Achalasia Center - Saint Charles, MO
Saint Charles 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 Saint Charles * SSM St Charles Clinic Medical Group  SSM St Charles Clinic Medical Group  SSM St Charles Clinic Medical Group  Boonslick Medical Group Inc  Boonslick Medical Group Inc  Boonslick Medical Group Inc  Multi-Care Medical PC  Gary D Koenig MD  Raymond F Mohrman & Patrick B McDonough MDs  Raymond F Mohrman & Patrick B McDonough MDs  Multi-Care Medical PC  Digestive Disorders Center  Caribe Gastroenterology  Drs Nyazee & Hakim LLC  Lawrence S Tierney MD PC  GI Consultants Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists  Digestive Disease Specialists  Digestive Disease Specialists  Digestive Disease Specialists  Digestive Disease Specialists  Midwest Therapeutic Endoscopy Consultants LLC  Midwest Therapeutic Endoscopy Consultants LLC  Specialists in Gastroenterology  Specialists in Gastroenterology  Specialists in Gastroenterology  Specialists in Gastroenterology  Specialists in Gastroenterology  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Ahmad A Karadaghy MD  Medical Specialists of St Luke's  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Dilip L Narayan MD  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Medical Specialists of St Luke's  Willowbrook Medical Center  Midwest Gastroenterology & Hepatology PC  Midwest Gastroenterology & Hepatology PC  John S Farrell MD  Midwest Gastroenterology & Hepatology PC  Midwest Gastroenterology & Hepatology PC  Midwest Gastroenterology & Hepatology PC  SJM GI Specialists  Specialty and Primary Care LLC  Drs Nyazee & Hakim LLC  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Michele C Woodley MD PC  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Midwest Gastroenterology  Overland Medical Center  Dennis Brooks MD  Mack E McCain MD  St Louis Gastroenterology Associates PC  GI Inc  GI Inc  Stephen P Nicholas MD  Anna R Niesen MD  Gateway Specialists  Damon Clines MD  Kirkwood Medical Group LLC  Leyland A Thomas MD  Southwest Medical Center  Southwest Medical Center  Maryland Medical Group  Washington University School of Gastroenterology  Washington University School of Gastroenterology  Tara Talwar MD  David J Costigan MD  Banke Agarwal MD  St Louis Gastroenterology Consultants  Sanjay T Bhat MD PC  St Louis Gastroenterology Consultants  St Louis Gastroenterology Consultants  Mike H Giacaman MD  St Louis Gastroenterology Consultants  St Louis Gastroenterology Consultants  Edwardo Verzola MD  Patients First Health Care Digestive Disease Center  Patients First Health Care Digestive Disease Center  Patients First Health Care Digestive Disease Center  Mohideen A Jamaluddin MD  Barbara Dixon-Scott MD  Center for Digestive & Liver Diseases Inc  Raymond H Wilbers MD Saint Charles, MissouriUpcoming Local Events2012-06-09
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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 Saint Charles
Nearby Saint Charles Hospitals *SSM St Joseph Health Center SSM DePaul Health Center Barnes-Jewish St Peter's Hospital St John's Urgent Care Center Saint Peters Ranken Jordan Pediatric Rehabilitation Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital Northwest HealthCare Center Pointe Hospital St Luke's Hospital St Luke's Urgent Care Center in St Charles St John's Mercy Medical Center St John's Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital Dubuis Hospital of St Louis Missouri Baptist Medical Center St John's Mercy Urgent Care Center Shriners Hospital for Children Hawthorn Children's Psychiatric Hospital Christian Hospital NE Progress West HealthCare Center St Luke's Urgent Care Center at WingHaven St Luke's Urgent Care Center on Clarkson Road Des Peres Hospital SSM Rehab SSM St Mary's Health Center Metropolitan St Louis Psychiatric Center SSM St Joseph Hospital West Forest Park Community Hospital Select Specialty Hospital St Louis Barnes-Jewish Hospital North Campus Kindred Hospital St Louis Barnes-Jewish Hospital South Campus St Louis Children's Hospital The Rehabilitation Institute of St Louis St Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center St Louis VA Medical Center John Cochran Division Saint Louis University Hospital SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center SSM St Clare Health Center St Clare's Hospital St Anthony's Health Center St Luke's Urgent Care Center in Fenton Alton Memorial Hospital Gateway Regional Medical Center St Alexius Hospital Broadway Campus Kindred Hospital St Anthony's St Anthony's Medical Center SSM St Joseph Health Center Wentzville Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital St Louis VA Medical Center Jefferson Barracks Jersey Community Hospital Touchette Regional Hospital Lincoln County Medical Center Anderson Hospital Memorial Hospital Belleville St John's Mercy Hospital St Elizabeth's Hospital Belleville 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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