Achalasia Center - Catonsville, MD
Catonsville 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 Catonsville * Digestive Disease Associates  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Wondwosen Abdi MD  Wondwosen Abdi MD  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Khurram Hanif MD  Mukul Khandelwal MD  Mukul Khandelwal MD  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Northwest Gastroenterology Associates  Northwest Gastroenterology Associates  Sinai GI Associates  Sinai GI Associates  Sinai GI Associates  Sinai GI Associates  Alan A Rosen MD  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Julian Jakobovits MD  Clinical Associates PA Baltimore  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Medical System  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Ahmed Ali Khokhar & Oreizi-Esfahani MD  Franz C Vella-Camilleri MD  Mt Washington Pediatric Hospital Inc  Mt Washington Pediatric Hospital Inc  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Mohammed Inayatullah MD  Harbor GI  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Heartfelt Medical Group  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Jonathan B Schreiber MD  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Ethan H Dubin MD  H Jeffrey Schwartz MD PA  Wyman Park Medical Center Gastroenterology  Digestive Disease Associates  Robert D Mathieson MD & Associates LLC  Gastro Center of Maryland  Megan Willard MD  Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center  Johns Hopkins Hospital Gastroenterology & Hepatology  Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine  John Hopkins GI  Johns Hopkins GI  Theodore M Bayless MD  John L Cameron MD  Johns Hopkins Gastroenterology  John O Clarke III MD  Johns Hopkins Gastroenterology  Johns Hopkins Gastroenterology  Johns Hopkins GI Dept  Sanjay Jagnnath MD  David B Liang MD  Johns Hopkins Gastroenterology  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Richard A Baum MD  Marshall S Bedine MD  Towson Gastroenterology Associates LLC  David M Cromwell MD  Johns Hopkins Gastroenterology & Hepatology Catonsville, 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 Catonsville
Nearby Catonsville Hospitals *Spring Grove Hospital Center Sheppard Pratt at Ellicott City Kernan Hospital Saint Agnes Hospital Bon Secours Baltimore Health System Baltimore VA Medical Center University of Maryland Medical Center Northwest Hospital Maryland General Hospital University Specialty Hospital Harbor Hospital Center Mercy Medical Center Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center & Hospital Sinai Hospital of Baltimore Mt Washington Pediatric Hospital Union Memorial Hospital Kennedy Krieger Institute Johns Hopkins Hospital Howard County General Hospital Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Good Samaritan Hospital of Maryland Sheppard Pratt Health System Greater Baltimore Medical Center St Joseph Medical Center Baltimore Washington Medical Center Springfield Hospital Center Laurel Regional Hospital Franklin Square Hospital Center Montgomery General Hospital Doctors Community Hospital Anne Arundel Medical Center Holy Cross Hospital Carroll Hospital Center Washington Adventist Hospital Prince George's Hospital Center Gladys Spellman Specialty Hospital Walter Reed Army Medical Center The HSC Pediatric Center Providence Hospital National Institutes of Health Suburban Hospital Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health Adventist HealthCare Washington DC VA Medical Center National Rehabilitation Hospital Washington Hospital Center Upper Chesapeake Medical Center Children's National Medical Center Howard University Hospital United Medical Center Psychiatric Institute of Washington The Specialty Hospital of Washington Sibley Memorial Hospital The George Washington University Hospital Georgetown University Hospital Saint Elizabeth's Hospital Virginia Hospital Center The Specialty Hospital of Washington-Hadley 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
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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
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The Digestive System
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Esophageal Cancer
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