Achalasia Center - Nashua, NH
Nashua 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 Nashua * Mark L Mallek MD  Richard C Dai MD  Dennis Shea MD  Londonderry Gastroenterology Associates  New Hampshire Gastroenterology  New Hampshire Gastroenterology Inc  Knut J Roalsvig MD  Northeast Gastroenterology Associates  Northeast Gastroenterology Associates  Emil K Karagiannis MD  Dartmouth-Hitchcock Manchester  Concord Gastroenterology  Concord Gastroenterology  Concord Gastroenterology  Concord Gastroenterology  Concord Gastroenterology  Seacoast Gastroenterology  Seacoast Gastroenterology  Seacoast Gastroenterology  Seacoast Gastroenterology  Gastroenterology PA  Gastroenterology Professional Associates  Gastroenterology Professional Associates  Gastroenterology PA  Gastroenterology PA  Gastroenterology PA  Gastroenterology Professional Associates  Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene Gastroenterology  Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene Gastroenterology  Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene Gastroenterology  Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene Gastroenterology  Carroll County Gastroenterology  Associates in Surgery & Gastroenterology  Associates in Surgery & Gastroenterology  DHMC Gastroenterology Department  Brian S Berk MD  DHMC Gastroenterology Department  DHMC Gastroenterology Department  DHMC Gastroenterology Department  DHMC Gastroenterology Department  DHMC Gastroenterology Department Nashua, New HampshireUpcoming Local Events2012-05-19
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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 Nashua
Nearby Nashua Hospitals *Southern New Hampshire Medical Center St Joseph Hospital HC Solomon Mental Health Center Lowell General Hospital Parkland Medical Center Saints Medical Center Nashoba Valley Medical Center Northeast Rehabilitation Health Network Caritas Holy Family Hospital and Medical Center Elliot Hospital Tewksbury Hospital Catholic Medical Center Lawrence General Hospital Hampstead Hospital Manchester VA Medical Center Isham Health Center Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Haverhill Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital Health Alliance Burbank Hospital Emerson Hospital Merrimack Valley Hospital HealthAlliance Hospital Leominster Campus Lahey Clinic Medical Center Baldpate Hospital Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center HEALTHSOUTH New England Rehabilitation Hospital Monadnock Community Hospital UMass Memorial Clinton Hospital Winchester Hospital UMass Memorial Marlborough Hospital McLean Hospital Heywood Hospital Melrose Wakefield Hospital Lawrence Memorial Hospital Anna Jaques Hospital New Hampshire Hospital North Shore Medical Center Concord Hospital HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital Exeter Hospital Kindred Hospital Boston North Shore  Somerville Hospital  Mount Auburn Hospital  Newton Wellesley Hospital  Youville Hospital and Rehabilitation Center  Cambridge Hospital  Westborough State Hospital  Whidden Memorial Hospital  Caritas St Elizabeth's Medical Center  Franciscan Hospital for Children  Beverly Hospital  Kindred Hospital Boston  MetroWest Medical Center Framingham Union Hospital  North Shore Children's Hospital  Salem Hospital & the Birthplace  Arbour HRI Hospital  Lawrence F Quigley Memorial Hospital  Shaughnessy-Kaplan Rehabilitation Hospital  M I T Medical  Kindred Specialty Hospital Natick  MetroWest Medical Center Leonard Morse Hospital  Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital  Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Westborough  Massachusetts General Hospital  Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary  Shriners Hospitals for Children Boston Burn Hospital  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center  Children's Hospital Boston  Dana Farber Cancer Institute  Brigham & Women's Hospital  New England Baptist Hospital  VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus  Tufts New England Medical Center 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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