Achalasia Center - Walnut Creek, CA
Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek * S Saeed Zamani MD  Henry Kung MD  Gerald Tarder MD  S Saeed Zamani MD  Tri Valley Gastroenterology  Tri Valley Gastroenterology  Bay Area Colon & Rectal Surgeons  Eugene J Burbige MD  Gastroenterology Medical Group  David N Varon MD  David H Lin MD  Steven A Friedman MD  Anderson Rowe MD  Valley Digestive Care Medical Associates  Family Doctor Medical Group  Alameda County Medical Center  Alameda County Medical Center Highland Hospital Campus  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Miles F Adler MD  Vinod Sawhney MD  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Gastroenterology Specialists Medical Group  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Northern California Gastroenterology Consultants  Mission Primary Care  Ramakrishna Gollapudi MD  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Hayward  Camacho & Musni MDs  Phillip A Wolfe & Eric Rowen MDs  Phillip A Wolfe & Eric Rowen MDs  Varujan Keledjian MD  Center for Digestive Disorders  Varujan Keledjian MD  Center for Digestive Disorders  Varujan Keledjian MD  Center for Digestive Disorders  Varujan Keledjian MD  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  Vallejo Medical Center  NorthBay Healthcare  Laurence J Mazzotta MD  Kenneth A Kelsen MD  Fremont Medical Group  Inter Community Medical Group  Washington Township Medical Group  Shakir Hyder MD  Patrick Y Wong MD  North East Medical Service  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  San Francisco Digestive Disease Inc  Dennis L Hamby MD  Frank S Yang MD  SFGH Medicine & Gastroenterology Clinic  Malin Aubry Gores Wang Haddad & Sankaran  Pacific Heights Medical Group  Pacific Internal Medicine Associates  Interventional Endoscopy Services Walnut Creek, 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 Walnut Creek
Nearby Walnut Creek Hospitals *Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center John Muir Medical Center Walnut Creek Campus John Muir Medical Center Concord Campus John Muir Behavioral Health Center VA Northern CA Healthcare System at Martinez Contra Costa Regional Medical Center San Ramon Regional Medical Center Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Alta Bates Campus Alameda County Medical Center Highland Campus Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Herrick Campus Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at Oakland Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Summit Campus Kindred Hospital San Francisco Bay Area John George Psychiatric Pavilion San Leandro Hospital Alameda County Medical Center Fairmont Campus Alameda Hospital Eden Medical Center Sutter Delta Medical Center Doctor's Medical Center San Pablo ValleyCare Health System Pleasanton St Helena Hospital Center for Behavioral Health St Rose Hospital Sutter Solano Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center Chinese Hospital Saint Francis Memorial Hospital San Francisco General Hospital California Pacific Medical Center Pacific Campus Valley Memorial Hospital UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center St Luke's Hospital California Pacific Medical Center Davies Campus California Pacific Medical Center California Campus California Pacific Medical Center East Campus St Mary's Medical Center Telecare Solano Psychiatric Health Facility UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center Washington Hospital Fremont Hospital NorthBay Medical Center Livermore Division of the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System San Francisco VA Medical Center Marin General Hospital Kentfield Rehabilitation & Specialty Hospital Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center Seton Medical Center Mills Hospital Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center Mills-Peninsula Health Services Napa State Hospital San Mateo Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center Novato Community Hospital Menlo Park Surgical Hospital Sequoia Hospital Queen of the Valley Medical Center VacaValley Hospital Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford Hospital & Clinics Sonoma Valley Hospital VA Palo Alto Health Care System 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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Related Diseases & Conditions
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Esophageal Cancer
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Vitiligo
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Eosinophilic Esophagitis
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Dysphagia
- Dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing, swallowing problems. Dysphagia is due to problems in nerve or muscle control. It is common, for example, after a stroke. Dysphagia compromises nutrition and hydration and may lead to aspiration pneumonia and dehydration.
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Esophagitis
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The Digestive System
- Digestion is the complex process of turning food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food.
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Esophageal Cancer
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