Lower esophageal sphincter
Medical term · L
A ring of muscle where the esophagus and stomach meet. It relaxes to let food into the stomach and closes to prevent stomach acids from backing up and irritating the esophagus.
Related terms
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EsophagusThe tube that carries food and liquids from the mouth to the stomach.
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StomachThe sac-like organ of the digestive system between the esophagus and the duodenum which breaks down food and moves it along to the small intestine to be digested.
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pH monitoringA test to determine whether stomach acid is backing up into the esophagus. For this test, a sensing probe is inserted through the nose and positioned above the lower esophageal…