Non-Native Editing: Does Ibuprofen Affect Your Kidneys?
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Health is one of my main writing and editing niches. I regularly take rough drafts and turn them into something publishable and accessible to the public.
Many medical writers and reviewers speak English as a second language, so their writing can sometimes appear stunted and tricky to read. (No judgement here, I'm monolingual, so I admire anyone who can speak another language, let alone one as tricky as English!)
Some people also rely on Grammarly to polish their work (I use it too, but I can tell when it's talking BS), which can lead to weird phrasing. Luckily, I'm on hand to tidy up Grammarly's mess 😉
Here's an excerpt from the draft I received:
"What is ibuprofen?
Ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). NSAIDs ease inflammation and pain. However, if you have kidney disease, heart failure, or high blood pressure, you should refrain from these medications. You should also avoid alternative drugs with ibuprofen or another NSAID as an active ingredient.
Ibuprofen is prescribed to manage arthritis, muscle aches, menstrual cramps, dental pain, headaches, backaches, and more. It works by temporarily reducing prostaglandins. The body naturally releases prostaglandins after any insult. They are hormone-like components that result in inflammation; increased blood flow, heightened sensitivity to pain, fever, and swelling."
You can see where Grammarly has helpfully suggested the word "insult" as a synonym for "injury," which leads to quite a hilarious sentence. AI isn't all that.
Here's my transformation:
What is ibuprofen?
Ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). NSAIDs ease inflammation and pain. Doctors may prescribe ibuprofen to manage arthritis, aches, menstrual cramps, and dental pain. It works by temporarily reducing prostaglandins.
Your body naturally releases prostaglandins after illness or injury. These hormone-like chemicals result in inflammation, causing fever, swelling, increased blood flow, and heightened pain sensitivity.
Much better!
While a lot of the information in the intro is relevant to the article, it's not relevant to "What is ibuprofen?" The later sections deal with warnings.
HealthMatch now has a clear article!
🟥 I took a draft full of intense medical jargon and crafted it into something everyone can read. Yay!
🟧 I corrected any errors while making the language sound more native.
🟨 I checked the studies the medical reviewer had provided, ensuring that I understood what they were trying to say before translating it into something clearer.
🟩 I ensured I cited any medical claims with appropriate studies.
🟦 HealthMatch provided its style guide, which I followed to the letter. Style guides are so important for creating consistent, polished content.
And what does HealthMatch say?
"Victoria is a fantastic editor and just a lovely person to work with! I've really enjoyed collaborating with her on our health content and have relied on her greatly to ensure everything is correct and delivers a fantastic reading experience. I would recommend Victoria to any company looking for a reliable and diligent editor."
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Posted Oct 9, 2022
Working with clients worldwide often means editing content created by non-native writers. This poses unique challenges. See how I transformed one article here.
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