Your ability to breathe determines how effectively your entire body operates. That’s why healthy lungs are essential to maintaining total wellness.
Prima CARE’s team of certified pulmonology specialists have the knowledge to give you an accurate diagnosis and begin treatment to help you breathe easily. Our team of pulmonologists includes:
Our offices are among the Prima CARE locations in Fall River, MA.
Dr. Khalid Alhourani is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care Medicine, Sleep Medicine and Internal Medicine. Dr. Alhourani graduated from the University of Jordan Faculty of Medicine, completed an internal medicine residency at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston, and completed a fellowship in pulmonary disease and critical care medicine at the University of Louisville. Dr. Alhourani is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Brown University's Alpert Medical School and provides critical care and pulmonary consults at Saint Anne's and Charlton Memorial Hospitals. Read Dr. Alhourani's full bio.
Pulmonology is a specialized field of medicine dedicated to treating conditions of the lungs. Some of the most common conditions our pulmonologists treat at Prima CARE include:
Diseases and conditions of the lungs are usually diagnosed using a pulmonary function test (PFT). PFTs consist of a group of tests used to measure a variety of factors that will help your doctor understand what’s happening in your lungs. Some of the most commonly performed PFTs are:
While your pulmonologist may recommend surgery as part of your diagnosis, they likely will not perform the surgery themselves. However, a pulmonologist may perform a lung biopsy, which involves taking a sample of your lung tissue to evaluate for diagnosis.
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. It includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis and is most often caused by smoking. Common signs are shortness of breath, a lasting cough and wheezing. Treatment with inhalers, pulmonary rehab and quitting smoking can help you breathe easier.
See your provider if your cough lasts more than eight weeks, keeps coming back, or comes with shortness of breath, wheezing, weight loss or coughing up blood. A pulmonologist can find the cause and create a treatment plan.
Yearly lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan is recommended for adults ages 50 to 80 who have a 20 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years. Talk with your provider about whether screening is right for you.
