Achalasia Center - Torrance, CA
Torrance 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 Torrance * Iraj Akhlaghi MD  Nazir U Khaja MD  Gastroenterology Associates of the South Bay Inc  Robert M Webman MD  Gastroenterology Associates of the South Bay Inc  David O Kim MD  Judy L Law-Torok MD  Osato Medical Clinic  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  Digestive Care Consultants  Digestive Care Consultants  Digestive Care Consultants  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  Digestive Care Consultants  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  Digestive Care Consultants  Digestive Care Consultants  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  Digestive Care Consultants  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  HealthCare Partners Medical Group Redondo Beach  Harbor UCLA Medical Foundation  Harbor UCLA Medical Foundation  Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Mixed Specialties  Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Mixed Specialties  Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Mixed Specialties  Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Mixed Specialties  Coast Gastroenterology Group  William Essilfie MD  San Pedro Internal Family Medicine  Morris Taub MD  Coast Gastroenterology  Coast Gastroenterology  West Gastroenterology Associates  Coast Gastroenterology  Coast Gastroenterology  West Gastroenterology Associates  West Gastroenterology Associates  LAC / Martin Luther King Jr General Hospital  West Gastroenterology Associates  West Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Gastro-Digestive Medical Group  Gastro-Digestive Medical Group  Multi Health Care Medical Group  Western Healthcare  Conrad A Cox MD  Jose Pantoja MD  Robert A Gross MD  Glenn Pasternack MD  Paul Key MD  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Yong Tai Lee MD  Martin H Lee MD  B Raymond Lim MD & Myoza T Lim MD  California Pancreatic Biliary Institute  California Pancreatic Biliary Institute  Derek M. Dobalian MD  Robert Richter MD  Said Rahban MD  Paul Choi MD  Drs Sial & Cohen  Nicholas Karyotakis MD  Robert Y Uyeda MD  Drs Sial & Cohen  William P Stuppy MD  Jin H Suh MD  Gastro Digestive Medical Group  Frischer Medical Group  Jun-Ichi Ohara MD  Enrique Slodownik MD  Enrique Slodownik MD  Enrique Slodownik MD  Matsumoto Internal Medicine  Steven J Weiss MD  Dr Marc A Edelstein  Sadler Medical Group  Talbert Medical Group  Payman?Khorrami MD  Herbert R Kornfeld MD  Pyoung I Kwon MD  Rahbar Medical Group  John D Romm MD & Howard Pitchon MD  Century City Endoscopy  Mitchell J Spirt MD  Federal Medical Clinic  Shahab Mehdizadeh MD  Shahab Mehdizadeh MD Torrance, 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 Torrance
Nearby Torrance Hospitals *Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance Torrance Memorial Medical Center Del Amo Hospital LAC Harbor UCLA Medical Center Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center Vista Hospital of South Bay Memorial Hospital of Gardena Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center Hawthorne Campus Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center Centinela Campus Martin Luther King Jr MAC Service Center Pacific Hospital of Long Beach Long Beach Memorial Medical Center Miller Children's Hospital St Mary Medical Center St Francis Medical Center Kindred Hospital Los Angeles Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles Suburban Medical Center Campus Lakewood Regional Medical Center Marina Del Rey Hospital Community Hospital of Long Beach Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center Bellflower Medical Center Community Hospital of Huntington Park Brotman Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center VA Long Beach Healthcare System Downey Regional Medical Center Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center Orthopaedic Medical Center Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center College Hospital Cerritos California Hospital Medical Center Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital Tri-City Regional Medical Center Miracle Mile Medical Center Olympia Medical Center Los Angeles Community Hospital Good Samaritan Hospital Saint John's Health Center Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center VA Greater Los Angeles HealthCare System East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital Los Alamitos Medical Center Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles St Vincent Medical Center Shriners Hospitals for Children Los Angeles White Memorial Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Norwalk Community Hospital Kaiser Mental Health Center Pacific Alliance Medical Center Temple Community Hospital Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital LAC + USC Medical Center LAC + USC Medical Center Women's & Children's Hospital Metropolitan State Hospital Barlow Respiratory Hospital USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center La Palma Intercommunity Hospital USC University Hospital Gateways Hospital & Mental Health Center Hollywood Community Hospital Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center Beverly Hospital Monterey Park Hospital Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital Anaheim General Hospital Kindred Hospital La Mirada West Anaheim Medical Center Garfield Medical Center Kindred Hospital Westminster 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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Dysphagia
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