Gastroparesis is a stomach disease caused by nerve damage that slows down the movement of food through the digestive tract, resulting in symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and bloating. The most common cause is diabetes-related nerve damage, and treatment involves medications and dietary modifications.
Gastroparesis is a stomach disease that develops as a result of damage to the nerves that control how food moves through the digestive tract. The main consequence of this disorder is that the stomach takes longer than normal to empty, causing food to move very slowly through the gastrointestinal system. Gastroparesis is also known as delayed gastric emptying.
The nerve that controls the movement of food through the stomach and intestines is called the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve works by controlling the muscle contractions that push food through the digestive tract. When the nerve is damaged, the muscles don’t get the right amount of stimulation and food moves through the gastrointestinal system much more slowly.
Diabetes-related nerve damage is the most common cause of gastroparesis. Other causes of nerve damage include viral infections, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and nervous system, muscle, or metabolic disorders. Long-term use of drugs that affect intestinal contractions, such as narcotics, can damage the vagus nerve. In some cases, the nerve damage is idiopathic, meaning that a cause cannot be found after diagnostic testing.
Damage to the vagus nerve causes symptoms related to the inability of the stomach and intestines to process food at a normal rate. Possible symptoms include heartburn, nausea, upper abdominal pain, vomiting, bloating, stomach spasms, gastroesophageal reflux, weight loss, and feeling full after eating only a small amount of food. People with diabetes may find that their blood sugar levels are harder to control.
The slow movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract can cause serious complications. When food stays in your stomach for too long, it can start to ferment, causing an overgrowth of bacteria. The most dangerous complication is the formation of bezoars, solid masses of food that can cause vomiting and nausea and can lodge in the stomach and block the opening of the small intestine.
Gastroparesis is a chronic condition because the damage to the vagus nerve cannot be cured. Rather than reversing the damage, treatment for this condition involves the use of medications and dietary modifications to ease symptoms and reduce the risk of complications. Medications prescribed to treat this condition include antinausea medications, antiemetics to reduce vomiting, and medications that help the stomach empty more quickly.
Dietary changes that can help relieve symptoms of gastroparesis include reducing fat and fiber in your diet and avoiding carbonated drinks. Fat slows stomach emptying and fiber is difficult to digest, meaning these nutrients can worsen symptoms and may contribute to bezoar formation. Eating smaller, more frequent meals can help reduce symptoms. People who aren’t benefiting from these changes might try a diet of liquid or pureed foods that are digested more easily and cleared from the stomach more quickly.
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