Achalasia Center - Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara * Farr & Farr MD  Alfred L Hurwitz MD  Jagjit S Raju MD  David W Chui MD  San Jose Gastroenterology  Felix K Tam MD  San Jose Gastroenterology  Barbara Hom MD  Marwan A Balaa MD  Rasik Kansara MD  Terry C Lin DO  Ayer & Davilla MDs  Michael C Kushlan MD  San Jose Medical Group  San Jose Medical Group  David E Stein MD FACG  San Jose Gastroenterology  San Jose Gastroenterology  San Jose Gastroenterology  Sally Nacianceno & Rose Palma MDs  San Jose Gastroenterology  Sudin Vittal MD  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Camino Medical Group Gastroenterology  Andrew Lipton MD  Robert F Bronstone MD  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  El Camino GI Medical  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  El Camino GI Medical  Peninsula Gastroenterology Medical Group  Mission Primary Care  Shakir Hyder MD  Palo Alto Veterans Hospital GI Endoscopy  Palo Alto Veterans Hospital GI Endoscopy  Washington Township Medical Group  Kenneth A Kelsen MD  Fremont Medical Group  Medical Specialties Clinic  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  David S Shields MD  Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Gastroenterology Department  Susie M Liu MD  Harvey S Young MD  Menlo Medical Clinic  Menlo Medical Clinic  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Betty M Ho MD  Scott D Levenson MD  Scott D Levenson MD  Camacho & Musni MDs  Phillip A Wolfe & Eric Rowen MDs  Phillip A Wolfe & Eric Rowen MDs  Santa Cruz Medical Foundation Soquel  Santa Cruz Medical Foundation Soquel  Santa Cruz Medical Foundation Soquel  Santa Cruz Medical Foundation Soquel  Tri Valley Gastroenterology  Tri Valley Gastroenterology  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Gordon E Lee MD  Monterey Bay Gastroenterology  Monterey Bay Gastroenterology  Monterey Bay Gastroenterology  Bayview Gastroenterology  San Mateo County General Hospital  Miles F Adler MD  Vinod Sawhney MD  Steven A Friedman MD  Anderson Rowe MD  Valley Digestive Care Medical Associates  Edward K Onuma & Eugene Y Lee MDs  Edward K Onuma & Eugene Y Lee MDs  Michael Mainardi M.D. Inc.  Ernest Ribera MD  Marna M Skaar MD  David H Lin MD  Frederick Chen MD  Albert J Crevello MD  Robert H Kubin MD  Kenneth T Roost MD  Gastroenterology Consultants of The Peninsula  Gastroenterology Consultants of The Peninsula  Kevin Stuart MD  Kevin Stuart MD  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay Santa Clara, 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 Santa Clara
Nearby Santa Clara Hospitals *O'Connor Hospital Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Regional Medical Center of San Jose El Camino Hospital of Los Gatos El Camino Hospital Good Samaritan Hospital San Jose Good Samaritan Hospital Mission Oaks VA Palo Alto Health Care System Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Fremont Hospital Stanford Hospital & Clinics Menlo Park Surgical Hospital Washington Hospital Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center Sequoia Hospital Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center St Rose Hospital Livermore Division of the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System San Mateo Medical Center ValleyCare Health System Pleasanton Valley Memorial Hospital Eden Medical Center Mills Hospital Dominican Hospital Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center Alameda County Medical Center Fairmont Campus John George Psychiatric Pavilion Kindred Hospital San Francisco Bay Area San Leandro Hospital Mills-Peninsula Health Services San Ramon Regional Medical Center Saint Louise Regional Hospital Watsonville Community Hospital Alameda Hospital Seton Medical Center Coastside Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center Alameda County Medical Center Highland Campus 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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