Gastroparesis Specialist

Symptoms

Because gastroparesis prevents food from properly digesting, it can cause a number of common gastrointestinal problems. The most common symptoms include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bloating
• Heartburn
• Malnutrition / Weight Loss
• Loss of Appetite
• Feeling Full After Just a Few Bites

These symptoms are usually the result of food sitting in your stomach for much longer than normal. Sometimes, the undigested food begins to ferment within the stomach. This can lead to accelerated bacterial growth within the digestive tract. At other times, it can build up and then pass suddenly into the intestines. This is particularly dangerous, as it can cause your blood sugar levels to spike suddenly. If the undigested food sits for long periods of time, it can harden into a mass known as a bezoar, which may cause obstructions within the GI tract. They are quite serious, especially if they block the passage of food into the intestines.

Causes

The muscles that move your food through the digestive tract are involuntary muscles, meaning they are not controlled by your conscious mind. Rather, they rely on signals from the vagus nerve to signal them into action. The most common causes of damage to the vagus nerve, and the development of gastroparesis, include:

• diabetes
• stomach surgery
• small intestine surgery

Treatment

Unfortunately, there is currently no way to reverse damage to the vagus nerve. Treating gastroparesis usually involves managing your symptoms, including blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Dietary changes are usually the first step, and may include:

• Eating smaller, more frequent meals
• Eating low-fiber forms of high-fiber foods
• Increasing liquid intake
• Walking after meals
• Avoiding fibrous foods