Achalasia Center - Leesburg, VA
Leesburg 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 Leesburg * Gastroenterology Assoc PLLC  Robert D Lafsky MD & Nadeem A Khan MD  Robert D Lafsky MD & Nadeem A Khan MD  Colon, Stomach & Liver Center  Colon, Stomach & Liver Center  Sanjeev Wasan MD  Ryan P Crenshaw MD  Gastroenterology Associates of N Virginia  Gastroenterology Associates of N Virginia  Vinod K Rustgi MD  Gastroenterology Associates of N Virginia  Gastroenterology Associates of N Virginia  Gastroenterology Associates of N Virginia  Gastroenterology Associates of N Virginia  Gastroenterology Associates of N Virginia  Gastroenterology Associates of N Virginia  Gastroenterology Associates of N Virginia  Gastroenterology Associates of N Virginia  Lance Lasner MD  Rajeshwar Singh Kadian MD  Gastroenterology Associates PC  Gastroenterology Associates PC  Associates In Gastroenterology  Gastroenterology Associates PC  Associates In Gastroenterology  Associates In Gastroenterology  Gastroenterology Associates PC  Associates In Gastroenterology  Gastroenterology Associates PC  Gastroenterology Associates PC  Gastroenterology Associates PC  Gastroenterology Associates PC  Gastroenterology Associates PC  Gastroenterology Associates PC  Kok S Lee MD PC  Richard C Ranard MD & Lucy S Beck MD  Richard C Ranard MD & Lucy S Beck MD  Howard Heit MD  Carol Schuffler MD  Ronald E Gurney MD  Ram Nimmagadda MD  Northern Virginia Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Center of Northern Virginia  Gastroenterology Center of Northern Virginia  Gastroenterology Center of Northern Virginia  Gastroenterology Center of Northern Virginia  Northern Virginia Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Center of Northern Virginia  Mc Lean Neuroscience  Virginia Gastroenterology  Bayani L Manalo MD  Mu K Hong MD  Han Ton-That MD  Gil Ascunce MD  Leonardo Mendez MD  Internal Medicine Associates of Northern Virginia  Internal Medicine Associates of Northern Virginia  Ramesh Desai MD  Kaiser Permanente  Robert A Nussbaum MD  Digestive Disease Physicians PC  Gastroenterology & Hepatology Associates  Gastroenterology & Hepatology Associates  Digestive Disease Physicians PC  Digestive Disease Physicians PC  Digestive Disease Physicians PC  Digestive Health  Gastroenterology & Hepatology Associates  Michael Mogadam MD  Digestive Health  Aly Sabet MD  Houshang Makipour MD  Paul I Miller MD  M Hossein Razavi MD  Tobin S Naidorf MD  Tanya Davis-Spaulding MD  A Bruce Shauer MD  Myriam Urrutia-Eder MD  McCone Endoscopy Centers  Winchester Gastroenterology Associates  Winchester Gastroenterology Associates  Winchester Gastroenterology Associates  Winchester Gastroenterology Associates  Winchester Gastroenterology Associates  Blue Ridge Gastroenterology  Center Virginia Surgical Center  Center Virginia Surgical Center  Fall Hill Gastroenterology Associates MAHA  Fall Hill Gastroenterology Associates MAHA  Fall Hill Gastroenterology Associates MAHA  Pratt Medical Center Specialty Care  Gastroenterology Associates of Fredericksburg  Gastroenterology Associates of Fredericksburg  Gastroenterology Associates of Fredericksburg  Gastroenterology Associates of Fredericksburg  Samuel Pasternack MD  John Michaels MD  Horace J Jackson MD  Charlottesville Gastroenterology  Charlottesville Gastroenterology Leesburg, VirginiaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-09
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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 Leesburg
Nearby Leesburg Hospitals *Graydon Manor Behavioral Health North Spring Behavioral Healthcare Inova Loudoun Hospital Center Reston Hospital Center Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Jefferson Memorial Hospital Frederick Memorial Hospital Prince William Hospital Suburban Hospital Inova Fairfax Hospital Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute National Institutes of Health Montgomery General Hospital Sibley Memorial Hospital Dominion Hospital Martinsburg VA Medical Center Virginia Hospital Center Psychiatric Institute of Washington Holy Cross Hospital Georgetown University Hospital Walter Reed Army Medical Center Fauquier Hospital The George Washington University Hospital Washington Adventist Hospital Inova Alexandria Hospital City Hospital Howard University Hospital National Rehabilitation Hospital Washington Hospital Center Children's National Medical Center Washington DC VA Medical Center Providence Hospital The HSC Pediatric Center Winchester Medical Center The Specialty Hospital of Washington 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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Dysphagia
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