Achalasia Center - San Bruno, CA
San Bruno 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 San Bruno * Robert H Kubin MD  Kenneth T Roost MD  Gastroenterology Consultants of The Peninsula  Gastroenterology Consultants of The Peninsula  Lawrence B Lusk MD  Dennis L Hamby MD  Digestive Disease Medical Group  Digestive Disease Medical Group  Digestive Disease Medical Group  Digestive Disease Medical Group  Digestive Disease Medical Group  Michael Mainardi M.D. Inc.  Ernest Ribera MD  Marna M Skaar MD  Edward K Onuma & Eugene Y Lee MDs  Edward K Onuma & Eugene Y Lee MDs  Robert J Elsen MD  SFGH Medicine & Gastroenterology Clinic  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  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  San Mateo County General Hospital  Sunset Health Services  Frank J Farrell MD  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  UCSF The Comprehensive Cancer Center  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  UCSF Medical Center Gastroenterology  California Pacific Medical Center Department of Gastroenterology  Womens Health Care Clinic  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  Malin Aubry Gores Wang Haddad & Sankaran  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  Dennis Shen MD  Frank S Yang MD  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  Pacific Heights Medical Group  Interventional Endoscopy Services  California Pacific Medical Center Gastroenterology  California Pacific Medical Center Gastroenterology  John C Fletcher MD & William Parmer MD Inc  California Pacific Medical Center Gastroenterology  US & International Medicine Wing K King MD  DR, MARTIN S. LIBERMAN  Doctors Office  Stephen C Pardys MD  California Pacific Medical Center Gastroenterology  Interventional Endoscopy Services  Doctors Office  Doctors Office  California Pacific Medical Center Gastroenterology  Patrick Y Wong MD  VA Hospital  UCSF VA Medical Center  Scott D Levenson MD  Scott D Levenson MD  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  Betty M Ho MD  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  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  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 San Bruno, 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 San Bruno
Nearby San Bruno Hospitals *Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center Mills-Peninsula Health Services Seton Medical Center Mills Hospital St Luke's Hospital Seton Medical Center Coastside Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center San Francisco General Hospital San Mateo Medical Center UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus California Pacific Medical Center Davies Campus St Mary's Medical Center Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion California Pacific Medical Center California Campus California Pacific Medical Center East Campus Saint Francis Memorial Hospital California Pacific Medical Center Pacific Campus Chinese Hospital San Francisco VA Medical Center Alameda Hospital Sequoia Hospital Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center Alameda County Medical Center Highland Campus Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Summit Campus San Leandro Hospital Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at Oakland Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland Kindred Hospital San Francisco Bay Area Alameda County Medical Center Fairmont Campus John George Psychiatric Pavilion Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center St Rose Hospital Menlo Park Surgical Hospital Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Alta Bates Campus Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Herrick Campus Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford Hospital & Clinics Eden Medical Center VA Palo Alto Health Care System Doctor's Medical Center San Pablo Marin General Hospital Kentfield Rehabilitation & Specialty Hospital Washington Hospital Fremont Hospital El Camino Hospital Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center San Ramon Regional Medical Center Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center John Muir Medical Center Walnut Creek Campus ValleyCare Health System Pleasanton Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center VA Northern CA Healthcare System at Martinez Contra Costa Regional Medical Center John Muir Behavioral Health Center John Muir Medical Center Concord Campus O'Connor Hospital Novato Community Hospital Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Valley Memorial Hospital El Camino Hospital of Los Gatos 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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Eosinophilic Esophagitis
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Dysphagia
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Esophagitis
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The Digestive System
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