Achalasia Center - Severn, MD
Severn 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 Severn * Digestive Disorders Associates  Shah Associates PA  Calvert Internal Medicine Group PA  Joel Sewchand MD  Michael P Moran MD  GI Associates of Maryland  GI Associates of Maryland  GI Associates of Maryland  GI Associates of Maryland  Chandrakant K Bhatia MD  V P Chandar MD PA  Sam Tellawi MD  Aly Sabet MD  Digestive Health Associates PA  Digestive Health Associates PA  Digestive Health Associates PA  Digestive Health Associates PA  Redjaee & Taleghani MDs  McCone Endoscopy Centers  Sanjiv Sood MD  Healthcare of Greater Washington  Napoleon Marcelo MD PA  Napoleon Marcelo MD PA  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Largo  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Largo  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Largo  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Largo  John Bedeau MD & David Gorray MD  Bowie Internal Medicine  Elizabeth R Myles MD  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates PA  Digestive Disorders Associates  Digestive Disorders Associates  Digestive Disorders Associates  James S Chesley Jr. MD  Asghar Shaigany MD  Ghulam Mohiuddin MD  Ghulam Mohiuddin MD  A O Moshyedi MD  A O Moshyedi MD  Mushtaq A Shah MD  Maximo Singer MD  Cohen & Epstein MDs  Cohen & Epstein MDs  John O Meadows MD  John Routenberg MD  Arundel Medical Group  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Samuel A Giday MD  Mukul Khandelwal MD  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Mukul Khandelwal MD  Kempanna Sudhakar MD  Gelsimo A Cruz MD  J P Nepomuceno MD  Bernard A Heckman MD  Richard A Baum MD  George Kurian MD  Alif M Manejwala MD  Washington Gastroenterology  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Robynne K Chutkan MD  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Washington Gastroenterology  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Washington Gastroenterology  Washington Gastroenterology  Washington Gastroenterology  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Maryland Digestive Disease Center  Vincent Sutliff MD  Metropolitan Gastroenterology Group  Metropolitan Gastroenterology Group  Metropolitan Gastroenterology Group  Metropolitan Gastroenterology Group  Metropolitan Gastroenterology Group  Metropolitan Gastroenterology Group  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA  Capital Gastroenterology Consultants PA Severn, MarylandUpcoming Local Events2012-06-03
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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 Severn
Nearby Severn Hospitals *St Mary's Hospital Calvert Memorial Hospital Riverside Tappahannock Hospital Rappahannock General Hospital Civista Medical Center Eastern Shore Hospital 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. |
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