Achalasia Center - Danbury, CT
Danbury 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 Danbury * Gerald O Franklin MD  Stephen W Kingsley MD  Danbury Hospital Gastroenterology  Danbury Hospital Gastroenterology  Danbury Hospital Gastroenterology  Danbury Hospital Gastroenterology  Danbury Hospital Gastroenterology  Danbury Hospital Gastroenterology  Danbury Hospital Gastroenterology  Fiedler & Kapel MDs  Fiedler & Kapel MDs  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Digestive Disease Center  Arbor Medical Group LLC  New Milford Internal Medicine Associates  New Milford Internal Medicine Associates  Gastroenterology Associates of Fairfield County  Gastroenterology Associates of Fairfield County  Gastroenterology Associates of Fairfield County  Gastroenterology Associates of Fairfield County  Gastroenterology Associates of Fairfield County  Gastroenterology Associates of Fairfield County  Gastroenterology Associates of Fairfield County  Gastroenterology Associates of Fairfield County  Naugatuck Valley Gastroenterology Consultants  Tarun K Gupta MD LLC  Shoreline Medical LLP  Southbury Medical Associates  Gastroenterology & Internal Medicine Westport  Norwalk Medical Group PC  Norwalk Medical Group PC  William B Hale MD  Dennis Meighan DO  Fairfield County Internal Medicine & GI Associates  Fairfield County Internal Medicine & GI Associates  Fairfield County Internal Medicine & GI Associates  GI Health Specialists  GI Health Specialists  GI Health Specialists  GI Health Specialists  GI Health Specialists  GI Health Specialists  Gastroenterology Associates PC  Gastroenterology Associates PC  Gastroenterology Associates PC  Gastroenterology Associates PC  Bridgeport Internal Medicine  Bridgeport Internal Medicine  Bridgeport Internal Medicine  Soundview Medical Associates  Soundview Medical Associates  Soundview Medical Associates  Gastroenterology & Hepatology Associates  Gastroenterology & Hepatology Associates  Gastroenterology & Hepatology Associates  William M Pintauro MD  Gastroenterology & Hepatology Associates  Gastroenterology & Hepatology Associates  Medical Associates of Stamford PC  Sanford H Benjamin MD  Peter W Gardner & Stuart Waldstreicher MDs  Peter W Gardner & Stuart Waldstreicher MDs  Ronald J Cirillo MD  Gastroenterology Specialists PC  Gastroenterology Specialists PC  Gastroenterology Specialists PC  Gastroenterology Specialists PC  David M Chess MD  Alan E Selkin MD  Beacon Falls Medical Associates  Beacon Falls Medical Associates  Fairfield & Westchester Gastroenterology Medicine Ctr  Fairfield & Westchester Gastroenterology Medicine Ctr  Fairfield & Westchester Gastroenterology Medicine Ctr  Naugatuck Valley Gastroenterology Consultants  Naugatuck Valley Gastroenterology Consultants  Naugatuck Valley Gastroenterology Consultants  Eduardo G Mari MD  Digestive Disease Center Connecticut  Digestive Disease Center Connecticut  Digestive Disease Center Connecticut  David Delucia & Hector Pun MDs  Ronald A Zlotoff MD  Gerald Fette MD  Gastroenterology & Internal Medicine of Orange  Gastroenterology Center of New England  Litchfield County Gastroenterology Associates LLC  Litchfield County Gastroenterology Associates LLC  Litchfield County Gastroenterology Associates LLC  Yale Medical Group Digestive Diseases  Yale Medical Group Digestive Diseases  Yale Medical Group Digestive Diseases  Yale Medical Group Digestive Diseases  Yale Medical Group Digestive Diseases  Yale Medical Group Digestive Diseases  Gastroenterology of New Haven LLC  Gastroenterology of New Haven LLC  Melchinger Street Rosenthal & Breier MD Danbury, ConnecticutUpcoming 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 Danbury
Nearby Danbury Hospitals *Danbury Hospital Putnam Hospital Center Four Winds Hospital New Milford Hospital Silver Hill Hospital Hall-Brooke Behavioral Health Services St Vincent's Medical Center Northern Westchester Hospital Center Norwalk Hospital Griffin Hospital Greater Bridgeport Community Mental Health Center Bridgeport Hospital Waterbury Hospital Milford Hospital Hudson Valley Hospital Center Stamford Hospital St Mary's Hospital Stony Lodge Hospital Greenwich Hospital FDR Campus of the VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System Montrose VA Connecticut Healthcare System West Haven Campus Hospital of St Raphael Keller Army Community Hospital Connecticut Mental Health Center Yale-New Haven Hospital Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System Castle Point Campus Blythedale Children's Hospital Maria Fareri Children's Hospital Westchester Medical Center New York Presbyterian Westchester Phelps Memorial Hospital Center White Plains Hospital Center St Luke's Cornwall Hospital Newburgh Campus Helen Hayes Hospital The Burke Rehabilitation Hospital St Luke's Cornwall Hospital Cornwell Campus St Vincent's Hospital Westchester Rye Hospital Center Gaylord Hospital Nyack Hospital Charlotte Hungerford Hospital Masonic Healthcare Center Vassar Brothers Medical Center Bristol Hospital The Hospital of Central Connecticut Bradley Campus St Francis Hospital Poughkeepsie Hudson River Psychiatric Center The Turning Point Saint Francis Hospital Beacon Dobbs Ferry Pavillion @ St Johns Riverside Hospital Sharon Hospital Summit Park Hospital Northport VA 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
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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
- 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.
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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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