Do you sometimes feel full even after eating a small amount of food? Do you feel a heavy, uncomfortable feeling in your stomach even hours after eating? Or do you vomit undigested food? Even if you think these are just normal things, you may have a condition that many people are not aware of, but it can be a bit annoying. Today we are talking about this condition called gastroparesis.
Simply put, what is gastroparesis?
This is a bit of a complicated name, but it's very simple to understand. Gastroparesis is when the food you eat takes longer than normal to move from your stomach to your intestines. To put it simply, the function of your stomach is impaired. Think of it like a traffic jam on the road. When food stays in your stomach for too long, the aforementioned discomfort starts to occur. Another name doctors call this is "delayed gastric emptying." It simply means that the emptying of food from your stomach is delayed.
What are the symptoms of this condition?
Not everyone with gastroparesis has the same symptoms. Some people may not have any symptoms at all. But there are some common symptoms. See if these sound familiar to you.
| Symptom | A simple explanation |
|---|---|
| Nausea and vomiting | Frequent nausea and sometimes vomiting of undigested food eaten hours before. |
| Filling the stomach | Feeling very full even after eating a small amount of food. |
| Stomach pain | A dull or sharp pain in the upper abdomen, right in the stomach. |
| Gastritis (GERD)-like symptoms | Symptoms similar to gastritis, such as chest pain and heartburn. |
| Loss of appetite and weight loss | Weight loss can occur because you don't feel like eating and your body doesn't absorb nutrients properly. |
| Difficulty controlling blood sugar levels | Especially for diabetics, sugar levels can spike suddenly because food is delayed in reaching the intestines. |
Why is this happening? What are the reasons?
Most of the time, it's difficult for doctors to pinpoint a specific cause, but in some cases, several factors have been identified that contribute to the condition.
- Diabetes Mellitus: Diabetes is the main and most common cause of gastroparesis. When blood sugar levels are not controlled for a long time, it damages the nerves in the body. When the vagus nerve, which controls our digestive system, is damaged, the function of the stomach can be impaired.
- Surgery: Some abdominal surgeries can damage the aforementioned vagus nerve.
- Viral infections: This condition can also occur after some stomach viral infections (gastroenteritis).
- Some medications: Painkillers (especially narcotics) and some antidepressants can also slow down the process of digestion.
- Other medical conditions: It can also be caused by thyroid hormone deficiency (hypothyroidism), Parkinson's disease, nervous system diseases such as multiple sclerosis, and rare diseases such as amyloidosis and scleroderma.
The most important thing is that if you have symptoms like these, you should definitely see a doctor and seek advice, without assuming that this is the cause.
What complications can this cause?
If gastroparesis is not treated properly, it can lead to further problems.
- Bacterial growth: When food stays in the stomach for too long, it can start to ferment and cause the growth of harmful bacteria.
- Dehydration: If you vomit frequently, you can lose water and salts from your body, leading to dehydration. This can be dangerous.
- Malnutrition: The body may not be able to absorb food properly, resulting in a lack of necessary nutrition.
- Intestinal obstruction: Sometimes undigested food in the stomach can clump together and become hard like a stone, causing a blockage in the intestine. This is called a bezoar .
- Decreased quality of life: It can be very difficult to carry out daily activities with these symptoms.
How does a doctor find this?
When you go to see a doctor, he will listen carefully to your symptoms and examine you. Then, he may order several tests to confirm the condition.
- Gastric scintigraphy: This is the most important test. In this test, you eat a small amount of food (such as an egg) mixed with a radioactive substance. Then, a scanner is used to monitor how quickly your stomach empties. If more than 10% of the food is still in your stomach after 4 hours, it is confirmed that you have gastroparesis.
- Blood tests: These help check for dehydration, nutritional deficiencies, or sugar level problems.
- Upper endoscopy: Your doctor will insert a small camera-equipped tube through your mouth to examine the inside of your stomach. This can help check for other conditions (such as ulcers).
- Barium X-ray: A barium-containing liquid is swallowed and X-ray images are taken. This can give an idea of the shape and function of the stomach.
There are also other specialized tests like `Gastric manometry` and `Electrogastrography`. Your doctor will decide which test you need.
What are the treatments for this?
Gastroparesis is a condition that can be long-term (chronic). But don't worry. It can be managed and controlled.
Changes in eating patterns
The best and most important way to control this condition is to change your eating habits.
- Small meals instead of large meals: Instead of eating 3 large meals a day, eat small meals 5-6 times a day. This way, your stomach won't be overloaded all at once.
- Liquid and well-blended foods: Instead of eating an apple, eat things like applesauce, vegetable soup, low-fat broth, and fruit juice.
- Reduce Fat and Fiber: It is best to limit oily, fatty foods (fried foods) and fiber-rich foods (vegetables, whole grains) as they take longer to digest.
- Avoiding constipation after eating: Do not lie down for at least 2 hours after eating. When you stand or walk, gravity helps the food move down.
Medications
Your doctor may prescribe several medications to control your symptoms. Never take these medications without the advice of a doctor.
- Drugs that stimulate stomach activity: Drugs like `Metoclopramide` and `Erythromycin` stimulate the contraction of the stomach muscles and help move food into the intestines more quickly.
- Antiemetics: Antiemetics such as Ondansetron and Prochlorperazine can help control nausea and vomiting.
Other treatments
In some severe cases, the doctor may resort to other treatments.
- Feeding tube: If the condition is too severe to take food by mouth, a tube can be inserted through the stomach directly into the small intestine to provide liquid nutrition.
- Botulinum toxin (Botulinum toxin or Botox) injections: This injection is used to relax the valve (pylorus) where food passes from the stomach to the intestines.
- Electrical stimulation: Electrodes are attached to the stomach wall and electrical signals are used to cause the stomach to contract.
- Surgery: This is used very rarely and only if no other treatments have been successful.
If you have diabetes, keeping your blood sugar levels under control is essential for managing this condition.
Take-Home Message
- Gastroparesis is a condition in which food empties from the stomach later than normal.
- If you have symptoms such as nausea, vomiting of undigested food, feeling full even after eating a little, or stomach pain, don't ignore it and see a doctor.
- Diabetes is a major cause of this condition. Therefore, if you have diabetes, control your blood sugar levels well.
- Dietary changes and medications prescribed by the doctor are very important as treatments.
- This is a manageable condition. So don't panic and follow proper medical advice.
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