Gastroparesis slows down the stomach’s ability to empty properly. This leads to feeling sick, throwing up, stomach pain, and a swollen belly. It’s more common in women of all ages, but men and children can get it, too. The main causes are diabetes and unknown reasons. If it’s from diabetes, it can happen when blood sugar levels are off. Surgery, nerve issues, immune diseases, and some drugs can also cause it.
To check for gastroparesis, doctors use a special test that looks at how fast your stomach empties. The goal of treatment is to make the stomach work better. This can be through drugs that help the stomach move, changing what you eat, or sometimes, having surgery. A new treatment, stem cell therapy, is giving hope to people by easing their symptoms.
Key Takeaways:
- Gastroparesis is when the stomach empties slowly, causing upset stomach, pain, and a swollen belly.
- The main reasons for it are diabetes and unknown causes.
- Doctors find out if you have it with a special stomach test.
- Ways to treat it include medicines, diet changes, and sometimes surgery.
- Stem cell therapy is a new and helpful option for gastroparesis.
Symptoms and Diagnosis of Gastroparesis
Gastroparesis brings several symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. People with it might feel bloated, full quickly, and lose weight. These signs can disrupt life greatly. It’s vital to know these signs and get checked by a doctor soon.
One key sign is feeling sick to your stomach but not from a virus. It can vary from slight queasiness to a strong urge to vomit, especially after meals. Since the body can’t take in all the food’s nutrients, this could lead to losing weight.
Another sign is belly pain that can feel like a deep ache or cramps. Even a small bite might make you feel stuffed. This stuffed feeling, along with bloating, is called early satiety.
Tests are used to diagnose gastroparesis. A common one is a gastric emptying test. You drink a bit of material that shows up on sensors as it moves through your stomach. This test finds how fast or slow your stomach is emptying.
Using this test helps doctors clearly diagnose gastroparesis. They also might do blood tests, an endoscopy, or manometry to confirm the issue. These check for other possible causes before settling on a diagnosis.
Learning the signs of gastroparesis is key to early treatment. Nausea, belly pain, and being bloated are usual symptoms. A gastric emptying test can confirm if your stomach is emptying too slow, which is a major sign of gastroparesis. Understanding and spotting these symptoms can aid in getting the right treatment.
Treatment Options for Gastroparesis
Treating gastroparesis aims to make patients feel better, get their stomachs moving better, and avoid problems. A key part of treatment is changing what you eat. Patients are told to have small meals more often. This helps their stomachs clear out food better. They need to stay away from fatty and fibrous foods since these are tough to break down. It’s also vital to drink enough water for digestion to work well.
Patients may also get meds to help their stomach move faster. Medicines like metoclopramide and erythromycin are often used. These help push food through the stomach better. As a result, symptoms lessen and the gut works better.
If gastroparesis is very bad, surgery could be an option. One choice is gastric electrical stimulation. A device is put in to kick the stomach muscles into action. This can speed up how fast the stomach gets rid of food. Surgeons might also do pyloroplasty. This makes the stomach’s exit wider, which makes it easier for food to leave.
Stem cell therapy is an exciting new option. It involves putting stem cells into the stomach. These cells can repair tissue and make the stomach work better. Initial findings show this could be a great help for those who haven’t found relief with other treatments. Stem cells might make life better for people with gastroparesis.