Diabetic Gastroparesis Symptoms

The person who experiences diabetic gastroparesis symptoms will find that he has delayed gastric emptying, or in other words, the stomach takes too long to empty itself. When food enters the stomach, the organ begins to contract to move the food down to the small intestine to further digest the nutrients. The vagus nerve is what controls these contractions. If this nerve is damaged, then the process does not follow the normal order, causing many problems. Food moves too slowly or even stops. Some of the causes for this disorder are surgery on the stomach, an infection from a virus, an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia, side effects of some drugs, gastro-reflux disease, muscle disorders, or even hypothyroidism. But the most common form of the disease is found in diabetics. That is because high blood sugar levels result in nerve damage in the body, and sometimes that nerve is the vagus. Treating the diabetes is the basis for diabetic gastroparesis treatment.

What are diabetic gastroparesis symptoms? The patient can feel heartburn, pain in the upper part of the stomach, nausea and vomiting--even hours after eating a meal, and a feeling of fullness at the beginning of a meal. Other problems are unexpected weight loss, bloating, poor appetite, and spasms in the stomach muscles. When a person eats a good diet with plenty of fiber or a diet with fatty foods or drinks high in carbonation may find that this exacerbates the pain. There is a wide range of severity, with some people experiencing few problems and others with severe and often. For this reason, the condition may be difficult to diagnose. But the results of ignoring the pain can be severe. When food stays in the body too long, the result tends to grow bacteria, and fermenting. This can also form a solid mass and begin to block the digestive process. These obstructions are called bezoars, and can be dangerous.

When a person with diabetes has this condition, he may find that it is harder to control his blood sugar level. When food travels slowly down the digestive tract, more sugar is transferred to the blood vessels, changing the way a patient figures his dietetic inflow of carbohydrates. A doctor will diagnose this condition through first taking blood tests. After that, he may order an upper endoscopy. The patient is put under sedation, and a scope or long thin tube is inserted into the mouth, through the esophagus, and into the stomach so that the physician can view the condition of the organs. He will look at the stomach's lining and for any abnormalities. Or the doctor may order an ultrasound for the same reasons. This will also rule out gallbladder disease and pancreatitis. An ultrasound is a less-invasive test since the machine uses sound waves to take pictures of the internal organs. A third test is a barium x-ray. The patient is given a solution of barium to drink after he has fasted for twenty-four hours, emptying the digestive tract. The barium coats the digestive tract, helping the x-ray to highlight the system on the pictures. A person with diabetes has to be careful about going without food, so a medical professional will give clear directions on how to fast before the exam.

If the x-ray shows food in the stomach after the fasting, then the patient will likely need diabetic gastroparesis treatment. But an empty stomach doesn't mean that the person doesn't have the disease, so a second exam may be ordered. There are other ways of diagnosing the problem. Gastric emptying scintigraphy is when the person eats a bland meal, such as eggs, in which has been inserted a radioactive substance. This radioisotope shows up on scans. The exam shows how long it takes for the gastric organs to pass along the food. If more than 10 percent of the meal is still in the stomach after four hours, these are diabetic gastroparesis symptoms. Sometimes, a doctor will take a breath test to measure the presence of an isotope in carbon dioxide. This isotope is expelled when a person exhales and also shows how fast the meal is passing through the system. A new device that has just been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration is called the SmartPill. It is a capsule that is swallowed by the patient. It moves through the digestive tract, sending information to a receiver worn around the waist or neck. Soon, the capsule is passed from the body in the stool. The patient takes the receiver back to the medical office, and the information is entered into a computer. The medical professionals then assess the progress of the disease. It truly is computer-age diabetic gastroparesis treatment!

Seeking diabetic gastroparesis treatment is essential for a long life. The Bible says of God's care for us, "Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth." (Jeremiah 33:6) Some of the treatments for this disease may be difficult, like inserting a feeding tube or taking medications for the length of life. However, the wise person will take care of her diabetes and also of the kind of diet that she ingests. Control of blood glucose levels is essential for good health. Eating more frequent and smaller meals will also help. A dietitian will advise on how to develop a meal regimen that will alleviate diabetic gastroparesis symptoms.



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