Achalasia Center - Chapel Hill, NC
Chapel Hill 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 Chapel Hill * UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Physicians & Associates  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  North Carolina Hospital Gastroenterology Dept  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  UNC Gastroenterology  Chapel Hill Internal Medicine  Chapel Hill Internal Medicine  UNC School of Medicine Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology  Duke Southpoint Clinic Gastroenterology Dept  DUMC GI Dept  Vickers Clinic  DUMC Gastroenterology  M Stanley Branch MD  Duke University Medical Center  DUMC Gastroenterology  DUMC Gastroenterology  Duke University Medical Center of Gastroenterology  Duke University Medical Center of Gastroenterology  Duke University Medical Center  Duke University Medical Center of Gastroenterology  Regional Gastroenterology  Regional Gastroenterology  Regional Gastroenterology  Durham Internal Medicine Associates  Central Internal Medicine  Duke University Medical Center of Gastroenterology  Cary Digestive Diseases PLLC  Cary Medical Group  Carolina Gastoenterology  Cary Gastroenterology Associates  Cary Gastroenterology Associates  Cary Gastroenterology Associates  Cary Gastroenterology Associates  Center For Digestive Diseases  Center For Digestive Diseases  Center For Digestive Diseases  Juliana Miller MD PLLC  Raleigh Medical Group PA  Digestive Healthcare PA  Digestive Healthcare PA  Digestive Healthcare PA  Digestive Healthcare PA  Digestive Healthcare PA  Digestive Healthcare PA  Digestive Healthcare PA  Digestive Healthcare PA  Wake Internal Medicine Consultants Inc  Wake Internal Medicine Consultants Inc  Wake Internal Medicine Consultants Inc  Wake Internal Medicine Consultants Inc  Anant B Soni MD  North Raleigh Internal Medicine  Duke Gastroenterology of Raleigh  Gastrointestinal Healthcare  Gastrointestinal Healthcare  Triangle Gastroenterology PLLC  Triangle Gastroenterology PLLC  Triangle Gastroenterology PLLC  Triangle Gastroenterology PLLC  Alliance Medical Associates LLC  Mid Carolina Gastroenterology Associates PA  Mid Carolina Gastroenterology Associates PA  Mid Carolina Gastroenterology Associates PA  Kernodle Clinic West  Kernodle Clinic West  WakeMed Faculty GI Dept  Meehan Medical  Rockingham Gastroenterology  Dunn Gastroenterology  Rockingham Gastroenterology  Rockingham Gastroenterology  Guilford Medical Center PA  Guilford Medical Center PA  Eagle Gastroenterology  Eagle Gastroenterology  Eagle Gastroenterology  Eagle Gastroenterology  Eagle Gastroenterology  Eagle Gastroenterology  Eagle Gastroenterology  Piedmont Surgeons For Children  Eagle Internal Medicine at Tannenbaum  Eagle Internal Medicine at Tannenbaum  Carolina GI Services  P K George MD Chapel Hill, North CarolinaUpcoming Local Events2012-05-19
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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 Chapel Hill
Nearby Chapel Hill Hospitals *UNC Health Care Duke University Medical Center Durham VA Medical Center Durham Regional Hospital Select Specialty Hospital Durham North Carolina Specialty Hospital WakeMed Cary Hospital Rex Healthcare John Umstead Hospital Duke Raleigh Hospital Chatham Hospital Alamance Regional Medical Center WakeMed Raleigh Campus Holly Hill Hospital Central Carolina Hospital Person Memorial 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. |
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