Gastroparesis

The stomach is a pouch-like muscle, about the size of a small fruit, that stretches when you eat or drink. It can hold quite a bit – roughly the equivalent of a large bottle of water. Inside the stomach, food is mixed and broken down. Then, special squeezing motions (peristalsis) push the food into the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum.

Gastroparesis is a problem where the stomach muscles don't work properly to move food through the digestive system.

Normally, the stomach muscles contract in a wave-like pattern to move food along the digestive tract. With gastroparesis, these contractions are too slow, too weak, or don't happen at all. This means the stomach doesn't empty as quickly as it should.

Doctors often don't know what causes gastroparesis. However, it can be connected to diabetes, or it can sometimes happen after surgery or a viral infection.

Gastroparesis can make digestion difficult. Common symptoms include feelings of sickness (nausea), throwing up (vomiting), and stomach pain. It can also lead to issues with blood sugar control and getting enough nutrients.

Unfortunately, there's no cure for gastroparesis. But treatments, including medication and dietary changes, can help manage the symptoms and improve quality of life.

Gastroparesis is a condition that slows down the emptying of the stomach. It can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms.

Common signs of gastroparesis include:

• Vomiting: This can happen at different times after eating.
• Nausea: A feeling of sickness in your stomach.
• Bloating: Your stomach feels full and swollen.
• Stomach pain: This can range from a mild ache to more intense discomfort.
• Feeling full quickly: You might feel overly full after eating only a small amount of food, or even hours after a meal.
• Vomiting undigested food: Sometimes, you might vomit food that you ate several hours earlier, without it being properly digested.
• Heartburn (acid reflux): A burning sensation in your chest, often related to stomach acid backing up.
• Blood sugar problems: Gastroparesis can make it hard for your body to regulate blood sugar levels.
• Loss of appetite: You may not feel like eating at all.
• Weight loss and malnutrition: Because of the difficulty eating and digesting food, you may lose weight and not get the proper nutrients your body needs. This is known as malnutrition.

Important Note: Not everyone with gastroparesis experiences all of these symptoms, and some people may not notice any symptoms at all. If you're concerned about any of these issues or have symptoms that are worrying you, it's crucial to schedule an appointment with your doctor or other healthcare provider. They can properly diagnose the cause of your symptoms and recommend the best course of action.

If you're feeling unwell and concerned about any symptoms, it's important to schedule a visit with your doctor or other healthcare provider. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or worries about your health. Talking to a healthcare professional is a good way to get the care you need.

Gastroparesis often has no single, obvious cause. However, problems with a specific nerve in your body, the vagus nerve, can sometimes be a factor.

The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in managing your digestive system. It's responsible for sending signals to the stomach muscles, telling them to contract and move food along into the small intestine. If this nerve is damaged, it can't properly communicate with the stomach muscles. This can lead to food staying in the stomach for longer than usual.

Several things can potentially harm the vagus nerve and its branches, including health conditions like diabetes and surgical procedures involving the stomach or small intestine. These issues can disrupt the nerve's ability to send signals effectively, which can then contribute to gastroparesis.

Gastroparesis is a condition where the stomach doesn't empty properly. Several things can increase your chances of getting it.

Common Risk Factors:

• Diabetes: High blood sugar levels can damage the nerves and muscles that control stomach emptying, making it harder for food to move through.
• Stomach or Esophageal Surgery: Procedures in the stomach area or the esophagus (the tube connecting the throat to the stomach) can sometimes disrupt the normal function of the stomach.
• Viral Infections: Certain viruses can temporarily affect the stomach's ability to empty.
• Cancer and Cancer Treatments: Some cancers and their treatments, like radiation therapy to the chest or abdomen, can damage the nerves and muscles in the digestive system.
• Certain Medications: Some medications, especially opioid painkillers, slow down stomach emptying, potentially contributing to gastroparesis.
• Scleroderma: This condition, characterized by hardening and tightening of the skin, can also affect the smooth muscle in the stomach, making it harder for food to pass through.
• Nervous System Disorders: Problems with the nervous system, such as migraines, Parkinson's disease, or multiple sclerosis, can impact the signals that control stomach movement.
• Underactive Thyroid (Hypothyroidism): An underactive thyroid gland can disrupt the balance of hormones in the body, which can affect the digestive process.

Important Note: Women are slightly more likely to develop gastroparesis than men.

Gastroparesis can lead to several problems.

• Dehydration: Frequent vomiting can cause your body to lose important fluids, leading to dehydration. This means your body doesn't have enough water, which can be dangerous.

• Malnutrition: Gastroparesis can make you feel less hungry or make it hard for your body to absorb the nutrients it needs from food. Vomiting further reduces the amount of nutrition your body takes in. This can lead to malnutrition, meaning your body isn't getting the right vitamins, minerals, and energy it needs.

• Stomach blockages: Food that doesn't digest properly can harden in your stomach, forming a solid mass called a bezoar. These bezoars can cause nausea and vomiting, and if large enough, they can block the passage of food into the small intestine, which is where most digestion happens. This blockage can be a serious problem.

• Blood sugar issues: Gastroparesis doesn't directly cause diabetes, but it can disrupt how your body processes food. The delayed emptying of the stomach can lead to unpredictable changes in blood sugar levels. These changes can make diabetes harder to manage, and poor blood sugar control can, in turn, worsen gastroparesis.

• Reduced quality of life: The symptoms of gastroparesis, like nausea, vomiting, and discomfort, can make it difficult to work, attend social events, or participate in daily activities. This can significantly impact a person's overall well-being and quality of life.

Diagnosing gastroparesis involves several tests to pinpoint the cause of symptoms and rule out other potential problems. These tests help doctors understand how quickly your stomach empties food.

Measuring Stomach Emptying Speed:

• Breath Tests: You eat food containing a special substance. Your body absorbs this substance, and it eventually shows up in your breath. Healthcare professionals collect breath samples over a few hours. The amount of the substance in your breath indicates how quickly your stomach is emptying. This is a simple and common way to assess stomach emptying.

• Scintigraphy (also called a gastric emptying scan): This is a key test for diagnosing gastroparesis. You eat a small meal with a tiny amount of radioactive material mixed in. A special camera (scanner) tracks the radioactive material's movement through your stomach. This shows how quickly food moves out of your stomach. The scan takes about four hours. Before the test, you might need to stop taking any medications that could affect how fast your stomach empties. Always talk to your doctor about any medications you're taking.

• Endoscopy: This test uses a thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera at the end to look inside the esophagus (the tube from your throat to your stomach), stomach, and the beginning of your small intestine (the duodenum). The camera allows your doctor to see the inside of these areas and identify any problems that might be causing your symptoms. Endoscopy can help diagnose other conditions that mimic gastroparesis, such as ulcers or a narrowing of the opening between the stomach and small intestine (pyloric stenosis).

• Ultrasound: This test uses sound waves to create images of the internal organs. An ultrasound can help determine if problems with your gallbladder or kidneys might be contributing to your symptoms. This is a non-invasive way to assess different parts of the body.

These tests, combined with a complete medical history and physical examination, help doctors accurately diagnose gastroparesis and identify the underlying cause of your symptoms.