Health care
BY DUSTIN BUTLER
Health Care Edition
2024
Community Impact ’s annual Health Care Edition features news on the timeliest topics in the industry. Content ranges from major health care developments to listings of nearby health care facilities. Articles within this guide are focused on local topics affecting your community, the metro and the state of Texas, and are written by our team of journalists to meet our mission of providing trusted news and information everyone gets. Our lead story this month takes a look at new tools that area emergency medical service teams are employing to enhance the level of care across Lewisville and Coppell. We’ve also included information on where to find the closest hospital, ER or clinic.
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Cathy Williams General Manager cwilliams@ communityimpact.com
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What's inside
The power to live better™
See local health care facilities (Page 11)
Vann Wellness Group offers mental health services (Page 15)
Coppell-based nonprofit provides prenatal vitamins (Page 17)
Local experts talk navigating seasonal allergies in North Texas
While seasonal allergies are generally worse in spring and fall, local experts say North Texas residents deal with them all year. Dr. Stacy Silvers is chief medical officer for Aspire Allergy and Sinus, a company that runs allergy clinics in Texas and four other states. She said allergies occur because of response to pollen from the body’s immune system. “For whatever reason, our immune system has decided that the pollen in the air is bad for us,” Silvers said. The details Dr. John Van Wagoner, who is part of the medical group Southwest Allergy and Asthma Center in Frisco, said seasonal allergy symptoms include sneezing, itchy and stuffy nose, coughing and itchy and red eyes. Fatigue, sore throat and headaches are also common. “Some patients may get recurrent infections as a result of their uncontrolled allergies,” Van Wag- oner said. “They may present with a secondary sore throat or facial pain and maybe a bacterial sinus infection.” The options Remedies for seasonal allergies include over
Common allergens
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Weeds
Trees
Grass
Mold
Dust mites
SOURCES: ASPIRE ALLERGY AND SINUS, SOUTHWEST ALLERGY AND ASTHMA CENTER/COMMUNITY IMPACT
allergist can offer immunotherapy, where an individual is exposed to allergens to build a tolerance. Silvers said allergies can affect an individual’s ability to sleep. Although seasonal allergies occur year round in North Texas, both Van Wagoner and Silver said they are generally at their worst during spring and fall. “There’s a whole host of options to help people feel better with their allergies,” Silvers said. “Treating allergies will not only make your nose and eyes feel better, but your lungs as well.”
the counter antihistamines such as Zyrtec or Allegra. Van Wagoner said these medications help with minor symptoms such as itchy or runny nose. Silvers said nasal sprays such as Flonase and Nasacort work best because they help with most symptoms; however, they are also slow-acting and work best when they are started before the seasonal allergy season starts. Additionally, Silvers said saline rinses, which flush pollen from the nose, can be helpful. If over the counter or low-dose medications aren’t improving one’s quality of life, then Van Wagoner recommends seeing a doctor. An
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