Dehydration causes heat stroke, heat exhaustion, brings major health problems

by: Sarah Pupura, staff writer

As summer draws nearer, low temperatures and cloudy days appear less and less, while humidity and heat become more and more common. But before going out to enjoy the summer, it is important to know how to avoid heat’s harmful effects.

With summer months and warmer temperatures come health issues such as dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

This trio of heat related illnesses all have a similar cause—each one is a result of the body not receiving a sufficient amount of fluid. According to WebMD.com, when people do not continue to hydrate themselves, their body reduces

Sunburn causes short-, long-term skin problems

by: Chelsea Peters, staff writer

Sunburn is a problem that almost everyone has had to deal with at one point in their life. However, many people do not know the long-term affects of this short-term annoyance.

Sunburn is caused by long periods of exposure to sunlight and its ultraviolet rays in any weather. People can get sunburned whether it is cloudy, sunny or snowy.

“Even on cloudy days, 80 percent of the sun’s radiation can still cause sunburn,” Dr. Suzanne Vincent, a pediatrician at Westbrook Pediatrics, said.

Sunburn has many short-term effects ranging from

Mosquitoes transmit dangerous disease

by: Katie Brovarney, staff writer

Although most people in Wisconsin would agree that mosquitoes are annoying, few know that these pests can carry deadly diseases.

According to the National Pest Management Association, mosquitos are the pests of most concern during the summer months. They can be a health risk to the public, transmitting diseases such as West Nile Virus.

West Nile Virus can infect humans, birds, mosquitoes and other mammals.

Humans can contract this disease by being bitten by an infected mosquito. It is possible to contract West Nile from handling an

Health teacher explains mental health issues for teens

by: Elizabeth Saemann and Ted Marino, editor and health teacher

Longtime health teacher Ted Marino met with editor Elizabeth Saemann to discuss mental health topics relevant to teens at Wauwatosa East High School.

Elizabeth Saemann: What are some of the most common mental health issues that affect teenagers?

Ted Marino: I think that stress and depression are the two biggest issues. I also think that, often, stress brings on depression. Low self-esteem can also cause depression. There are a few kids with bipolar disorder, but there is not a lot of schizophrenia or other things like that.

ES: What are