Health & Wellness Blog

Dr. Tina Melanson, Nephrologist interviews with Mike Tanner, News Director at KWAT. Mike and Dr. Melanson discuss her experience and passion to care for patients with complex kidney disorders. Learn about nephrology, kidneys, dialysis, and more during this KWAT original available like a podcast below.

Dysphagia is a medical term used to describe when someone has problems chewing and/or swallowing their food or liquids. Many may have occasional difficulty swallowing when they eat too fast or don’t chew their food well enough, but occasional instances are not a cause for concern. However persistent dysphagia may…

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition that affects millions of Americans. Hypertension is known as a silent condition, because it can be present without any symptoms.  According to the American Heart Association, nearly half of adults in the United States have hypertension, and 45% of these people do…

Almost half of the adults in America have high blood pressure.  One of the most important things to do when managing high blood pressure and other heart conditions is to eat a balanced diet with whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean protein sources. Prairie Lakes Healthcare System's Registered Dietitians through Sodexo…

Episode one of a new monthly series with Jim Aesop, the "Morning Man" at KXLG.  Jim had the opportunity to visit with Dr. Jered Mancell, one of Prairie Lakes Healthcare System's Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists. They discussed pediatric Ear, Nose, & Throat (ENT) and sinus conditions. ENT is a specialty…

Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure affects over 6.2 million Americans and is the leading cause of hospital readmissions in adults over the age of 65.  Heart failure is a chronic and progressive disease that means your heart isn't pumping well and is unable to provide the body everything…

This recipe is a lower calorie option with savings of about 100 calories from not using alcohol for mixing. Diet ginger beer could be used if wanting to save more on calories. Fill a 12 oz cup about ¾ full of ice Squeeze fresh lime juice over ice. Add 3oz…

Posting last reviewed and updated October 2021 According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers. Currently, the average risk of a woman in the United States developing breast cancer sometime in her life is about 13%. This means…

I have become increasingly aware that the vast majority of people have very common misconceptions about their kidneys-- how they work, what they do, who gets kidney disease, and what can be done to keep them healthy. It turns out, most people know little about the facts of kidney health,…

Prairie Lakes Healthcare System and Watertown Area Breast Cancer Support Group were proud to host Celebrating Life, a breast cancer awareness event live online Thursday, October 15. Watch the Facebook recording: Nicole Phillips is a speaker, author, podcast host, and breast cancer survivor. Years ago, Nicole was an expert in negativity.…