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