Exploring Gastroparesis with Dr. Michael Cline

What is gastroparesis?

Gastroparesis is a disease in which the stomach cannot empty itself of food in a normal fashion. This is a common condition in people who have had diabetes for a long time, but it may also occur in other situations.

What causes gastroparesis?

Gastroparesis is caused by nerve injury, including damage to the vagus nerve. In its normal state, the vagus nerve contracts (tightens) the stomach muscles to help move food through the digestive tract. In cases of gastroparesis, the vagus nerve is damaged by diabetes. This prevents the muscles of the stomach and intestine from working properly, which keeps food from moving from the stomach to the intestines.

Anatomy of the stomach

Other causes of gastroparesis include:

Viral infections

Gastric (abdominal) surgery with injury to the vagus nerve

Medications such as narcotics and some antidepressants

Amyloidosis (deposits of protein fibers in tissues and organs) and scleroderma (a connective tissue disorder that affects the skin, blood vessels, skeletal muscles and internal organs)

What are the symptoms of gastroparesis?

The symptoms of gastroparesis include:

Heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux (backup of stomach contents into the esophagus)

Nausea

Vomiting undigested food

Early satiety (feeling full quickly when eating)

Abdominal bloating (enlargement)

Poor appetite and weight loss

Poor blood sugar control

What are the complications of gastroparesis?

Gastroparesis can cause several problems:

Food that stays in the stomach too long can ferment, which can lead to the growth of bacteria.

Food in the stomach can harden into a solid mass called a bezoar. Bezoars can cause blockages in the stomach that keep food from passing into the small intestine.

People who have both diabetes and gastroparesis may have other problems as well, because blood glucose levels rise quickly when food finally leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine.

Dehydration (extreme thirst)

Malnutrition (poor nutrition)

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