Achalasia Center - New Bedford, MA
New Bedford 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 New Bedford * Southcoast Physicians Services  Hawthorn Medical Associates  Hawthorn Medical Associates  Hawthorn Medical Associates  Hawthorn Medical Associates  Hawthorn Medical Associates  Hawthorn Medical Associates  Truesdale Clinic Southcoast Physicians Services  Truesdale Clinic Southcoast Physicians Services  Prima Care Gastroenterology PC  Prima Care Gastroenterology PC  Prima Care Gastroenterology PC  Prima Care Gastroenterology PC  Prima Care Gastroenterology PC  Sidney W Rosen MD  Gastrointestinal Specialists  Robert A Sepersky MD  Gastrointestinal Specialists  Gastrointestinal Specialists  Gastrointestinal Specialists  Associates in Gastroenterology  Associates in Gastroenterology  Signature Healthcare Bridgewater Goddard Park Medical Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Arthur J Esswein MD  Plymouth Carver Primary Care PC  Signature Healthcare Bridgewater Goddard Park Medical Associates  Signature Healthcare Bridgewater Goddard Park Medical Associates  Signature Healthcare Bridgewater Goddard Park Medical Associates  Gastrointestinal Specialists  Gastrointestinal Specialists  Attleboro Gastroenterology  Attleboro Gastroenterology  Attleboro Gastroenterology  Attleboro Gastroenterology  Rheumatology & Gastroenterology Associates  Rheumatology & Gastroenterology Associates  Rheumatology & Gastroenterology Associates  Caritas Medical Practice Corp  South Suburban Gastroenterology  South Suburban Gastroenterology  South Suburban Gastroenterology  South Suburban Gastroenterology  South Suburban Gastroenterology  South Suburban Gastroenterology  Harbor Medical & Associates  Harbor Medical & Associates  Harbor Medical & Associates  Granite Medical Group  Granite Medical Group  Robert F Kelliher MD  Mohammad Farivar MD  Southwestern Gastroenterological Associates PC  Associates In Internal Medicine  Eric Cohen MD  Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates  George L Barrett MD  South Shore Internal Medicine  South Shore Internal Medicine  Van Ritter MD  Alexandre K Nader MD  William F Siebert Jr. DO  Paul W Siegel MD  Kathleen E Koehler & Michael Feuer MDs  Kathleen E Koehler & Michael Feuer MDs  Gary L Shapiro MD  Thomas J Kenney Jr. MD Inc  Thomas J Kenney Jr. MD Inc  Harold G Levine MD  VA Boston Healthcare System West Roxbury  Pham Medical Associates  Gastroenterology Associates at Faulkner  Gastroenterology Associates at Faulkner  Gastroenterology Associates at Faulkner  Gastroenterology Associates at Faulkner  Gastroenterology Associates at Faulkner  Gastroenterology Associates at Faulkner  Gastroenterology Associates at Faulkner  Harvard Vanguard Gastroenterology  Boston University Medical Group  BMC Gastroenterology  BMC Gastroenterology  BMC Gastroenterology  BMC Gastroenterology  BMC Gastroenterology  BMC Gastroenterology  BMC Gastroenterology  VA Boston Healthcare System  VA Boston Healthcare System  Boston University Medical Group  BMC Gastroenterology  BMC Gastroenterology  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates New Bedford, MassachusettsUpcoming 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 New Bedford
Nearby New Bedford Hospitals *St Luke's Hospital New Bedford Rehabilitation Hospital Charlton Memorial Hospital Saint Anne's Hospital Tobey Hospital Falmouth Hospital Morton Hospital & Medical Center Taunton State Hospital Newport Hospital Martha's Vineyard Hospital Bradley Hospital Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape & Islands Jordan Hospital Hasbro Children's Hospital Rhode Island Hospital Sturdy Memorial Hospital Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island Butler Hospital Kent Hospital Southern New England Rehabilitation Center St Joseph Health Services Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island The Miriam Hospital Eleanor Slater Hospital Pastore Center Providence VA Medical Center Roger Williams Medical Center Arbour-Fuller Hospital Boston VA Healthcare System Brockton Our Lady of Fatima Hospital Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center South County Hospital Kindred Specialty Hospital Stoughton Pembroke Hospital Cape Cod 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. |
Suggested Reading on Achalasia by Our Doctors
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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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