Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine

The Pulmonary Medicine department at Wise Regional provides comprehensive consultation, diagnostic and therapeutic services for for patients with illnesses that affect the lungs and breathing. We provide the most advanced technology to care for patients in both the outpatient and hospital settings, including the intensive care units.
We treat a wide variety of conditions including:

Asthma

Asthma is a disorder that causes the airways of the lungs to swell and narrow, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing.

Bronchitis

Bronchitis is inflammation of the mucous membranes of the bronchi, the airways that carry airflow from the trachea into the lungs.

Chronic Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common lung diseases. It makes it difficult to breathe. There are two main forms of COPD:

• Chronic bronchitis, which involves a long-term cough with mucus.
• Emphysema, which involves destruction of the lungs over time.

Most people with COPD have a combination of both conditions.

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer starts when abnormal cells grow out of control in the lungs. Lung cancer and smoking often, but not always, go hand in hand. There usually are no signs or early symptoms of lung cancer. As lung cancerstages advance, lung cancer symptoms may include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and bloody mucus. Treatment for lung cancer can include surgery,chemotherapy, and /or radiation.

Lung Nodules

Lung nodules are quite common, and are found on 1 in 500 chest x-rays, and 1 in 100 CT scans of the chest. A lung nodule is defined as a “spot” on the lung that is 3 cm (about 1 1Ž2 inches) in diameter or less. Most lung nodules are noncancerous (benign). However, some lung nodules may be cancerous — either early-stage lung cancer or metastatic cancer that has spread to the lungs from another site in the body. It is important to work with your doctor to determine the cause. When lung cancer is caught early and is still small, there is a greater chance that it can be cured.

Pulmonary Fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is the formation or development of excess fibrous connective tissue (fibrosis) in the lungs. It is also described as “scarring of the lung”. While pulmonary fibrosis may be a secondary effect of other diseases, it can alsoappear without any known cause. It causes the lungs to become scarred and stiffened. This stiffening may make it increasingly difficult to breathe.

Sinusitis

Sinusitis refers to inflammation of the sinuses that occurs with a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection. The sinuses are air-filled spaces in the skull (behind the forehead, nasal bones, cheeks, and eyes) that are lined with mucus membranes. Healthy sinuses contain no bacteria or other germs. Usually, mucus is able to drain out and air is able to circulate. When the sinus openings become blocked or too much mucus builds up, bacteria and other germs can grow more easily. The classic symptoms of acute sinusitis in adults usually follow a cold that does not improve, or one that worsens after 5 – 7 days of symptoms.

• Contact Info

  2nd Floor
  609 Medical Center Dr. Ste 2450
  Decatur, TX 76234
  Phone: (940) 626-8630
  Fax: (940) 626-8631