Achalasia Center - Cerritos, CA
Cerritos 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 Cerritos * Behrooz Ahmadi MD  Norman Kuo MD  Gastroenterology Consultants  Digestive Disease Center  Songul Atay MD Inc  Gastroenterology Consultants  Gastroenterology Consultants  Gastroenterology Consultants  Hertz & Associates in Gastroenterology A Medical Group Inc  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Derek M. Dobalian MD  Talbert Medical Group  Kenneth Yamashiro MD  Richard Yip MD  Conrad A Cox MD  Jose Pantoja MD  Gastro Digestive Medical Group  Frischer Medical Group  Steven J Weiss MD  Rangarao Panguluri MD  Robert A Mecum MD  Neal M Shindel MD  Richard L Parks MD & Barton Ueki MD  Internal Medicine Specialists Medical Groups  Abdul Alaama MD  Ravindra Alapati MD  Ashok Amin MD  Ambika Bali MD  Syam P Gaddam MD  Hoa Nguyen MD Inc  Associated Gastroenterology Medical Group  Associated Gastroenterology Medical Group  Associated Gastroenterology Medical Group  St Jude Heritage Medical Group Bastanchury  Christopher D Bui MD  St Jude Heritage Medical Sunnycrest  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  St Jude Heritage Medical Sunnycrest  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  St Jude Heritage Medical Sunnycrest  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  St Jude Heritage Medical Sunnycrest  The Internal Medical Group  Roque Hung & Yu Digestive Diseases  Healthcare System 2000  Kenny Su MD  Shang Cheng Wu MD  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastro-Digestive Medical Group  Gastro-Digestive Medical Group  Lisandro Quinones MD  Mark Li MD  Internal Medicine Specialists Medical Groups  Multi Health Care Medical Group  Ching-Hsiu Chen MD  Ching-Hsiu Chen MD  Quang Phan MD  Fountain Valley Cardiology  Sirus Farivar MD  Ronald J Policastro MD  LAC / Martin Luther King Jr General Hospital  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  Jay P Diliberto MD  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Irvine Medical Center Gastroenterology  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Irvine Medical Center Gastroenterology  Clement Chu MD  Andrew C Ko MD  Leduc Medical Group  Harvey S Sahni MD  David M Truong MD  Talbert Medical Group  Talbert Medical Group  Newport Medical Huntington Group  Dennis Chan MD  Kwok-Leung Chung MD  Firmin Ho MD  Chun Yen Hsu MD  Chia-Chi G Lai MD  Shih Lin Lue MD  Barry Morguelan MD  Roque Hung & Yu Digestive Diseases  Roque Hung & Yu Digestive Diseases  Tu Tran MD  Harold Maizel MD  David B Stanton MD & Associates  David B Stanton MD & Associates  Jeffrey M Shapiro MD  David B Stanton MD & Associates Cerritos, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-05-20
2012-06-10
2012-06-10
2012-06-30
2012-07-04
2012-07-15
2012-07-28
2012-09-01
2012-09-30
2012-10-07
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 Cerritos
Nearby Cerritos Hospitals *La Palma Intercommunity Hospital College Hospital Cerritos Tri-City Regional Medical Center Norwalk Community Hospital Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital Bellflower Medical Center Metropolitan State Hospital Kindred Hospital La Mirada Los Alamitos Medical Center Anaheim General Hospital Lakewood Regional Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center West Anaheim Medical Center Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles Suburban Medical Center Campus Downey Regional Medical Center Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center Whittier Hospital Medical Center Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital VA Long Beach Healthcare System Community Hospital of Long Beach Anaheim Regional Medical Center St Jude Medical Center Long Beach Memorial Medical Center Miller Children's Hospital Kindred Hospital Westminster Pacific Hospital of Long Beach St Francis Medical Center St Mary Medical Center Western Medical Center Anaheim Beverly Hospital Martin Luther King Jr MAC Service Center Garden Grove Hospital & Medical Center Kindred Hospital Brea University Of California Irvine Medical Center Huntington Beach Hospital Kindred Hospital Santa Ana Community Hospital of Huntington Park Greater El Monte Community Hospital Los Angeles Community Hospital East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital Children's Hospital Orange County Placentia-Linda Hospital Fountain Valley Regional Hospital & Medical Center St Joseph Hospital Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center Monterey Park Hospital LAC Harbor UCLA Medical Center Memorial Hospital of Gardena Vista Hospital of South Bay BHC Alhambra Hospital City of Angels Medical Center Ingleside Campus Garfield Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Baldwin Park Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center HealthBridge Children's Rehabilitation Hospital Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles Vista Specialty Hospital of San Gabriel Valley Chapman Medical Center Coastal Communities Hospital Citrus Valley Medical Center Queen of the Valley Campus LAC + USC Medical Center LAC + USC Medical Center Women's & Children's Hospital Western Medical Center Santa Ana White Memorial Medical Center Doctor's Hospital West Covina USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center USC University Hospital HEALTHSOUTH Tustin Rehabilitation Hospital Alhambra Hospital Medical Center San Gabriel Valley Medical Center California Hospital Medical Center Orthopaedic Medical Center Torrance Memorial Medical Center Tustin Hospital & Medical 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. |
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
