Achalasia Center - Durham, NC
Durham 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 Durham * DUMC Gastroenterology  M Stanley Branch MD  Duke University Medical Center  Duke Southpoint Clinic Gastroenterology Dept  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  Vickers Clinic  Regional Gastroenterology  Regional Gastroenterology  Regional Gastroenterology  Duke University Medical Center of Gastroenterology  Central Internal Medicine  Durham Internal Medicine Associates  DUMC GI Dept  UNC School of Medicine Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology  Chapel Hill Internal Medicine  Chapel Hill Internal Medicine  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  Juliana Miller MD PLLC  Digestive Healthcare PA  Wake Internal Medicine Consultants Inc  Raleigh Medical Group PA  Wake Internal Medicine Consultants Inc  Wake Internal Medicine Consultants Inc  Wake Internal Medicine Consultants Inc  Anant B Soni MD  Digestive Healthcare PA  Digestive Healthcare PA  Digestive Healthcare PA  Digestive Healthcare PA  Digestive Healthcare PA  Digestive Healthcare PA  Digestive Healthcare PA  Cary Digestive Diseases PLLC  Cary Medical Group  Carolina Gastoenterology  Cary Gastroenterology Associates  Cary Gastroenterology Associates  Cary Gastroenterology Associates  Cary Gastroenterology Associates  North Raleigh Internal Medicine  Center For Digestive Diseases  Center For Digestive Diseases  Center For Digestive Diseases  Gastrointestinal Healthcare  Gastrointestinal Healthcare  Duke Gastroenterology of Raleigh  Triangle Gastroenterology PLLC  Triangle Gastroenterology PLLC  Triangle Gastroenterology PLLC  Triangle Gastroenterology PLLC  WakeMed Faculty GI Dept  Meehan Medical  Carolina GI Services  Alliance Medical Associates LLC  Mid Carolina Gastroenterology Associates PA  Mid Carolina Gastroenterology Associates PA  Mid Carolina Gastroenterology Associates PA  Kernodle Clinic West  P K George MD  Kernodle Clinic West  Johnston Gastroenterology  Neuse Gastroenterology PA  Dunn Gastroenterology  Rockingham 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 Durham, North CarolinaDurham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake county. It is the home of Duke University and North Carolina Central University, and is also one of the vertices of the Research Triangle area (home of the Research Triangle Park). Upcoming 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 Durham
Nearby Durham Hospitals *Duke University Medical Center Durham VA Medical Center Durham Regional Hospital Select Specialty Hospital Durham North Carolina Specialty Hospital UNC Health Care John Umstead Hospital Rex Healthcare WakeMed Cary Hospital Duke Raleigh Hospital WakeMed Raleigh Campus Holly Hill Hospital Granville Medical Center Person Memorial Hospital Maria Parham Medical Center Alamance Regional Medical Center Franklin Regional 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. |
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