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