Achalasia Center - Nashville, TN
Nashville 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 Nashville * Vanderbilt University Medical Center  Vanderbilt University Medical Center  Vanderbilt University Medical Center  Stephanie McAbee MD  Vanderbilt University Medical Center  GI Clinic at Vanderbilt Medical Center  GI Clinic at Vanderbilt Medical Center  Vanderbilt University Medical Center  Richard P Schneider MD  Vanderbilt University Medical Center  Vanderbilt University Medical Center  Nashville Endoscopy Center  Nashville Endoscopy Center  Nashville Gastrointestinal Specialist Inc  Nashville Gastrointestinal Specialist Inc  Nashville Gastrointestinal Specialist Inc  Nashville Gastrointestinal Specialist Inc  Nashville Gastro Consulting PLLC  Heritage Medical Associates  Heritage Medical Associates  Heritage Medical Associates  Heritage Medical Associates  Heritage Medical Associates  Nashville Gastroenterology Consultants PC  The Frist Clinic Gastroenterology & Infectious Disease  The Frist Clinic  The Frist Clinic Gastroenterology & Infectious Disease  Nashville Gastroenterology Consultants PC  Nashville Gastroenterology Consultants PC  Nashville Gastrointestinal Specialist Inc  St Thomas Medical Group  St Thomas Medical Group  Heritage Medical Associates  Mene Sugage Zua MD  Somayaji Gastroenterology Group PC  Gastroenterology Consultants  Charles Winters Jr. MD  Gastroenterology Associates  Associates in Gastroenterology  Associates in Gastroenterology  Associates in Gastroenterology  Associates in Gastroenterology  James R Gillespie MD  Gastroenterology & Hepatology Associates  Michael C Diaz MD  Franklin Gastroenterolgy PLLC  Franklin Gastroenterolgy PLLC  Max Caudill MD  Anthony Montemuro MD  Lebanon Digestive Disease Associates PC  Lebanon Digestive Disease Associates PC  Sumner Medical Group PLLC  Murfreesboro Medical Clinic Gastroenterology  Murfreesboro Medical Clinic Gastroenterology  Murfreesboro Medical Clinic Gastroenterology  Murfreesboro Medical Clinic Gastroenterology  Sunil Sarvaria MD  Anil Patel MD  Mid South Gastroenterology  Mid South Gastroenterology  Mid South Gastroenterology  Mid South Gastroenterology  Edwin C Glassell MD  Suzanne C Collier MD  Waverly Clinic  Fayetteville Medical Associates  Medical Specialists Of Cookeville  Medical Specialists Of Cookeville Nashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a major hub for the health care, music, publishing, banking and transportation industries. Upcoming Local Events2012-05-26
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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 Nashville
Nearby Nashville Hospitals *Metropolitan Nashville General Hospital Baptist Hospital Nashville Rehabilitation Hospital Centennial Medical Center Parthenon Pavilion Vanderbilt University Medical Center Monroe Carell Jr Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt Nashville VA Medical Center Psychiatric Hospital At Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital Bordeaux Long Term Care Kindred Hospital Nashville Saint Thomas Hospital Skyline Medical Center Southern Hills Medical Center Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute Skyline Madison Campus Summit Medical Center Hendersonville Medical Center Williamson Medical Center Centennial Medical Center Ashland City StoneCrest Medical Center Sumner Regional Medical Center NorthCrest Medical Center University Medical Center McFarland Specialty Hospital Alvin C York Veterans Affairs Medical Center Middle Tennessee 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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