Achalasia Center - Levittown, PA
Levittown 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 Levittown * Gastroenterologists Ltd  Gastroenterologists Ltd  Gastrointestinal Specialists Inc  Gastrointestinal Specialists Inc  Bucks County Gastroenterology Associates  Bucks County Gastroenterology Associates  Gastrointestinal Consultants  Gastrointestinal Consultants  Gastrointestinal Consultants  Bucks County Gastroenterology Associates  Bucks County Gastroenterology Associates  Clinical GI Associates  Clinical GI Associates  Gastroenterology Group PA  Gastroenterology Group PA  Gastroenterology Group PA  Gastroenterology Group PA  Gastroenterology Group PA  Gastrointestinal Specialists Inc  Gastrointestinal Specialists Inc  Gastrointestinal Specialists Inc  Gastrointestinal Specialists Inc  Gastrointestinal Specialists Inc  Gastrointestinal Specialists Inc  Gastrointestinal Specialists Inc  Jeffrey Greenspan & Michael Resnick DOs  Jeffrey Greenspan & Michael Resnick DOs  Albert Einstein Medical Center Gastroenterology  Albert Einstein Medical Center Gastroenterology  Albert Einstein Medical Center Gastroenterology  Albert Einstein Medical Center Gastroenterology  Bustleton Gastroenterology  Philadelphia Gastroenterology Consultants Ltd  Philadelphia Gastroenterology Consultants Ltd  Philadelphia Gastroenterology Consultants Ltd  Philadelphia Gastroenterology Consultants Ltd  Philadelphia Gastroenterology Consultants Ltd  Greater NE Gastroenterology Associates PC  Michael J Rosner MD  Milind Vaze MD  Northeast Gastroenterology Associates  Northeast Gastroenterology Associates  Northeast Gastroenterology Associates  Fox Chase Gastroenterology Associates  Fox Chase Gastroenterology Associates  Fox Chase Gastroenterology Associates  Gastrointestinal Associates  Fox Chase Cancer Center Gastroenterology  Fox Chase Cancer Center  Nathan Schatz MD  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Gastrointestinal Associates Inc  Paul Berenbaum MD  Central Bucks Specialists Ltd  Central Bucks Specialists Ltd  Central Bucks Specialists Ltd  Central Bucks Specialists Ltd  Francisco Toledo MD  Einstein GI Associates  Albert Einstein Medical Center Gastroenterology  Einstein GI Associates  Central Bucks Specialists Ltd  Central Bucks Specialists Ltd  Temple Gastroenterology Associates  Temple Gastroenterology Associates  Temple Gastroenterology Associates  Temple Gastroenterology Associates  Temple Gastroenterology Associates  Temple Gastroenterology Associates  Temple Gastroenterology Associates  Temple Gastroenterology Associates  Temple Gastroenterology Associates  Temple Gastroenterology Associates  Temple Univ Hospital Pathology Dept  Blake GI & Associates  PHGI Associates Ltd  PHGI Associates Ltd  PHGI Associates Ltd  PHGI Associates Ltd  PHGI Associates Ltd  PHGI Associates Ltd  Jefferson Gastroenterology & Hepatology  Louis Broad MD  Jefferson Gastroenterology & Hepatology  Jefferson Gastroenterology & Hepatology  Jefferson Gastroenterology & Hepatology  Jefferson Gastroenterology & Hepatology Levittown, PennsylvaniaUpcoming 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.
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Nearby Levittown Hospitals *Frankford Hospital Bucks County Lower Bucks Hospital Capital Health System Mercer Campus St Mary Medical Center St Francis Medical Center Capital Health System Fuld Campus Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County Trenton Psychiatric Hospital Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton Aria Health Hampton Behavioral Health Center St Lawrence Rehabilitation Center Virtua Memorial Hospital Burlington County Angela Jane Pavilion Rehabilitation Hospital Nazareth Hospital Abington Memorial Health Center Warminster Campus Virtua Health & Rehabilitation Center @ Mt Holly Holy Redeemer Hospital & Medical Center Fox Chase Cancer Center Jeanes Hospital Abington Memorial Hospital Moss Rehabilitation Hospital Elkins Park Kindred Hospital Philadelphia Merwick Rehabilitation Hospital Frankford Hospital Frankford University Medical Center at Princeton Friends Hospital CTCA at Eastern Regional Medical Center Deborah Heart & Lung Center Moss Rehabilitation Hospital Albert Einstein Medical Center Kennedy Health System Cherry Hill Campus Princeton House Behavioral Health St Christopher's Hospital for Children Doylestown Hospital Marlton Rehabilitation Hospital Virtua West Jersey Hospital Marlton Weisman Children's Rehabilitation Hospital Foundations Behavioral Health Shriners Hospital for Children Temple University Hospital Kensington Hospital Brooke Glen Behavioral Hospital Horsham Clinic Montgomery Rehab Hospital of Chestnut Hill Girard Medical Center Chestnut Hill Hospital Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center Cooper University Hospital Virtua Health Voorhees Virtua Health Camden Roxborough Memorial Hospital Fairmount Behavioral Health System Hahnemann University Hospital St Joseph Hospital Magee Rehabilitation Hospital Wills Eye Hospital Pennsylvania Hospital Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Carrier Clinic Belmont Center for Comprehensive Treatment Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Penn Presbyterian Medical Center Saint Agnes Medical Center Central Montgomery Medical Center Methodist Hospital Philadelphia VA Medical Center Kennedy Health System Stratford Campus Buttonwood Hospital of Burlington County Lankenau Hospital Mercy Hospital of Philadelphia Mercy Suburban Hospital Hunterdon Medical Center Virtua West Jersey Hospital Berlin 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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Esophageal Cancer
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Vitiligo
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Eosinophilic Esophagitis
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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
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The Digestive System
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Esophageal Cancer
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