Achalasia Center - Bethesda, MD
Bethesda Gastroenterologist Doctors for AchalasiaType of Physician: Gastroenterologist What is a Gastroenterologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated. Specialty: Gastroenterology Common Name: GI Doctor Gastroenterologist Doctors in Bethesda * Metropolitan Gastroenterology Group  Metropolitan Gastroenterology Group  T Jake Liang MD  Metropolitan Gastroenterology Group  Metropolitan Gastroenterology Group  Metropolitan Gastroenterology Group  Digestive Disease Branch  Metropolitan Gastroenterology Group  Washington Gastroenterology  Robynne K Chutkan MD  Washington Gastroenterology  Washington Gastroenterology  Washington Gastroenterology  Washington Gastroenterology  Ajay Bakshi MD  Gary M Roggin MD  Digestive Disease Clinic  V P Chandar MD PA  Steven A Burger MD  Sanford Richman MD  Montgomery Gastroenterology  Montgomery Gastroenterology  Montgomery Gastroenterology  Bernard A Heckman MD  MONTROSE PEDIATRIC GI  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Kempanna Sudhakar MD  Rockville Internal Medical Group  S Grace Woo MD LLC  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Jatinder Sekhon MD  Digestive Disease Consultants PA  Digestive Disease Consultants PA  Drs Stern & Gantt  Digestive Disease Consultants PA  Digestive Disease Consultants PA  Digestive Disease Consultants PA  Digestive Disease Consultants PA  Drs Stern & Gantt  Neil L Julie MD  Birns Gloger & Witten MD PC  Birns Gloger & Witten MD PC  Ghanshyam Gupta MD  Arthur Schoengold MD  Birns Gloger & Witten MD PC  Boo K Kim MD  T Ann Tonnu MD  Montgomery Internal Medicine Associates PA  Marc Kozam MD  Ghulam Mohiuddin MD  Ghulam Mohiuddin MD  Asghar Shaigany MD  James S Chesley Jr. MD  Cohen & Epstein MDs  Cohen & Epstein MDs  Healthcare of Greater Washington  McCone Endoscopy Centers  A O Moshyedi MD  A O Moshyedi MD  Mushtaq A Shah MD  Maximo Singer MD  Redjaee & Taleghani MDs  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Elizabeth R Myles MD  Vincent Sutliff MD  GI Associates of Maryland  GI Associates of Maryland  John Bedeau MD & David Gorray MD  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Largo  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Largo  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Largo  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Largo  Aly Sabet MD  Sam Tellawi MD  Chandrakant K Bhatia MD  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Megan Willard MD  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Gastro Center of Maryland  Wondwosen Abdi MD Bethesda, MarylandUpcoming Local Events2012-06-09
2012-06-16
2012-06-17
2012-06-24
2012-07-21
2012-08-05
2012-09-01
2012-09-08
2012-10-25
2012-10-28
AchalasiaWhat is achalasia?Achalasia is a rare disease of the muscle of the esophagus (swallowing tube). The term achalasia means "failure to relax" and refers to the inability of the lower esophageal sphincter (a ring of muscle situated between the lower esophagus and the stomach) to open and let food pass into the stomach. As a result, patients with achalasia have difficulty in swallowing food.
How does the normal esophagus function?The esophagus has three functional parts. The uppermost part is the upper esophageal sphincter, a specialized ring of muscle that forms the upper end of the tubular esophagus and separates the esophagus from the throat. The upper sphincter remains closed most of the time to prevent food in the main part of the esophagus from backing up into the throat. The main part of the esophagus is referred to as the body of the esophagus, a long, muscular tube approximately 20 cm (8 in) in length. The third functional part of the esophagus is the lower esophageal sphincter, a ring of specialized esophageal muscle at the junction of the esophagus with the stomach. Like the upper sphincter, the lower sphincter remains closed most of the time to prevent food and acid from backing up into the body of the esophagus from the stomach. The upper sphincter relaxes with swallowing to allow food and saliva to pass from the throat into the esophageal body. The muscle in the upper esophagus just below the upper sphincter then contracts, squeezing food and saliva further down into the esophageal body. The ring-like contraction of the muscle progresses down the body of the esophagus, propelling the food and saliva towards the stomach. (The progression of the muscular contraction through the esophageal body is referred to as a peristaltic wave.). By the time the peristaltic wave reaches the lower sphincter, the sphincter has opened, and the food passes into the stoma... Recommended Reading Related to AchalasiaWhat is dysphagia?Dysphagia is the medical term for the symptom of difficulty swallowing, derived from the Latin and Greek words meaning difficulty eating. Mechanism of swallowing Swallowing is a complex action.
