Achalasia Center - Bowie, MD
Bowie 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 Bowie * Bowie Internal Medicine  Napoleon Marcelo MD PA  Napoleon Marcelo MD PA  Sanjiv Sood MD  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  Elizabeth R Myles MD  A O Moshyedi MD  A O Moshyedi MD  Mushtaq A Shah MD  Maximo Singer MD  Cohen & Epstein MDs  Cohen & Epstein MDs  James S Chesley Jr. MD  V P Chandar MD PA  Ghulam Mohiuddin MD  Ghulam Mohiuddin MD  Vincent Sutliff MD  Asghar Shaigany MD  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Digestive Disorders Associates  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Gelsimo A Cruz MD  Richard A Baum MD  George Kurian MD  Alif M Manejwala MD  J P Nepomuceno MD  Samuel A Giday MD  Mukul Khandelwal MD  Mukul Khandelwal MD  Digestive Disorders Associates  Digestive Disorders Associates  Digestive Disorders Associates  Arundel Medical Group  Redjaee & Taleghani MDs  Sam Tellawi MD  Gastro Center of Maryland  Chandrakant K Bhatia MD  Kempanna Sudhakar MD  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  Khurram Hanif MD  McCone Endoscopy Centers  Wondwosen Abdi MD  Megan Willard MD  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Bernard A Heckman MD  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Healthcare of Greater Washington  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Steven A Burger MD  Harbor GI  Digestive Disease Associates  Wondwosen Abdi MD Bowie, MarylandUpcoming Local Events2012-06-03
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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 Bowie
Nearby Bowie Hospitals *Doctors Community Hospital Prince George's Hospital Center Gladys Spellman Specialty Hospital Anne Arundel Medical Center Laurel Regional Hospital United Medical Center The HSC Pediatric Center Providence Hospital Baltimore Washington Medical Center Washington Adventist Hospital The Specialty Hospital of Washington National Rehabilitation Hospital Washington DC VA Medical Center Children's National Medical Center Washington Hospital Center Howard University Hospital Walter Reed Army Medical Center Saint Elizabeth's Hospital Holy Cross Hospital Southern Maryland Hospital Center The George Washington University Hospital The Specialty Hospital of Washington-Hadley Psychiatric Institute of Washington Georgetown University Hospital Howard County General Hospital National Institutes of Health Sibley Memorial Hospital Sheppard Pratt at Ellicott City Suburban Hospital Fort Washington Hospital Harbor Hospital Center Spring Grove Hospital Center Virginia Hospital Center Montgomery General Hospital Inova Alexandria Hospital Saint Agnes Hospital Bon Secours Baltimore Health System University Specialty Hospital Dominion Hospital University of Maryland Medical Center Baltimore VA Medical Center Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Mercy Medical Center Maryland General Hospital Kernan Hospital Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Johns Hopkins Hospital Kennedy Krieger Institute Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Union Memorial Hospital Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health Adventist HealthCare Inova Fairfax Hospital Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center & Hospital Sinai Hospital of Baltimore Northwest Hospital Mt Washington Pediatric Hospital Good Samaritan Hospital of Maryland Calvert Memorial Hospital Sheppard Pratt Health System St Joseph Medical Center Franklin Square Hospital Center Greater Baltimore Medical Center Springfield Hospital Center Civista Medical Center Reston Hospital Center Inova Fair Oaks 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
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Related Diseases & Conditions
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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.
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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.
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Eosinophilic Esophagitis
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Esophageal Cancer
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