Achalasia Center - Midwest City, OK
Midwest City 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 Midwest City * Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Shujath Khan MD  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  OU Physicians Internal Medicine & Surgery Clinic  OU Physicians Internal Medicine & Surgery Clinic  OU Physicians Internal Medicine & Surgery Clinic  OU Physicians Internal Medicine & Surgery Clinic  Oklahoma Foundation for Digestive Research  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Ilysa Diamond, DO  Nick Knutson MD  David M Gregory MD  Michael R Grossman MD  Plaza Medical Group  Digestive Disease Specialists  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Northside Digestive Diseases  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists  Matthew A McBride MD  Deaconess Gastroenterology  Family Care Center of Harrah Inc  Lackey & Holbrook MDs  Lackey & Holbrook MDs  James L Stammer MD  Robert D Schmidt MD  GI of Norman LLC  GI of Norman LLC  GI of Norman LLC  GI of Norman LLC  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Northside Digestive Diseases  Northside Digestive Diseases  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Northside Digestive Diseases  Northside Digestive Diseases  Robert E Ringrose MD  Warren Clinic Internal Medicine  Thomas A Swafford MD  Thomas A Swafford MD  Enid Gastroenterology  Charles I Cannon MD  Alexander P Gurrola MD  Rhody Fawaz MD  Drs Bhargava & Bhargava Midwest City, OklahomaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-02
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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 Midwest City
Nearby Midwest City Hospitals *Specialty Hospital Midwest City Midwest Regional Medical Center INTEGRIS Mental Health System Willow View Oklahoma City VA Medical Center The Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center OU Medical Center Presbyterian Tower Kindred Hospital Oklahoma City Bone & Joint Hospital St Anthony Hospital Valir Rehabilitation Hospital INTEGRIS Southwest Medical Center Surgical Hospital of South Oklahoma City Oklahoma Center for Orthopaedic & Multi Specialty Hospital Kindred Hospital Oklahoma City South St Anthony Hospital South Moore Medical Center INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center McBride Clinic Orthopedic Hospital Select Specialty Hospital of Oklahoma City Deaconess Hospital Community Hospital of Oklahoma Northwest Surgical Hospital Edmond Specialty Hospital Edmond Medical Center Lakeside Women's Hospital The Children's Center Oklahoma Spine Hospital Mercy Health Center Oklahoma Heart Hospital J D McCarty Center Norman Regional Hospital Griffin Memorial Hospital Oklahoma Youth Center INTEGRIS Canadian Valley Regional Hospital Unity Health Center North Campus Unity Health Center South Campus Logan Medical Center Purcell Municipal Hospital Parkview Hospital 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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