Latest / Morning Medical with Dr. Chow / Heat Exhaustion, Land Art for Wellness, and Physician Migration Trends

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Heat Exhaustion, Land Art for Wellness, and Physician Migration Trends · Morning Medical with Dr. Chow

• 0:00
  Welcome to Morning Medical with Dr.
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  Chow!
• 0:03
  I'm Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow, your host, bringing you the latest in medical and health news from around
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  the world.
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  Today, we're diving into a crucial topic, especially as temperatures soar across the
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  globe: how to treat heat exhaustion.
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  Heat exhaustion is a heat-related illness that can occur after you've been exposed to high
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  temperatures, and it often comes with dehydration.
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  It's essential to recognize the symptoms early to prevent it from escalating into something
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  more severe, like heat stroke.
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  So, what are the signs of heat exhaustion?
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  They can include heavy sweating, weakness, cold, pale, and clammy skin, fast and weak
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  pulse, nausea or vomiting, and fainting.
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  If you or someone else is experiencing these symptoms, it's vital to act quickly.
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  The first step in treating heat exhaustion is to move the affected person to a cooler,
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  air-conditioned environment if possible.
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  If you're outdoors, find shade or any cooler spot available.
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  It's important to have the person lie down and elevate their legs slightly to promote blood
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  flow.
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  Next, make sure the person drinks plenty of fluids.
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  Water is best, but sports drinks can also help because they replace the salt and minerals lost
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  through sweating.
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  Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol, as they can lead to further dehydration.
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  Applying cool, wet cloths to the skin or having the person take a cool shower or bath can also
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  help lower their body temperature.
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  You want to bring their temperature down to normal as quickly as possible, but avoid using
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  ice-cold water as it can cause the body to react negatively.
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  If symptoms worsen or do not improve within an hour, it's important to seek medical attention.
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  Heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke, which is a life-threatening condition.
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  Remember, prevention is key, so stay hydrated, wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing, and
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  take frequent breaks if you're working or exercising in the heat.
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  That's a quick overview of how to treat heat exhaustion.
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  Stay tuned for more updates on health and wellness.
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  Up next, we'll explore how creating land art can be a unique way to boost your mental health
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  this summer.
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  Today, we're diving into a fascinating and creative way to enhance mental health this
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  summer.
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  It's called land art, and it's part of a summer challenge inspired by the British artist and
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  environmentalist, Andy Goldsworthy.
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  Known for his ephemeral art created with natural materials like stones and twigs,
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  Goldsworthy's work explores our connection to nature.
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  This week, the challenge encourages you to gather materials from nature and make temporary
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  land art, which stays outside and eventually breaks down.
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  Creating land art is an accessible and straightforward activity.
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  If you've ever built a sandcastle or a snowman, you've already participated in a form of land
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  art.
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  Research indicates that making art can increase well-being and confidence while reducing
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  stress.
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  And, if you make art outside, you can double those benefits.
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  To get started, find a spot with a good amount of natural materials, whether it's a park, your
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  backyard, or even a city block.
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  Spend about fifteen minutes collecting whatever catches your eye—sticks, rocks, bark, or
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  leaves.
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  Just remember not to take living things.
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  You can keep it simple by gathering several items in one category, like gray pebbles, which
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  can have variations in colors, textures, and shapes.
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  Once you've collected your materials, it's time to get creative.
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  Start moving stuff around and make a flat design using leaves and twigs or create
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  concentric circles with different materials.
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  You could also make a three-dimensional design, like a stack of rocks.
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  The key is not to overthink it—just enjoy being outside and away from screens.
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  Activities like stacking stones can be meditative, allowing you to feel relaxed and
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  present.
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  When you're done, take a moment to admire your creation and then leave it to gradually
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  diminish.
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  If land art isn't your thing, there are other ways to be creative without your phone.
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  You could visit a museum, an art gallery, or sketch a scene outdoors.
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  The goal is to step away from screens and engage with the world around you.
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  Massage therapy in Manitoba has reached a significant milestone with its recent
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  designation as a regulated health profession.
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  This achievement provides more assurances for public safety and marks a crucial step forward
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  for the profession, which has long sought formal recognition.
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  The regulation means that there will now be a governing body, the College of Massage
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  Therapists of Manitoba, that will ensure standardization of practice and transparency
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  for the public.
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  Jenna McMahon, a massage therapist practicing for nearly twenty-five years and owner of
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  Equilibrium Massage Therapy and Wellness in Winnipeg, expressed her excitement about this
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  development.
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  She recalls how, when she graduated in 2002, massage therapy was still struggling to gain
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  recognition from insurance companies as a legitimate healthcare practice.
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  Over the years, the profession has evolved significantly, and this new regulation is a
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  testament to that progress.
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  Tricia Weidenbacher, executive director of the Massage Therapy Association of Manitoba,
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  emphasized the importance of regulation for ensuring public safety.
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  Without regulation, anyone could claim to be a massage therapist, which previously left the
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  public vulnerable to fraud and even sexual assault.
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  Now, with the establishment of a regulatory body, therapists must adhere to specific
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  standards, ensuring a higher level of care and accountability.
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  Weidenbacher highlighted that regulation will also address issues such as insurance fraud and
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  billing irregularities.
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  The establishment of the College of Massage Therapists of Manitoba will mean that
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  therapists are registered and required to follow a code of ethics, much like the College
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  of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba governs doctors.
