April 2025 Newsletter

Welcome everyone to the first newsletter for Faucher Direct Care. My goal is to provide insight into new developments in the medical field. Additionally, I want to be able to give helpful tips and reminders about your healthcare on a regular basis. Finally, I will provide any office updates through this medium as well. I welcome any comments and suggestions about what you would like to see here.

Since we are officially into the spring season we should start seeing everything bloom. While this is often a welcome break from the long, dreary winters, it also means that seasonal allergies will once again become a problem for many, especially those with asthma and other respiratory diseases.

There are a variety of things I can recommend to combat the allergy season:

1) Watch the pollen counts - if you have a weather app on your phone it will often tell you the days that the pollen counts are high. Try to keep the windows closed on these days. If you have central air, make sure you are changing your filters at least every 3 months. A HEPA air filter can be tremendously useful, especially in the bedroom.

2) Runny nose/sneezing - you can try different nasal spray to see what works best. Nasal saline spray is a good starting point. If that isn't working you can try XLear which is a xylitol spray that helps with congestion. Lastly, fluticasone (Flonase) or triamcinolone (Nasacort) are worth a try.

3) Itchy eyes - Olopatadine drops can be very effective.

4) If any combination of the above isn't working or not working well enough then non-sedating antihistamines are worth a try. Loratadine, cetirizine, or fexofenadine are all worth trying. I usually start with cetirizine but they are all generally equally effective. If you need something overnight, Benadryl can help.

If you have any concern about medication interactions or issues with existing medical problems such as high blood pressure, you can always send me a message to make sure these medications are right for you.

Office Updates:

As many of you have seen there is going to be a new front entrance to the building. I anticipate that work will be finished within a month or so. It will be much easier for those with physical limitations to get in and out once it is completed. There should be no interruption to building access as far as I am aware.

For patients who do not yet have an annual physical scheduled please call me as soon as possible - 508-868-6869.