Gastroparesis – Symptoms and Causes

Overview

Gastroparesis occurs when stomach muscles fail to properly move food through the digestive system. In normal digestion, muscle contractions push food along the digestive tract. However, with gastroparesis, stomach movement either slows significantly or stops completely, preventing proper emptying.

Many cases have no identifiable cause, but the condition is sometimes connected to diabetes. Gastroparesis can also develop following surgery or viral infections. Certain medications may worsen symptoms or create similar effects, including:

• Opioid pain medications
• Some antidepressants
• Blood pressure medications
• Weight loss drugs
• Allergy medications

Common symptoms include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain

This digestive disorder can disrupt blood sugar control and lead to nutritional problems.

While there’s no cure for gastroparesis, patients can manage symptoms through medication and dietary modifications. These treatments aim to improve quality of life and minimize complications from this chronic condition.

Signs of Digestion Issues

Digestion problems can cause several uncomfortable symptoms.

You might throw up or feel sick to your stomach. Your belly might feel bloated or painful. Some people feel full quickly after eating only a small amount of food. Others might throw up food they ate hours earlier.

You could experience acid coming back up into your throat. Blood sugar levels may change unexpectedly. Loss of appetite, weight loss, and poor nutrition can also happen. Some people have this condition but don’t notice any symptoms at all.

When to Call a Doctor

Contact your healthcare provider if you have any symptoms that concern you. Don’t wait if these problems affect your daily life or eating habits.

Causes

Gastroparesis often stems from damage to the vagus nerve, which controls stomach muscle movements. When this nerve is damaged, it can’t properly signal your stomach muscles to contract, causing food to remain in your stomach longer than normal.

Several factors can harm the vagus nerve:

• Diabetes: Long-term diabetes may damage nerves that control the digestive system.
• Surgical Procedures: Operations on the stomach or small intestine can accidentally injure the vagus nerve.
• Medications: Some drugs slow stomach emptying.
• Viral Infections: Certain viruses can affect digestive function.

The vagus nerve normally helps manage your entire digestive process. When working properly, it sends signals telling stomach muscles when to push food into the small intestine. Without these signals, your digestive system cannot function efficiently.

Risk Factors

Several factors increase the chances of developing gastroparesis:

• Diabetes is a common cause
• Past stomach or esophageal surgery
• Viral infections
• Cancer and certain cancer treatments, especially radiation to the chest or stomach area
• Medications that slow stomach emptying, particularly opioid pain relievers
• Scleroderma, a condition causing skin hardening
• Neurological conditions like migraine, Parkinson’s disease, or multiple sclerosis
• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)

People assigned female at birth have a higher risk of developing gastroparesis compared to those assigned male at birth. These risk factors affect the stomach’s ability to empty properly, leading to the characteristic symptoms of the condition.

Complications

Gastroparesis can lead to several serious health issues. People with this condition often experience dehydration from frequent vomiting. This depletes the body’s fluid reserves.

Nutritional problems are common. Many patients develop malnutrition because they either avoid eating due to discomfort. Or, they cannot absorb enough nutrients because of persistent vomiting.

A particularly dangerous complication is the formation of bezoars. These are hardened masses of undigested food that remain in the stomach. Bezoars can trigger nausea and vomiting. They may become life-threatening if they block food from entering the small intestine.

Blood sugar fluctuations are another concern. While gastroparesis doesn’t cause diabetes, the unpredictable food movement into the small intestine can create sudden blood sugar changes. This makes diabetes management more difficult. Poorly controlled diabetes can worsen gastroparesis symptoms.

Daily life impacts:

• Difficulty maintaining work schedules
• Challenges with social activities
• Reduced ability to enjoy meals
• Frequent medical appointments