Achalasia Center - Livermore, CA
Livermore 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 Livermore * Tri Valley Gastroenterology  Tri Valley Gastroenterology  Camacho & Musni MDs  Phillip A Wolfe & Eric Rowen MDs  Phillip A Wolfe & Eric Rowen MDs  Steven A Friedman MD  Anderson Rowe MD  Valley Digestive Care Medical Associates  Kenneth A Kelsen MD  Fremont Medical Group  Washington Township Medical Group  Mission Primary Care  Shakir Hyder MD  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  David H Lin MD  Varujan Keledjian MD  Varujan Keledjian MD  Varujan Keledjian MD  Varujan Keledjian MD  Ramakrishna Gollapudi MD  Mahesh G Modi MD  San Jose Gastroenterology  San Jose Gastroenterology  San Jose Gastroenterology  San Jose Gastroenterology  San Jose Gastroenterology  San Jose Gastroenterology  Rasik Kansara MD  Sally Nacianceno & Rose Palma MDs  Felix K Tam MD  Sudin Vittal MD  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Ismail M Wadiwala MD  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  S Saeed Zamani MD  Henry Kung MD  Bay Area Colon & Rectal Surgeons  Gerald Tarder MD  S Saeed Zamani MD  Miles F Adler MD  Vinod Sawhney MD  David W Chui MD  Farr & Farr MD  Alfred L Hurwitz MD  Jagjit S Raju MD  Eugene J Burbige MD  Gastroenterology Medical Group  David N Varon MD  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  Andrew Lipton MD  Robert F Bronstone MD  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  El Camino GI Medical  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  El Camino GI Medical  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  Barbara Hom MD  David E Stein MD FACG  Marwan A Balaa MD  Terry C Lin DO  Ayer & Davilla MDs  Michael C Kushlan MD  San Jose Medical Group  San Jose Medical Group  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Palo Alto Veterans Hospital GI Endoscopy  Palo Alto Veterans Hospital GI Endoscopy  Medical Specialties Clinic  David S Shields MD  Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Gastroenterology Department  Susie M Liu MD  Harvey S Young MD  Menlo Medical Clinic  Menlo Medical Clinic  Alameda County Medical Center  Alameda County Medical Center Highland Hospital Campus  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Betty M Ho MD  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Gastroenterology Livermore, 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 Livermore
Nearby Livermore Hospitals *Valley Memorial Hospital Livermore Division of the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System ValleyCare Health System Pleasanton San Ramon Regional Medical Center Washington Hospital Fremont Hospital Eden Medical Center Sutter Tracy Community Hospital St Rose Hospital Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center Alameda County Medical Center Fairmont Campus John George Psychiatric Pavilion Kindred Hospital San Francisco Bay Area San Leandro Hospital Sutter Delta Medical Center Regional Medical Center of San Jose Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center John Muir Medical Center Walnut Creek Campus O'Connor Hospital John Muir Medical Center Concord Campus John Muir Behavioral Health Center Menlo Park Surgical Hospital Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center Alameda County Medical Center Highland Campus El Camino Hospital Alameda Hospital Lucile Packard Children's Hospital VA Palo Alto Health Care System Stanford Hospital & Clinics Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Hospital Manteca Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at Oakland VA Northern CA Healthcare System at Martinez Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Summit Campus San Joaquin General Hospital Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Alta Bates Campus Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center Sequoia Hospital Contra Costa Regional Medical Center Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Herrick Campus El Camino Hospital of Los Gatos Good Samaritan Hospital San Jose San Mateo Medical Center Good Samaritan Hospital Mission Oaks Dameron Hospital Doctors Hospital of Manteca Mills Hospital St Joseph's Medical Center St Joseph's Behavioral Health Center Mills-Peninsula Health Services 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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Vitiligo
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Dysphagia
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Esophagitis
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The Digestive System
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