DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Every summer we spend a month in northern Canada on an inland lake. The water in the lake is so frigid that I never go in. My kids do. They come out shivering.

That has me wondering if they could be doing some kind of harm to themselves. What do you think? — A.B.

ANSWER: I’ve never heard of cold-water injury during the summer. I suppose it’s theoretically possible. Your children have survived well in other summers. That’s evidence that they’re not suffering any harm.

People who set the rules for swimming competition won’t allow an event to take place if the water temperature is below 57 F (14 C). If you have a boat and a thermometer, you can obtain the water temperature by rowing out to the middle of the lake. The water temperature is taken at a depth of 16 inches. Tie the thermometer to a 16-inch string and submerge it.

Most people, children included, won’t stay in cold water long enough to cause serious body complications. Your kids are cold. That’s why they’re shivering. Shivering comes from muscle contractions, which generate heat. You also could take your children’s temperature and see what the thermometer registers. Mild hypothermia, an unhealthy low body temperature, begins at 95 F (35 C).

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: What’s the best treatment for sunburn? I have to treat my kids for it every summer, and I’m not sure if what I’m doing is good.

I have heard so many home remedies, like vinegar and tea. Please outline what a good sunburn treatment is. — P.J.

ANSWER: The best treatment for sunburn is not getting it. If your kids are the type who never tan but always burn, they shouldn’t be going outdoors without wearing sunscreen. Sunscreen has to be reapplied every two hours, unless directions on the label state otherwise.

The sunscreen should have an SPF (sun protection factor) between 15 and 30.

A sunburn might be no more than a reddening of the skin without any pain. Or it can be very red skin that forms blisters. For mild to moderate sunburn, cold compresses soothe the skin. Aspirin and drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen ease pain and lessen skin inflammation. Cortisone creams and ointments, as well as products such as aloe vera gel, also take the sting out of sunburn. Don’t use vinegar or tea.

For serious blistering, take the child to the family doctor.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I play golf almost every day during the warm weather. I have developed a pain in my hand and wrist on the little-finger side.

Do you think if I padded that area I could continue to play? I have stopped playing because of the pain. It’s not horrible pain, but it hurts enough that I wish I didn’t have it. — B.R.

ANSWER: Don’t think of padding until you find out the cause of the pain.

A common golf injury on that side of the wrist and hand is a fracture of the hamate bone, one of the wrist bones. The hamate has a bony projection that looks like a hook. The end of a golf club jams the hook of the hamate, and it can separate from the body of the bone. The pain is in the area you describe.

Early treatment involves a cast.

You need an X-ray, possibly a scan. It’s often hard to see this kind of fracture on an X-ray.

If you delay too long, an orthopedic surgeon has to operate to remove the broken hook.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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