Achalasia Center - West Sacramento, CA
West Sacramento 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 Sacramento * Mercy Medical Group Medical Specialties  Sutter Health Gastroenterology  Mercy Medical Group Medical Specialties  Mercy Medical Group Neurology  UC Davis Gastroenterology Department  UC Davis Medical Center  UC Davis Medical Center  UC Davis Medical Center  UC Davis Gastroenterology Department  UC Davis Gastroenterology Department  UC Davis Medical Center  UC Davis Medical Center  UC Davis Medical Center  UC Davis Medical Center  Sacramento Gastroenterology Medical  Sacramento Gastroenterology Medical  Sacramento Gastroenterology Medical  Sacramento Gastroenterology Medical  Sacramento Gastroenterology Medical  Gastroenterology Consultants  Gastroenterology Consultants  Gastroenterology Consultants  Gastroenterology Consultants  Charles H Halsted MD  Arnold Greenberg MD Inc  Sacramento VA Hospital  Sacramento VA Hospital  California Advanced Gastroenterology  Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants  Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants  Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants  Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants  Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants  Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants  Woodland Healthcare Clinic Internal Medicine  Woodland Healthcare Clinic  Richard B D Chun MD PC  Mercy Medical Group  Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants  Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants  Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants  Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants  Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants  Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants  Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants  Gastroenterology Medical Clinic  Gastroenterology Medical Clinic  Gastroenterology Medical Clinic  Gastroenterology Medical Clinic  Gastroenterology Medical Clinic  Gastroenterology Medical Clinic  Gastroenterology Medical Clinic  Mazen Mardini MD  David R Aarons MD  Sutter North Medical Foundation  Sutter North Medical Foundation  Sutter North Medical Foundation  North Valley GI  North Valley GI  North Valley GI  Sutter Gastroenterology  Inter Community Medical Group  Marshall Center for LBB_Specialty Care  Kaiser Stockton Medical Specialties  Kaiser Stockton Medical Specialties  Ramakrishna Gollapudi MD  Iftikhar A Malik MD  Varujan Keledjian MD  Varujan Keledjian MD  Varujan Keledjian MD  Varujan Keledjian MD  Sohan S Mahil MD  George E Rishwain MD  Robert Protell MD  Lakshmare Tiyyagura MD  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology  NorthBay Healthcare  Daniel R Cummings MD  San Joaquin Community Hospital  San Joaquin Community Hospital  Eugene J Burbige MD  Gastroenterology Medical Group  David N Varon MD  Placerville Internal Medicine  Freeto & Talley MDs  Freeto & Talley MDs  Family Doctor Medical Group  Bay Area Colon & Rectal Surgeons  Tri Valley Gastroenterology  Tri Valley Gastroenterology  Mohammed N Siddiqui MD  S Saeed Zamani MD  Henry Kung MD  Mahesh G Modi MD  Gerald Tarder MD  S Saeed Zamani MD West Sacramento, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-05-19
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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 West Sacramento
Nearby West Sacramento Hospitals *Sutter General Hospital Shriners Hospital Northern California UC Davis Medical Center Mercy General Hospital Sutter Memorial Hospital Sutter Center for Psychiatry Kaiser Permanente Sacramento Medical Center Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center Methodist Hospital of Sacramento Sierra Vista Hospital Heritage Oaks Hospital Sutter Davis Hospital Sacramento VA Medical Center Mercy San Juan Hospital Woodland Healthcare Sutter Roseville Medical Center Kindred Hospital Sacramento Mercy Hospital of Folsom VacaValley Hospital Lodi Memorial Hospital West Lodi Memorial Hospital NorthBay 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. |
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