Achalasia Center - Whittier, CA
Whittier 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 Whittier * Abdul Alaama MD  Richard L Parks MD & Barton Ueki MD  Robert A Mecum MD  Rangarao Panguluri MD  Neal M Shindel MD  Kenny Su MD  Shang Cheng Wu MD  Mark Li MD  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Conrad A Cox MD  Internal Medicine Specialists Medical Groups  Lisandro Quinones MD  Digestive Disease Center  Gastroenterology Consultants  Ching-Hsiu Chen MD  Ching-Hsiu Chen MD  Gastro Digestive Medical Group  Frischer Medical Group  Steven J Weiss MD  Tu Tran MD  Suresht Paul Sharma MD  Suresht Paul Sharma MD  Suresht Paul Sharma MD  Mumtaz Akram MD  Dennis Chan MD  Firmin Ho MD  Chia-Chi G Lai MD  Barry Morguelan MD  Behrooz Ahmadi MD  Kwok-Leung Chung MD  Chun Yen Hsu MD  Norman Kuo MD  Shih Lin Lue MD  St Jude Heritage Medical Group Bastanchury  St Jude Heritage Medical Sunnycrest  The Internal Medical Group  St Jude Heritage Medical Sunnycrest  St Jude Heritage Medical Sunnycrest  St Jude Heritage Medical Sunnycrest  Chester D Zahn MD  Internal Medicine Specialists Medical Groups  Thomas S Lam MD  Robert J Mehler MD  Hanson T Lee Inc  Jay Noble MD  Ravindra Alapati MD  Ashok Amin MD  Ambika Bali MD  Syam P Gaddam MD  Kenneth Yamashiro MD  Richard Yip MD  Associated Gastroenterology Medical Group  Associated Gastroenterology Medical Group  Associated Gastroenterology Medical Group  Jose Pantoja MD  Valley Gastroenterology Consultants  Valley Gastroenterology Consultants  City of Hope National Medical Center Gastroenterology  Derek M. Dobalian MD  City of Hope National Medical Center Gastroenterology  Magan Medical Clinic  Songul Atay MD Inc  Gastro-Digestive Medical Group  Gastroenterology Consultants  Gastroenterology Consultants  Gastro-Digestive Medical Group  Gastroenterology Consultants  Hertz & Associates in Gastroenterology A Medical Group Inc  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Shahnawaz Jaffer MD  Talbert Medical Group  Multi Health Care Medical Group  Edward Laurance MD  USC Internal Medicine  Alliance Digestive Disease Consultants  Alliance Digestive Disease Consultants Medical Group  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  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Ethelred Carter MD  White Memorial Medical Group  The Internal Medical Group  The Internal Medical Group  LAC / Martin Luther King Jr General Hospital  St Jude Heritage Medical Group Yorba Linda  David Shih MD  Roque Hung & Yu Digestive Diseases  Hoa Nguyen MD Inc Whittier, 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.
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Nearby Whittier Hospitals *Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital Whittier Hospital Medical Center Metropolitan State Hospital Kindred Hospital La Mirada Beverly Hospital Norwalk Community Hospital Greater El Monte Community Hospital Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital Downey Regional Medical Center BHC Alhambra Hospital Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Baldwin Park Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center Vista Specialty Hospital of San Gabriel Valley College Hospital Cerritos City of Angels Medical Center Ingleside Campus Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center Citrus Valley Medical Center Queen of the Valley Campus Monterey Park Hospital Garfield Medical Center St Jude Medical Center Doctor's Hospital West Covina Kindred Hospital Brea La Palma Intercommunity Hospital Bellflower Medical Center East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital Los Angeles Community Hospital Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles Suburban Medical Center Campus San Gabriel Valley Medical Center Kindred Hospital San Gabriel Valley Alhambra Hospital Medical Center St Francis Medical Center Tri-City Regional Medical Center Lakewood Regional Medical Center Anaheim Regional Medical Center West Anaheim Medical Center Community Hospital of Huntington Park Methodist Hospital Anaheim General Hospital Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles Citrus Valley Medical Center Inter Community Campus City of Hope National Medical Center LAC + USC Medical Center LAC + USC Medical Center Women's & Children's Hospital USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center USC University Hospital White Memorial Medical Center Aurora Las Encinas Hospital Los Alamitos Medical Center Martin Luther King Jr MAC Service Center Placentia-Linda Hospital Aurora Charter Oak Hospital Western Medical Center Anaheim Huntington Hospital Pacific Alliance Medical Center Kaiser Mental Health Center Barlow Respiratory Hospital California Hospital Medical Center Orthopaedic Medical Center East Valley Hospital Medical Center Foothill Presbyterian Hospital Good Samaritan Hospital San Dimas Community Hospital Community Hospital of Long Beach Long Beach Memorial Medical Center Miller Children's Hospital VA Long Beach Healthcare System Gateways Hospital & Mental Health Center Pacific Hospital of Long Beach Kindred Hospital Westminster St Vincent Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center University Of California Irvine Medical Center Garden Grove Hospital & Medical Center Shriners Hospitals for Children Los Angeles Temple Community 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. |
Suggested Reading on Achalasia by Our Doctors
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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
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