Achalasia Center - Hayward, CA
Hayward 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 Hayward * Mission Primary Care  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Miles F Adler MD  Vinod Sawhney MD  Washington Township Medical Group  Shakir Hyder MD  Kenneth A Kelsen MD  Fremont Medical Group  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Betty M Ho MD  Scott D Levenson MD  Scott D Levenson MD  Menlo Medical Clinic  Menlo Medical Clinic  Alameda County Medical Center  Alameda County Medical Center Highland Hospital Campus  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Susie M Liu MD  David S Shields MD  Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Gastroenterology Department  Harvey S Young MD  Steven A Friedman MD  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  San Mateo County General Hospital  Anderson Rowe MD  Tri Valley Gastroenterology  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  Tri Valley Gastroenterology  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  Valley Digestive Care Medical Associates  Medical Specialties Clinic  David H Lin MD  Edward K Onuma & Eugene Y Lee MDs  Edward K Onuma & Eugene Y Lee MDs  Michael Mainardi M.D. Inc.  Ernest Ribera MD  Marna M Skaar MD  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Palo Alto Veterans Hospital GI Endoscopy  Palo Alto Veterans Hospital GI Endoscopy  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Camacho & Musni MDs  Phillip A Wolfe & Eric Rowen MDs  Phillip A Wolfe & Eric Rowen MDs  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Robert H Kubin MD  Kenneth T Roost MD  Andrew Lipton MD  Robert F Bronstone MD  El Camino GI Medical  El Camino GI Medical  Gastroenterology Consultants of The Peninsula  Gastroenterology Consultants of The Peninsula  S Saeed Zamani MD  Henry Kung MD  Gerald Tarder MD  S Saeed Zamani MD  Bay Area Colon & Rectal Surgeons  SFGH Medicine & Gastroenterology Clinic  Robert J Elsen MD  Lawrence B Lusk MD Hayward, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-05-20
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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 Hayward
Nearby Hayward Hospitals *Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center St Rose Hospital Eden Medical Center Alameda County Medical Center Fairmont Campus John George Psychiatric Pavilion San Leandro Hospital Kindred Hospital San Francisco Bay Area Washington Hospital Fremont Hospital Alameda Hospital Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center Menlo Park Surgical Hospital San Mateo Medical Center Mills Hospital Alameda County Medical Center Highland Campus San Ramon Regional Medical Center Sequoia Hospital ValleyCare Health System Pleasanton Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford Hospital & Clinics Mills-Peninsula Health Services Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Summit Campus Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at Oakland Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland VA Palo Alto Health Care System Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Alta Bates Campus Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Herrick Campus San Francisco General Hospital Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center St Luke's Hospital El Camino Hospital Valley Memorial Hospital Chinese Hospital Saint Francis Memorial Hospital California Pacific Medical Center Davies Campus Seton Medical Center John Muir Medical Center Walnut Creek Campus Livermore Division of the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center California Pacific Medical Center Pacific Campus UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus St Mary's Medical Center California Pacific Medical Center East Campus California Pacific Medical Center California Campus Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center Seton Medical Center Coastside San Francisco VA Medical Center O'Connor Hospital Regional Medical Center of San Jose John Muir Medical Center Concord Campus John Muir Behavioral Health Center Santa Clara Valley Medical Center VA Northern CA Healthcare System at Martinez Doctor's Medical Center San Pablo Contra Costa Regional Medical Center El Camino Hospital of Los Gatos Good Samaritan Hospital San Jose Good Samaritan Hospital Mission Oaks Sutter Delta Medical Center Marin General Hospital Kentfield Rehabilitation & Specialty Hospital Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center St Helena Hospital Center for Behavioral Health Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center Sutter Solano 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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