Achalasia Center - Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Rancho Palos Verdes 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 Rancho Palos Verdes * Digestive Care Consultants  Digestive Care Consultants  Digestive Care Consultants  Judy L Law-Torok MD  Digestive Care Consultants  Digestive Care Consultants  Digestive Care Consultants  Digestive Care Consultants  David O Kim MD  Osato Medical Clinic  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  HealthCare Partners Medical Group Redondo Beach  San Pedro Internal Family Medicine  Iraj Akhlaghi MD  Robert M Webman MD  Nazir U Khaja MD  Gastroenterology Associates of the South Bay Inc  Gastroenterology Associates of the South Bay Inc  Morris Taub MD  Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Mixed Specialties  Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Mixed Specialties  Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Mixed Specialties  Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Mixed Specialties  Harbor UCLA Medical Foundation  Harbor UCLA Medical Foundation  Coast Gastroenterology Group  William Essilfie MD  Coast Gastroenterology  Coast Gastroenterology  West Gastroenterology Associates  Coast Gastroenterology  Coast Gastroenterology  West Gastroenterology Associates  West Gastroenterology Associates  West Gastroenterology Associates  West Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  LAC / Martin Luther King Jr General Hospital  Gastro-Digestive Medical Group  Gastro-Digestive Medical Group  Conrad A Cox MD  Robert A Gross MD  Glenn Pasternack MD  Jose Pantoja MD  Paul Key MD  Multi Health Care Medical Group  Western Healthcare  Akasha Center for Integrative Medicine  UCLA Santa Monica Specialists  UCLA Santa Monica Specialists  UCLA Santa Monica Specialists  N Robert Elson MD  Hertz Frankel Katkov Wishingrad & Lam MDs  Hertz Frankel Katkov Wishingrad & Lam MDs  Hertz Frankel Katkov Wishingrad & Lam MDs  Sean C Lai MD  Hertz Frankel Katkov Wishingrad & Lam MDs  Shahrad Shamsi MD  Hertz Frankel Katkov Wishingrad & Lam MDs  Southern California Medical Gastroenterology Group  Southern California Medical Gastroenterology Group  Southern California Medical Gastroenterology Group  Southern California Medical Gastroenterology Group  Southern California Medical Gastroenterology Group  Southern California Medical Gastroenterology Group  Southern California Medical Gastroenterology Group  Southern California Medical Gastroenterology Group  Derek M. Dobalian MD  Nicholas Karyotakis MD  Robert Y Uyeda MD  Talbert Medical Group  Federal Medical Clinic  Payman?Khorrami MD  Herbert R Kornfeld MD  Rahbar Medical Group  Century City Endoscopy  Mitchell J Spirt MD  California Pancreatic Biliary Institute  California Pancreatic Biliary Institute  Yong Tai Lee MD  Robert Richter MD  Sadler Medical Group  Said Rahban MD  Marvin Derezin MD  Dr Marc A Edelstein  Marvin Derezin MD  UCLA Medical Group Gastroenterology Rancho Palos Verdes, 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 Rancho Palos Verdes
Nearby Rancho Palos Verdes Hospitals *Del Amo Hospital Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro Torrance Memorial Medical Center Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center LAC Harbor UCLA Medical Center Vista Hospital of South Bay Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center Hawthorne Campus Memorial Hospital of Gardena St Mary Medical Center Pacific Hospital of Long Beach Long Beach Memorial Medical Center Miller Children's Hospital Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center Centinela Campus Community Hospital of Long Beach Martin Luther King Jr MAC Service Center VA Long Beach Healthcare System Marina Del Rey Hospital Lakewood Regional Medical Center Kindred Hospital Los Angeles Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles Suburban Medical Center Campus St Francis Medical Center Bellflower Medical Center Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center Brotman Medical Center Tri-City Regional Medical Center College Hospital Cerritos Community Hospital of Huntington Park Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center Los Alamitos Medical Center Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center Saint John's Health Center Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center Downey Regional Medical Center Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital Orthopaedic Medical Center California Hospital Medical Center Miracle Mile Medical Center Olympia Medical Center La Palma Intercommunity Hospital VA Greater Los Angeles HealthCare System Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital Los Angeles Community Hospital Norwalk Community Hospital Good Samaritan Hospital Cedars-Sinai Medical Center East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital Metropolitan State Hospital Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles St Vincent Medical Center Anaheim General Hospital Shriners Hospitals for Children Los Angeles Kindred Hospital Westminster White Memorial Medical Center Temple Community Hospital Huntington Beach Hospital Kaiser Mental Health Center Pacific Alliance Medical Center West Anaheim Medical Center LAC + USC Medical Center LAC + USC Medical Center Women's & Children's Hospital Barlow Respiratory Hospital Hollywood Community Hospital USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center USC University Hospital Gateways Hospital & Mental Health Center Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center Kindred Hospital La Mirada Beverly Hospital Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital Orange Coast Memorial 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. |
Suggested Reading on Achalasia by Our Doctors
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Esophageal Cancer
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Vitiligo
- Vitiligo is a condition in which the skin turns white due to the loss of pigment from the melanocytes, cells that produce the pigment melanin that gives the skin color.
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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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