Movement vs Exercise: Why Every Walk Counts

Tri-LakesNutrition & Weight

Originally published May 2020. Reviewed and corrected August 2026. Many people can control their blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and weight with diet and activity. Some do have genetic risk factors that need medication — but even then, moving regularly means better control, and often less medication. A correction worth making The original version of this article said exercise only … Read More

COVID-19 UPDATE

Tri-Lakes

  Here is our Covid-19 update for our office. Please know that from the bottom of our hearts we are trying to do what is right for everyone. It’s a frustrating and somewhat scary season of life. We not only care about our patients but the general population as a whole. This is why we have to conserve testing, not … Read More

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Bladder Leakage, Pelvic Pain and Painful Sex

Tri-LakesWomen's Health

Originally published July 2018. Reviewed and expanded August 2026. Pelvic floor dysfunction could be affecting you, ladies — and gentlemen. Chronic urinary tract infections? Bowel trouble? Pelvic pain? Painful sex? Urinary incontinence? I know what you’re thinking — my pelvic floor muscles control all of that? Absolutely. And their dysfunction often goes undiagnosed for years, which means people get treated … Read More

Sunscreen: How to Choose It and Actually Use It Right

Tri-LakesPreventive Care & Screenings

Originally published June 2018. Reviewed and corrected August 2026. Summer in the Ozarks is hot, and the sunscreen aisle is overwhelming. Here is how to choose one and use it properly. Which SPF? SPF 30 or higher, broad-spectrum, water-resistant. That covers most people. If you burn easily, have very fair skin, or have a personal or family history of skin … Read More

Pharmacogenomic Testing: What Your Genes Can (and Can’t) Tell Us About Medications

Tri-LakesConditions & Treatments

Originally published May 2018. Reviewed and substantially revised August 2026. Your genetics decide your eye colour and your height. They also influence how your body processes medications — which is part of why one person does well on a particular antidepressant while another feels awful on the same dose, and why some people tolerate a statin while others get muscle … Read More

Introducing Peanuts, Milk and Other Allergens to Your Baby

Tri-LakesChildren's Health

Originally published March 2018. Reviewed and substantially corrected August 2026 to reflect current NIAID, AAP and AAAAI guidance. Nobody has time to sort through the constantly changing, conflicting advice on infant feeding — and Google makes it worse, not better. So here is the current version, plainly. The old advice was backwards For years parents were told to delay allergenic … Read More

Fever in Kids: When to Worry and When to Relax

Tri-LakesChildren's Health

Originally published February 2018. Reviewed and updated August 2026 to follow current American Academy of Pediatrics guidance. Let’s start here: fever is not the enemy. Fever isn’t an illness. It’s your child’s immune system doing its job — raising body temperature slows bacteria and viruses down and revs up the cells that fight them. There’s no evidence that fever itself … Read More

Thyroid Test Results Explained: What TSH, T4 and T3 Mean

Tri-LakesConditions & Treatments

Originally published November 2017. Reviewed and rewritten August 2026 to reflect current guidance from the American Thyroid Association, AACE and AAFP. You had blood drawn, the result says “TSH,” and you have no idea what you’re looking at. Let’s fix that. What TSH actually is Your thyroid — the butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck — makes two … Read More