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  This development is not only about protecting the public but also about elevating the
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  profession to a higher standard of practice.
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  The regulation journey for massage therapy in Manitoba began when the Massage Therapy
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  Association was founded in 1973, with the goal of achieving this recognition.
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  However, it was not until the province proclaimed the Regulated Health Professions Act
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  in 2014 that the path to regulation became clear.
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  Now, Manitoba joins five other provinces—British Columbia, Ontario, New
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  Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island—in having a fully
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  regulated massage therapy profession.
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  Jenna McMahon believes that this regulation will provide a new level of security and
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  professionalism in the field.
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  It ensures that massage therapists are "participating at the best possible" level of
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  care.
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  More details on the implementation timelines and next steps are expected in the coming
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  months, but the establishment of the college represents a significant advancement for the
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  profession.
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  In an intriguing study published in JAMA Ophthalmology, researchers have highlighted a
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  significant issue within ophthalmology clinics: the opportunity to screen for uncontrolled
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  hypertension, particularly in patients with diabetes.
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  The study, conducted by Michael Cusick and colleagues at the University of Virginia School
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  of Medicine, examined more than one hundred seventy patients with diabetes receiving
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  ophthalmology care.
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  The findings revealed that over half of these patients had either unrecognized or
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  inadequately controlled hypertension.
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  Among the patients studied, ninety-one were found to have stage two hypertension, while
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  eighteen were in a hypertensive crisis according to clinical guidelines.
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  These results are quite striking, given that the vast majority of the cohort had a prior
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  diagnosis of hypertension, and ninety-one percent of those were receiving treatment for
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  it.
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  Interestingly, about eighty percent of these patients believed their blood pressure control
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  was good or excellent, highlighting a discordance between perceived and actual blood
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  pressure control.
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  The study suggests that ophthalmology clinics could play a crucial role in the early
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  detection of hypertension in diabetic patients.
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  Sixty percent of the patients in the study were advised to contact their primary care
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  clinicians, and twelve percent required expedited follow-up.
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  This indicates that routine blood pressure screening during ophthalmology visits could
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  identify patients with significant cardiovascular risk.
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  An accompanying commentary by Rishi P.
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  Singh from Mass Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School emphasized the importance of these
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  findings.
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  Singh noted that the study challenges traditional views of ophthalmology clinics as
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  merely recipients of systemic disease, suggesting instead that they can actively
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  participate in broader chronic disease surveillance.
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  The retina, with its visible microvasculature, provides a unique insight into systemic
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  vascular health, including endothelial dysfunction and chronic hemodynamic stress.
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  For patients with diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension is particularly concerning as it
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  may accelerate the progression toward proliferative retinopathy, a severe
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  complication.
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  However, Singh cautioned that the study's findings should not be interpreted as
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  advocating for ophthalmologists to become hypertension specialists.
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  Rather, it advocates for an integrated care model where ophthalmology clinics help identify
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  and refer patients at elevated systemic risk to appropriate specialists.
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  The study underscores the potential of ophthalmology clinics to serve as important
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  checkpoints in managing systemic vascular risks, particularly in diabetic patients.
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  As these clinics routinely engage with patients who have vascular comorbidities, they present a
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  unique opportunity to monitor and manage hypertension, contributing to better overall
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  health outcomes.
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  And now, let's turn our attention to some exciting developments in the Canadian
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  healthcare landscape.
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  Since October 2025, New Brunswick has seen a significant influx of medical professionals
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  from Quebec.
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  This comes in the wake of some disputes between Quebec's provincial government and its doctors.
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  As of June 2026, the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New Brunswick has granted licenses
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  to forty-seven physicians from Quebec, with a total of one hundred fifty-six applications
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  received.
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  The Vitalité Health Network, one of the province's major health networks, has been a
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  significant beneficiary of this migration.
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  They have successfully recruited nineteen of these Quebec physicians, with nine already
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  starting their new roles.
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  This includes a diverse group of specialists, such as five family physicians, two
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  obstetrician-gynecologists, and an anesthesiologist, all of whom will be serving
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  in various health zones including Edmundston, Moncton, Bathurst, and Campbellton.
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  Raphaël Albert, the director of medical recruitment and retention at Vitalité,
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  expressed great satisfaction with this development.
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  He emphasized that these recruitments will greatly enhance the quality of care available
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  to residents and reflect the network's attractiveness to Quebec physicians seeking
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  opportunities elsewhere.
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  Albert also noted that the collaborative care model recently adopted in New Brunswick is
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  similar to the one used in Quebec, which eases the transition for these new recruits.
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  On the political front, Bill Hogan, the Progressive Conservative health critic, has
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  welcomed these new additions with optimism.
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  He highlighted the importance of increasing the number of anesthesiologists, given the national
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  shortages in this specialty.
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  Hogan also expressed hope that the recruitment efforts at Horizon Health Network, another key
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  player in New Brunswick's healthcare system, will yield positive results as well.
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  This influx of Quebec physicians into New Brunswick's healthcare system is a promising
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  step towards addressing the province's medical staffing challenges.
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  It demonstrates a positive shift in inter-provincial collaboration and resource
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  sharing, which could serve as a model for other regions facing similar shortages.
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  That wraps up today's episode of Morning Medical with Dr.
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  Chow.
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  Thank you for joining me as we explored the latest in medical news and innovations.
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  Remember to stay informed, stay healthy, and I'll see you next time!