Gastroparesis: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

 

Gastroparesis Awareness Month is held in August to shine a spotlight on a condition affecting millions of Americans that often goes undiagnosed or untreated. The goal is to build awareness and deliver information to the public about the symptoms, causes and treatment options available to people suffering from it.

Gastroparesis is a condition that affects the contractions of the stomach, resulting in delayed stomach emptying. In a healthy person, contractions quickly move food through the stomach and into the small intestine. For patients with gastroparesis, contractions are slow or absent, which prevents the stomach from emptying normally.

Symptoms of Gastroparesis

When the stomach doesn’t empty as quickly as it should, a number of symptoms can develop that range from mild to severe. Symptoms of gastroparesis typically occur during and after eating, and they can include:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Early satiety (feeling full after consuming a very small amount of food)
  • Lack of appetite
  • Bloating
  • Abdominal pain
  • Acid reflux
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Malnutrition

Gastroparesis can also become life-threatening if food remains in the stomach and hardens into a mass called a bezoar.

Causes of Gastroparesis

The cause of gastroparesis is unknown for many patients. However, certain conditions, procedures and medications may cause or increase the risk for gastroparesis, including:

  • Diabetes (Type 1 or Type 2), which can cause damage to the nerves around the stomach
  • Nerve damage from abdominal or esophageal surgery
  • Gastrointestinal viral infections impacting the nerves of the stomach
  • Other conditions, including:
    • Neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis
    • Connective tissue disorders like lupus
    • Hypothyroidism
  • Medications that slow the rate of stomach emptying. These can include blood pressure medications, opioid pain relievers, anticholinergics (antispasmodics) and some antidepressants.

Treatment for Gastroparesis

As there is no cure for gastroparesis, treatment is aimed at reducing symptoms, ensuring adequate nutrition and improving quality of life. For many patients, gastroparesis can be treated with lifestyle and dietary changes by controlling blood sugar, medication or a combination of modalities.

Patients who do not respond to first-line treatment may require procedures to deliver nutrition via a feeding tube or intravenous line; gastric electrical stimulation to reduce nausea and vomiting; or other surgical procedures such as pyloroplasty, gastrostomy, gastrojejunostomy or gastrectomy.

For more information about gastroparesis (including personal stories, resources for patients and further information about prevention and management), visit www.aboutgastroparesis.org. If you are experiencing symptoms of gastroparesis, it is important to seek prompt medical evaluation.

The team at GastroIntestinal Specialists, A.M.C., treats multiple conditions and diseases of the GI tract. Our Board-certified physicians have more than 150 years of combined experience in providing quality care you can trust. To schedule an appointment, call (318) 631-9121 or click here.