Achalasia Center - North Fort Myers, FL
North Fort Myers 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 North Fort Myers * Lawrence W Gardner MD  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Associates in Digestive Health  Associates in Digestive Health  Gastroenterology Associates  Associates in Digestive Health  Associates in Digestive Health  James J O'Mailia MD PA  Gastroenterology Consultants  Digestive Specialists  GI Specialists  Digestive Specialists  GI Specialists  Digestive Specialists  Florida Digestive Care  David M Gutstein MD  Gary M Price MD & David L West MD  Theodore Yaremo MD & Dora O Chizea MD  Moopen & Wei MDs  Theodore Yaremo MD & Dora O Chizea MD  James S Amontree MD  ACP Management  Tareq Al-Khatib MD  Anchor Health Centers Gastroenterology  Gastroenterology Specialists  Gastroenterology Specialists  Jay M Raja MD & Premala Raja MD  Gastroenterology Group Of Naples  Gastroenterology Group Of Naples  Gastroenterology Group Of Naples  Gastroenterology Group Of Naples  Gastroenterology Group Of Naples  Gastroenterology Group Of Naples  Associates In Digestive Disease  Naples Medical Center Walk-In  Rosann Schwartz MD  Joseph G Spano MD PA  Anchor Health Centers Gastroenterology  Anchor Health Centers Gastroenterology  Mohan Narayanan MD  Anthony DiTomaso MD  Gastroenterology Associates of Venice & Englewood  Gastroenterology Associates of Venice & Englewood  Peter R Dumas MD  Robert H Felman MD  South County Gastroenterology  Pediatric Gastroenterology  Sarasota Gastroenterology  Intercoastal Medical Group Gastroenterology  Intercoastal Medical Group Gastroenterology  Intercoastal Medical Group Gastroenterology  Intercoastal Medical Group Gastroenterology  Michael P Sassaris MD  Center for Digestive Diseases  Thomas O'Malley & Michael Hall MDs  Lee S Mitchel MD PA  Thomas O'Malley & Michael Hall MDs  Gastroenterology Associates of Sarasota  Gastroenterology Associates of Sarasota  Cynthia Collawn MD  Sarasota Digestive Health Specialist  Constantine G Marousis MD  Sarasota Digestive Health Specialist  Elliot M Livstone MD  The Medical Practice  The Medical Practice  Francesco Ferretti MD  Digestive Disease Specialists  Roy D Cavalcant MD  Eisenman & Eisenman Gastroenterology  Sun Coast GI Associates  Sun Coast GI Associates  Sun Coast GI Associates  Sun Coast GI Associates  Sun Coast GI Associates  Brandenton Gastroenterology  Rosabella Shek MD  Digestive Disease Specialist  Digestive Disease Specialist  Gastroenterology Associates of Manatee PA  Gastroenterology Associates of Manatee PA  Gastroenterology Associates of Manatee PA  Ashok K Dhaduvai MD  Palm Beach Gastroenterology Consultants  Kenneth F Haas MD  Caroline C Honculada MD  Ridge Medical Associates LLC  Richard J Eatroff MD PA  Digestive Disease Associates  Mazen Kattih MD  Ishwari Prasad MD  Digestive Disease Associates  C T Thomas MD  Continued Care of Plant City  Joseph A Boulay Jr. MD PA  Dwarka G Nath MD PA North Fort Myers, FloridaUpcoming 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 North Fort Myers
Nearby North Fort Myers Hospitals *Cape Coral Hospital Lee Memorial Hospital Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center Gulf Coast Hospital HealthPark Medical Center Lehigh Regional Medical Center Riverside Behavioral Center Charlotte Regional Medical Center Fawcett Memorial Hospital Peace River Medical Center NCH Healthcare System North Collier Hospital Englewood Community Hospital Physicians Regional Medical Center Pine Ridge Rd 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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