Achalasia Center - Bryan, TX
Bryan 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 Bryan * Central Texas Digested Disease Associates  Central Texas Digested Disease Associates  Central Texas Digested Disease Associates  Central Texas Digested Disease Associates  Central Texas Digested Disease Associates  Scott & White at College Station  Scott & White at College Station  K Ragupath MD  Gulf Coast Center for Neurological Disorders  Texas Gastroenterology  Texas Gastroenterology  Gastroenterology Diagnostic Clinic  Greater Houston Digestive Disease Consultant  Stephen Kelly MD  Sunil Reddy MD  Stephen Kelly MD  Greater Houston Digestive Disease Consultant  Greater Houston Digestive Disease Consultant  Greater Houston Digestive Disease Consultant  Greater Houston Digestive Disease Consultant  Kenneth L Russell MD  Ali T Dural MD  Center for Digestive Disease  Center for Digestive Disease  Regional Digestive Consultants  Digestive & Liver Disease Consultants PA  Digestive & Liver Disease Consultants PA  Digestive & Liver Disease Consultants PA  Bharat Pothuri MD  Gastronintestinal Disease Center  Pedro M Arguello MD  Memorial Katy Gastroenterology Consultants  Memorial Katy Gastroenterology Consultants  Memorial Katy Gastroenterology Consultants  Digestive Care Associates  Scott & White Temple Gastroenterology  Scott & White Temple Gastroenterology  Scott & White Temple Gastroenterology  Scott & White Temple Gastroenterology  Scott & White Temple Gastroenterology  Scott & White Temple Gastroenterology  Scott & White Temple Gastroenterology  Scott & White Temple Gastroenterology  Scott & White Temple Gastroenterology  Sohaib A Faruqi MD  Ayub Hussain MD  Steven Ugbarugba MD  Richard Tay MD  Medical Colleagues of Texas  Hari P Pokala MD  Integral Gastroenterology Center  Ahmad R Pacha MD  Digestive & Liver Disease Consultants PA  Digestive & Liver Disease Consultants PA  Barry D Winston MD  Houston Digestive Diseases  Waco Gastroenterology Associates  Waco Gastroenterology Associates  Waco Gastroenterology Associates  Waco Gastroenterology Associates  Waco Gastroenterology Associates  Waco Gastroenterology Associates  Vikram S Jayanty MD  Memorial Gastroenterology Associates  Digestive & Liver Specialists  Houston Gastroenterology Associates  Digestive & Liver Specialists  Houston Gastroenterology Associates  Digestive & Liver Specialists  David T Nemoto MD  Gowrappala S Ramesh MD  Digestive & Liver Specialists  Alfredo L Viteri MD PA  Madhukar Kaw MD  Nasrullah Manji MD  Howard M Sussman MD  Mohammad E Zafarnia MD  Digestive & Liver Specialists  Thuan T Nguyen MD  Kumara Peddamatham MD  Hillcroft Medical Clinic  Houston Digestive Diseases Consultants  Michael W Stavinoha MD  Houston Digestive Diseases Consultants  Vijaya Kaila MD  George Nunez Jr. MD  Parendra Banker MD  Digestive Disease Consultants  Houston Digestive Diseases Consultants  Dipti Bavishi MD  Houston Digestive Diseases Consultants  Frank Lanza MD  Houston Gastroenterology  George E Whalen MD  Gastroenterology Consultants SW  Gastroenterology Consultants SW  Gastroenterology Consultants SW  East Texas Diagnostic Clinic  Internal Medicine Associates of Palestine  Robert L Arkus MD Bryan, TexasUpcoming Local Events2012-06-09
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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 Bryan
Nearby Bryan Hospitals *St Joseph Regional Health Center The Physicians Centre Hospital College Station Medical Center Burleson St Joseph Health Center Grimes St Joseph Health Center Madison St Joseph Health Center 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. |
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