroid disease is a well-established practice for family physicians during an annual physical. It is especially important that women have their thyroid functions tested.
A simple blood test can be done to determine if the thyroid is functioning normally,” Farwell said. Levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) tell physicians whether the gland is working properly or not. It is the first step your physician will take if thyroid problems are suspected.
“Know your TSH,” Klein said. “TSH levels can make a diagnosis in all cases. Treatment cures the symptoms; untreated symptoms usually get worse. In pregnancy, treatment is critical for mother and child.”
John Baldridge, an endocinologist for Northwest Health System, noted that lab tests can be confusing when dealing with thyroiditis. Sometimes a good clinical assessment of the patient and the lab results require an endocrinologist.
“When there is confusion about the lab tests, we’re often asked to sort out what this means,” Baldridge said. “It’s not unusual to have confusing lab tests come back unexpectedly abnormal in a pattern that doesn’t quite fit a diagnosis.”
Ultrasound is another useful device for physicians dealing with the thyroid.
“Ultrasound is today’s best assessment of abnormalities in size and description of the gland itself, ideally done before any biopsies are attempted,” Baldridge said.
When testing for thyroid problems, sometimes it’s a matter of repeating tests over a period of time in order to gain an accurate evaluation.
“Treatment of thyroiditis may be ‘tincture of time,’ meaning it can be better if physician and patient simply repeat laboratory testing, or even ultrasound evaluation, at a later date: blood tests and even the anatomy often change with time, usually confirming a clinical suspicion when treatment is best,” Baldridge said. “Like the old adage, ‘timing is everything.’”

Treatment
Hypothyroidism is treated with a thyroid hormone pill once a day. It’s important to take thyroid medication on an empty stomach because some minerals including calcium interfere with absorption. Some patients tend to stop taking their medication when their symptoms clear up which may cause long-term problems as the disease tends to get worse over time.
Hyperthyroidism can be treated with antithyroid pills, surgery or a treatment with radioactive iodine. Nodules that are large enough are usually biopsied to see if there is cancer present. If malignant cells are found, it is usually treated by surgery to remove the affected tissue, often followed by a radioactive iodine treatment. Patients will then have to take thyroid medication to replace the thyroid no longer manufactured by the missing gland.
In recent years, research has focused on the importance of detecting and managing thyroid disease during pregnancy. Pregnant mothers with hypothyroidism, even mild cases, are at an increased risk for premature delivery. Women being treated for underactive thyroid often need a 30 to 50 percent increase in their dose of thyroid hormone replacement. Women with undiagnosed hyperthyroidism are at added risk for miscarriage.
The exact cause of a malfunctioning thyroid is unknown, but Baldridge noted that altered thyroid function can be found in iodine deficient as well as iodine rich areas of the world. However, he cautions that whether it is “a true disease state or simply an environmental hazard is another matter.”
There is no precise method for prevention, but Baldridge suggested having iodine in one’s diet.
“I suppose to have a level amount of iodine in the diet is the best prevention we can recommend for people,” he said. “We get that from our standard foods, in the United States at least, from bread, milk and salt.”
It’s important to remember that thyroid disease is almost always a lifelong disease. With the proper treatment, however, it is a disease that can be managed.

Antoinette Grajeda contributed to this report.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — As the number of swine flu cases in Mexico wanes and rises, experts are being forced to walk a public health tightrope — if they push their message too far and the virus fizzles out, they could lose credibility. But if they back off and it suddenly surges, they will be blamed.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — As the number of swine flu cases in Mexico wanes and rises, experts are being forced to walk a public health tightrope — if they push their message too far and the virus fizzles out, they could lose credibility. But if they back off and it suddenly surges, they will be blamed.

The following recalls were announced:

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Alex Rodriguez took another step toward rejoining the New York Yankees following hip surgery, batting seven times in an extended spring training game against Pittsburgh Pirates minor leaguers.

MADRID (AP) — Pale and thin but resilient as ever, Seve Ballesteros says he’s been given the mulligan of his life.

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TEXARKANA, Texas (AP) — Police say a worker has been injured after falling about 30 feet when a gymnasium under construction at a Texas high school collapsed.

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