Other Related Achalasia ArticlesEmergency Contact for Bethesda
Nearby Bethesda Hospitals *National Institutes of Health Suburban Hospital Psychiatric Institute of Washington Sibley Memorial Hospital Holy Cross Hospital Walter Reed Army Medical Center Georgetown University Hospital Washington Adventist Hospital National Rehabilitation Hospital Washington Hospital Center Washington DC VA Medical Center Children's National Medical Center Howard University Hospital The George Washington University Hospital Providence Hospital The HSC Pediatric Center Virginia Hospital Center The Specialty Hospital of Washington Dominion Hospital Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health Adventist HealthCare Gladys Spellman Specialty Hospital Prince George's Hospital Center Saint Elizabeth's Hospital Inova Alexandria Hospital Inova Fairfax Hospital Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute Montgomery General Hospital United Medical Center The Specialty Hospital of Washington-Hadley Doctors Community Hospital Laurel Regional Hospital Reston Hospital Center Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Fort Washington Hospital Howard County General Hospital Southern Maryland Hospital Center Inova Loudoun Hospital Center Sheppard Pratt at Ellicott City Prince William Hospital Potomac Hospital North Spring Behavioral Healthcare Baltimore Washington Medical Center Graydon Manor Behavioral Health Spring Grove Hospital Center Springfield Hospital Center Anne Arundel Medical Center Saint Agnes Hospital Kernan Hospital Northwest Hospital Harbor Hospital Center Bon Secours Baltimore Health System Civista Medical Center University of Maryland Medical Center Baltimore VA Medical Center University Specialty Hospital Maryland General Hospital Mercy Medical Center Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center & Hospital Kennedy Krieger Institute Sinai Hospital of Baltimore Frederick Memorial Hospital Johns Hopkins Hospital Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
Suggested Reading on Achalasia by Our Doctors
-
Related Diseases & Conditions
6 articles-
Esophageal Cancer
- Esophageal cancer is a disease in which malignant cells form in the esophagus. Risk factors of cancer of the esophagus include smoking, heavy alcohol use, Barrett's esophagus, being male and being over age 60. Severe weight loss, vomiting, hoarseness, coughing up blood, painful swallowing, and pain in the throat or back are symptoms. Treatment depends upon the size, location and staging of the cancer and the health of the patient.
-
Vitiligo
- Vitiligo is a condition in which the skin turns white due to the loss of pigment from the melanocytes, cells that produce the pigment melanin that gives the skin color.
-
Eosinophilic Esophagitis
- Eosinophilic esophagitis is an inflammation of the esophagus. Eosinophilic esophagitis has many causes including acid reflux, heartburn, viruses, medications that become stuck in the esophagus, allergy, asthma, hay fever, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Eosinophilic esophagitis symptoms include difficulty swallowing food, abdominal pain, chest pain, and heartburn.
-
Dysphagia
- Dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing, swallowing problems. Dysphagia is due to problems in nerve or muscle control. It is common, for example, after a stroke. Dysphagia compromises nutrition and hydration and may lead to aspiration pneumonia and dehydration.
-
Esophagitis
- Esophagitis is caused by an infection or irritation of the esophagus. Infections that cause esophagitis include candida yeast infection of the esophagus as well as herpes.
-
The Digestive System
- Digestion is the complex process of turning food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food.
-
Esophageal Cancer
-
Medications
5 articles -
Procedures & Tests
4 articles -
Pictures, Images & Quizzes
1 articles -
Doctor's & Expert's Views
1 articles -
Health News
0 articles -
Health Features
0 articles
