Achalasia Center - Pittsburg, CA
Pittsburg 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 Pittsburg * Ramakrishna Gollapudi MD  Varujan Keledjian MD  Varujan Keledjian MD  Varujan Keledjian MD  Varujan Keledjian MD  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Eugene J Burbige MD  Gastroenterology Medical Group  David N Varon MD  Bay Area Colon & Rectal Surgeons  Tri Valley Gastroenterology  Tri Valley Gastroenterology  S Saeed Zamani MD  Henry Kung MD  Gerald Tarder MD  S Saeed Zamani MD  David H Lin MD  Steven A Friedman MD  Anderson Rowe MD  Valley Digestive Care Medical Associates  Family Doctor Medical Group  Inter Community Medical Group  NorthBay Healthcare  Camacho & Musni MDs  Phillip A Wolfe & Eric Rowen MDs  Phillip A Wolfe & Eric Rowen MDs  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Laurence J Mazzotta MD  Miles F Adler MD  Vinod Sawhney MD  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  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Alameda County Medical Center  Alameda County Medical Center Highland Hospital Campus  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  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Mission Primary Care  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Center for Digestive Disorders  Center for Digestive Disorders  Center for Digestive Disorders  Kenneth A Kelsen MD  Fremont Medical Group  Washington Township Medical Group  Shakir Hyder MD  Freeto & Talley MDs  Mahesh G Modi MD  Freeto & Talley MDs  Ismail M Wadiwala MD  Charles H Halsted MD  North East Medical Service  Patrick Y Wong MD  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  Dennis L Hamby MD  Frank S Yang MD Pittsburg, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-05-20
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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 Pittsburg
Nearby Pittsburg Hospitals *Sutter Delta Medical Center John Muir Medical Center Concord Campus John Muir Behavioral Health Center John Muir Medical Center Walnut Creek Campus VA Northern CA Healthcare System at Martinez Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center Contra Costa Regional Medical Center San Ramon Regional Medical Center Telecare Solano Psychiatric Health Facility NorthBay Medical Center Sutter Solano Medical Center St Helena Hospital Center for Behavioral Health Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center ValleyCare Health System Pleasanton Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Alta Bates Campus Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Herrick Campus VacaValley Hospital Alameda County Medical Center Highland Campus Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at Oakland Valley Memorial Hospital Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Summit Campus Eden Medical Center John George Psychiatric Pavilion Kindred Hospital San Francisco Bay Area Alameda County Medical Center Fairmont Campus Doctor's Medical Center San Pablo San Leandro Hospital Alameda Hospital Napa State Hospital Livermore Division of the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System St Rose Hospital Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center Queen of the Valley Medical Center Sutter Tracy Community Hospital Washington Hospital Chinese Hospital Dameron Hospital Lodi Memorial Hospital West St Joseph's Behavioral Health Center Saint Francis Memorial Hospital Fremont Hospital St Joseph's Medical Center California Pacific Medical Center Pacific Campus Lodi Memorial Hospital San Francisco General Hospital UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center San Joaquin General Hospital California Pacific Medical Center Davies Campus St Luke's Hospital California Pacific Medical Center California Campus California Pacific Medical Center East Campus 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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Esophageal Cancer
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Vitiligo
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Eosinophilic Esophagitis
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Dysphagia
- Dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing, swallowing problems. Dysphagia is due to problems in nerve or muscle control. It is common, for example, after a stroke. Dysphagia compromises nutrition and hydration and may lead to aspiration pneumonia and dehydration.
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Esophagitis
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The Digestive System
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Esophageal Cancer
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