Achalasia Center - Oakland, CA
Oakland 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 Oakland * Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  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  Alameda County Medical Center  Alameda County Medical Center Highland Hospital Campus  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  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  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  Patrick Y Wong MD  North East Medical Service  Dennis L Hamby MD  SFGH Medicine & Gastroenterology Clinic  Frank S Yang MD  Malin Aubry Gores Wang Haddad & Sankaran  Robert J Elsen MD  Miles F Adler MD  Pacific Heights Medical Group  Interventional Endoscopy Services  California Pacific Medical Center Gastroenterology  California Pacific Medical Center Gastroenterology  California Pacific Medical Center Gastroenterology  Vinod Sawhney MD  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  Pacific Internal Medicine Associates  PACIFIC INTERNAL MEDICINE ASSOCIATES  Pacific Internal Medicine Associates  Center for Digestive Disorders  Center for Digestive Disorders  Center for Digestive Disorders  California Pacific Medical Center Department of Gastroenterology  Frank J Farrell MD  Womens Health Care Clinic  UCSF The Comprehensive Cancer Center  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  DR, MARTIN S. LIBERMAN  Stephen C Pardys MD  John C Fletcher MD & William Parmer MD Inc  US & International Medicine Wing K King MD  Doctors Office  Doctors Office  Doctors Office  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  UCSF Gastroenterology  Dean L Rider MD  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  H David Watts MD  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Lawrence B Lusk MD  Sunset Health Services  VA Hospital  UCSF VA Medical Center  Digestive Disease Medical Group  Digestive Disease Medical Group  Digestive Disease Medical Group  Digestive Disease Medical Group  Digestive Disease Medical Group  Mission Primary Care  Robert H Kubin MD  Kenneth T Roost MD  Gastroenterology Consultants of The Peninsula Oakland, CaliforniaOakland is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. state of California and a major West Coast port city, located on San Francisco Bay about eight miles east of the City of San Francisco. Oakland is a major hub city for the Bay Area subregion collectively called the East Bay, and it is the county seat of Alameda County. Upcoming 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 Oakland
Nearby Oakland Hospitals *Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Summit Campus Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at Oakland Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland Alameda County Medical Center Highland Campus Alameda Hospital Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Alta Bates Campus Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Herrick Campus Chinese Hospital Saint Francis Memorial Hospital San Francisco General Hospital California Pacific Medical Center Pacific Campus St Luke's Hospital California Pacific Medical Center Davies Campus UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center San Leandro Hospital Kindred Hospital San Francisco Bay Area California Pacific Medical Center East Campus California Pacific Medical Center California Campus St Mary's Medical Center John George Psychiatric Pavilion UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus Alameda County Medical Center Fairmont Campus Doctor's Medical Center San Pablo Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center Eden Medical Center San Francisco VA Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center Seton Medical Center John Muir Medical Center Walnut Creek Campus St Rose Hospital Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center VA Northern CA Healthcare System at Martinez Contra Costa Regional Medical Center Mills Hospital Mills-Peninsula Health Services San Ramon Regional Medical Center Marin General Hospital Kentfield Rehabilitation & Specialty Hospital John Muir Behavioral Health Center John Muir Medical Center Concord Campus San Mateo Medical Center Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center St Helena Hospital Center for Behavioral Health Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center ValleyCare Health System Pleasanton Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center Sequoia Hospital Sutter Solano Medical Center Seton Medical Center Coastside Washington Hospital Fremont Hospital Menlo Park Surgical Hospital Novato Community Hospital Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford Hospital & Clinics Valley Memorial Hospital Sutter Delta Medical Center VA Palo Alto Health Care System Livermore Division of the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System El Camino Hospital Telecare Solano Psychiatric Health Facility Napa State Hospital NorthBay Medical Center Sonoma Valley 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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