Achalasia Center - Napa, CA
Napa 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 Napa * Freeto & Talley MDs  Freeto & Talley MDs  GI Associates  Santa Rosa Gastroenterology Medical Associates Inc  GI Associates  Santa Rosa Gastroenterology Medical Associates Inc  GI Associates  Santa Rosa Gastroenterology Medical Associates Inc  Laurence J Mazzotta MD  Barbara L Nylund MD  Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  NorthBay Healthcare  Inter Community Medical Group  Family Doctor Medical Group  Center for Digestive Disorders  Center for Digestive Disorders  Center for Digestive Disorders  Marin Gastroenterology  Marin Gastroenterology  Marin Gastroenterology  Marin Gastroenterology  Marin Gastroenterology  Marin Gastroenterology  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  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Eugene J Burbige MD  Gastroenterology Medical Group  David N Varon MD  North East Medical Service  Patrick Y Wong 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  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Pacific Heights Medical Group  Interventional Endoscopy Services  California Pacific Medical Center Gastroenterology  California Pacific Medical Center Gastroenterology  California Pacific Medical Center Gastroenterology  California Pacific Medical Center Gastroenterology  Interventional Endoscopy Services  California Pacific Medical Center Gastroenterology  Pacific Internal Medicine Associates  Pacific Internal Medicine Associates  Daniel Conlin MD  Pacific Internal Medicine Associates  Malin Aubry Gores Wang Haddad & Sankaran  Pacific Internal Medicine Associates  PACIFIC INTERNAL MEDICINE ASSOCIATES  Pacific Internal Medicine Associates  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  Frank S Yang MD  Dennis L Hamby MD  DR, MARTIN S. LIBERMAN  Stephen C Pardys MD  John C Fletcher MD & William Parmer MD Inc  California Pacific Medical Center Department of Gastroenterology  US & International Medicine Wing K King MD  Womens Health Care Clinic  Doctors Office  Doctors Office  UCSF The Comprehensive Cancer Center  Doctors Office  Frank J Farrell MD  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology Napa, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-16
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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 Napa
Nearby Napa Hospitals *Sonoma Valley Hospital Queen of the Valley Medical Center Napa State Hospital St Helena Hospital Petaluma Valley Hospital Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Main Campus Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa Chanate Campus Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center Sutter Solano Medical Center Novato Community Hospital St Helena Hospital Center for Behavioral Health Palm Drive Hospital Telecare Solano Psychiatric Health Facility NorthBay Medical Center Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center VacaValley Hospital Doctor's Medical Center San Pablo Healdsburg District Hospital Kentfield Rehabilitation & Specialty Hospital Marin General Hospital Contra Costa Regional Medical Center VA Northern CA Healthcare System at Martinez John Muir Behavioral Health Center John Muir Medical Center Concord Campus 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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