Achalasia Center - Towson, MD
Towson 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 Towson * Clinical Associates PA Towson  Clinical Associates PA Towson  Clinical Associates PA Towson  Drs Goldberg Khan Rosenstein & Forman  Drs Goldberg Khan Rosenstein & Forman  Drs Goldberg Khan Rosenstein & Forman  Nicholas J Belitsos MD  Heartfelt Medical Group  Mahin Shamszad MD  Endoscopic Microsurgery Associates PA  James S Novick MD  Razzak Tucker Kafonek &Hansen MDs PA  Towson Gastroenterology Associates LLC  Towson Gastroenterology Associates LLC  Towson Gastroenterology Associates LLC  George Vranian MD  Towson Gastroenterology Associates LLC  Baltimore-Washington Gastroenterology  Lawrence Mills Jr. MD  Mt Washington Pediatric Hospital Inc  Mt Washington Pediatric Hospital Inc  Mesbah U Dowla MD  Johns Hopkins Gastroenterology & Hepatology  Salah M Nasrallah MD  Marshall S Bedine MD  David M Cromwell MD  Razzak Tucker Kafonek &Hansen MDs PA  David F Hutcheon MD LLC  Razzak Tucker Kafonek &Hansen MDs PA  Razzak Tucker Kafonek &Hansen MDs PA  Sinai GI Associates  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Sinai GI Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Robert D Mathieson MD & Associates LLC  Sinai GI Associates  Sinai GI Associates  Alan A Rosen MD  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Wyman Park Medical Center Gastroenterology  Susan S Meltzer MD & Eric J Carr MD  Julian Jakobovits MD  John Hopkins GI  Johns Hopkins GI  Clinical Associates PA Baltimore  Franz C Vella-Camilleri MD  Theodore M Bayless MD  John L Cameron MD  Johns Hopkins Gastroenterology  John O Clarke III MD  Johns Hopkins Gastroenterology  Johns Hopkins Gastroenterology  Johns Hopkins GI Dept  Sanjay Jagnnath MD  Ahmed Ali Khokhar & Oreizi-Esfahani MD  David B Liang MD  Johns Hopkins Gastroenterology  Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center  Johns Hopkins Hospital Gastroenterology & Hepatology  Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine  Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Mohammed Inayatullah MD  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  Jonathan B Schreiber MD  Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Medical System  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  University of Maryland Gastroenterology & Hepatology  Northwest Gastroenterology Associates  Northwest Gastroenterology Associates  Baltimore Medical System  Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Digestive Diseases  Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Digestive Diseases  Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Digestive Diseases  Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Digestive Diseases  Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Digestive Diseases  Kenneth Margolis MD  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates PA  Wondwosen Abdi MD Towson, 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 Towson
Nearby Towson Hospitals *St Joseph Medical Center Greater Baltimore Medical Center Sheppard Pratt Health System Good Samaritan Hospital of Maryland Mt Washington Pediatric Hospital Sinai Hospital of Baltimore Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center & Hospital Union Memorial Hospital Kennedy Krieger Institute Maryland General Hospital Johns Hopkins Hospital Mercy Medical Center Franklin Square Hospital Center Baltimore VA Medical Center University of Maryland Medical Center Bon Secours Baltimore Health System University Specialty Hospital Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Kernan Hospital Saint Agnes Hospital Northwest Hospital Harbor Hospital Center Spring Grove Hospital Center Sheppard Pratt at Ellicott City Upper Chesapeake Medical Center Baltimore Washington Medical Center Springfield Hospital Center Howard County General Hospital Carroll Hospital Center Laurel Regional Hospital Anne Arundel Medical Center Harford Memorial Hospital Montgomery General Hospital Perry Point VA Medical Center Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center Chester River Hospital Center Doctors Community Hospital Hanover 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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