Achalasia Center - Stillwater, OK
Stillwater 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 Stillwater * Thomas A Swafford MD  Thomas A Swafford MD  Warren Clinic Internal Medicine  Robert E Ringrose MD  Northside Digestive Diseases  Family Care Center of Harrah Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Shujath Khan MD  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Northside Digestive Diseases  Northside Digestive Diseases  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Northside Digestive Diseases  Northside Digestive Diseases  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  James L Stammer MD  OU Physicians Internal Medicine & Surgery Clinic  OU Physicians Internal Medicine & Surgery Clinic  OU Physicians Internal Medicine & Surgery Clinic  OU Physicians Internal Medicine & Surgery Clinic  Oklahoma Foundation for Digestive Research  Digestive Disease Specialists  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists  David M Gregory MD  Plaza Medical Group  Michael R Grossman MD  Matthew A McBride MD  Deaconess Gastroenterology  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Digestive Disease Specialists Inc  Enid Gastroenterology  Ilysa Diamond, DO  Nick Knutson MD  Charles I Cannon MD  Lackey & Holbrook MDs  Lackey & Holbrook MDs  Robert D Schmidt MD  GI of Norman LLC  GI of Norman LLC  GI of Norman LLC  GI of Norman LLC  Haresh Ajmera MD  Oklahoma Gastroenterology  Tulsa Gastroenterology  Richard W Seifert MD  Oklahoma Gastroenterology  Tulsa Gastroenterology  Tulsa Gastroenterology  Adult Gastroenterology  David S James DO  O U Physicians Internal Medicine  Gastroenterology Specialists Inc  Gastroenterology Specialists Inc  Gastroenterology Specialists Inc  Gastroenterology Specialists Inc  Warren Clinic Gastroenterology  Adult Gastroenterology Associates  Adult Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Specialists Inc  Adult Gastroenterology Associates  Warren Clinic Gastroenterology  Gastroenterology Specialists Inc  Adult Gastroenterology Associates  Adult Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Specialists Inc  Gastroenterology Specialists Inc  Cancer Treatment Centers of America  Sarah VonMuller MD  James W Young MD  Stephen A Kirkpatrick MD  Gopi Vasudevan MD Stillwater, OklahomaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-16
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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 Stillwater
Nearby Stillwater Hospitals *Stillwater Medical Center Perry Memorial Hospital Cushing Regional Hospital Logan Medical Center Drumright Regional Hospital Stroud Regional Medical Center Cleveland Area 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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