Achalasia Center - West Covina, CA
West Covina 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 West Covina * Mumtaz Akram MD  Suresht Paul Sharma MD  Suresht Paul Sharma MD  Suresht Paul Sharma MD  Mark Li MD  Rangarao Panguluri MD  Magan Medical Clinic  Shahnawaz Jaffer MD  City of Hope National Medical Center Gastroenterology  City of Hope National Medical Center Gastroenterology  Ching-Hsiu Chen MD  Ching-Hsiu Chen MD  George Ferenczi MD  Kenny Su MD  Shang Cheng Wu MD  Valley Gastroenterology Consultants  Valley Gastroenterology Consultants  Hanson T Lee Inc  Jay Noble MD  Chester D Zahn MD  Tu Tran MD  Manmohan Kumar MD  Abdul Alaama MD  Neal M Shindel MD  Internal Medicine Specialists Medical Groups  Internal Medicine Specialists Medical Groups  Richard L Parks MD & Barton Ueki MD  Edward Laurance MD  Robert A Mecum MD  Gastroenterology Associates  Robert J Mehler MD  Lisandro Quinones MD  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  The Internal Medical Group  St Jude Heritage Medical Group Bastanchury  St Jude Heritage Medical Sunnycrest  St Jude Heritage Medical Sunnycrest  St Jude Heritage Medical Sunnycrest  St Jude Heritage Medical Sunnycrest  Dennis Chan MD  Kwok-Leung Chung MD  Firmin Ho MD  Chun Yen Hsu MD  Chia-Chi G Lai MD  Thomas S Lam MD  Shih Lin Lue MD  Barry Morguelan MD  Jason H Shin MD  Krishan K Malhotra MD  Conrad A Cox MD  The Internal Medical Group  The Internal Medical Group  St Jude Heritage Medical Group Yorba Linda  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Alliance Digestive Disease Consultants  Alliance Digestive Disease Consultants Medical Group  Alliance Digestive Disease Consultants  Alliance Digestive Disease Consultants Medical Group  Alliance Digestive Disease Consultants Medical Group  Alliance Digestive Disease Consultants Medical Group  Alliance Digestive Disease Consultants Medical Group  Alliance Digestive Disease Consultants Medical Group  Alliance Digestive Disease Consultants Medical Group  Alliance Digestive Disease Consultants  Ravindra Alapati MD  Ashok Amin MD  Ambika Bali MD  Syam P Gaddam MD  Associated Gastroenterology Medical Group  Digestive Disease Center  Associated Gastroenterology Medical Group  Associated Gastroenterology Medical Group  Gastroenterology Consultants  Gastro Digestive Medical Group  Frischer Medical Group  Steven J Weiss MD  Behrooz Ahmadi MD  Norman Kuo MD  Kenneth Yamashiro MD  Richard Yip MD  Umesh Shah MD  USC Internal Medicine  Kevin Jenkins DO  White Memorial Medical Group  Ethelred Carter MD  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Irvine Medical Center Gastroenterology  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Irvine Medical Center Gastroenterology  Hertz & Associates in Gastroenterology A Medical Group Inc  Roque Hung & Yu Digestive Diseases West Covina, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-05-20
2012-06-10
2012-06-10
2012-06-16
2012-06-30
2012-07-04
2012-07-28
2012-09-01
2012-09-30
2012-10-07
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 West Covina
Nearby West Covina Hospitals *Doctor's Hospital West Covina Citrus Valley Medical Center Queen of the Valley Campus Kindred Hospital San Gabriel Valley Vista Specialty Hospital of San Gabriel Valley Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Baldwin Park Citrus Valley Medical Center Inter Community Campus Aurora Charter Oak Hospital City of Hope National Medical Center East Valley Hospital Medical Center Foothill Presbyterian Hospital Greater El Monte Community Hospital San Dimas Community Hospital Methodist Hospital BHC Alhambra Hospital Whittier Hospital Medical Center Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital City of Angels Medical Center Ingleside Campus San Gabriel Valley Medical Center Aurora Las Encinas Hospital Kindred Hospital Brea Beverly Hospital Garfield Medical Center Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation Kindred Hospital La Mirada Monterey Park Hospital Alhambra Hospital Medical Center St Jude Medical Center Metropolitan State Hospital Huntington Hospital Norwalk Community Hospital Montclair Hospital Medical Center Placentia-Linda Hospital Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital Downey Regional Medical Center Los Angeles Community Hospital Chino Valley Medical Center USC University Hospital USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center LAC + USC Medical Center LAC + USC Medical Center Women's & Children's Hospital Anaheim Regional Medical Center Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles College Hospital Cerritos Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center White Memorial Medical Center La Palma Intercommunity Hospital Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center Kindred Hospital Ontario Pacific Alliance Medical Center Community Hospital of Huntington Park Kaiser Mental Health Center San Antonio Community Hospital West Anaheim Medical Center Bellflower Medical Center Glendale Adventist Medical Center Western Medical Center Anaheim Barlow Respiratory Hospital Anaheim General Hospital St Francis Medical Center Gateways Hospital & Mental Health Center Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles Suburban Medical Center Campus Verdugo Hills Hospital Tri-City Regional Medical Center Glendale Memorial Hospital & Health Center Good Samaritan Hospital California Hospital Medical Center Lakewood Regional Medical Center St Vincent Medical Center Orthopaedic Medical Center Temple Community Hospital Shriners Hospitals for Children Los Angeles University Of California Irvine Medical 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. |
Suggested Reading on Achalasia by Our Doctors
-
Related Diseases & Conditions
6 articles-
Esophageal Cancer
- Esophageal cancer is a disease in which malignant cells form in the esophagus. Risk factors of cancer of the esophagus include smoking, heavy alcohol use, Barrett's esophagus, being male and being over age 60. Severe weight loss, vomiting, hoarseness, coughing up blood, painful swallowing, and pain in the throat or back are symptoms. Treatment depends upon the size, location and staging of the cancer and the health of the patient.
-
Vitiligo
- Vitiligo is a condition in which the skin turns white due to the loss of pigment from the melanocytes, cells that produce the pigment melanin that gives the skin color.
-
Eosinophilic Esophagitis
- Eosinophilic esophagitis is an inflammation of the esophagus. Eosinophilic esophagitis has many causes including acid reflux, heartburn, viruses, medications that become stuck in the esophagus, allergy, asthma, hay fever, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Eosinophilic esophagitis symptoms include difficulty swallowing food, abdominal pain, chest pain, and heartburn.
-
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.
-
Esophagitis
- Esophagitis is caused by an infection or irritation of the esophagus. Infections that cause esophagitis include candida yeast infection of the esophagus as well as herpes.
-
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.
-
Esophageal Cancer
-
Medications
5 articles -
Procedures & Tests
4 articles -
Pictures, Images & Quizzes
1 articles -
Doctor's & Expert's Views
1 articles -
Health News
0 articles -
Health Features
0 articles
