What Patients with Diabetic Gastroparesis Should Know about Its Signs and Treatment
Diabetic gastroparesis is a stomach disorder that is commonly associated with diabetics. It is also known as “delayed gastric emptying” where the stomach will be unable to empty food in a normal way.
This disorder is mostly found in individuals who have type 1 diabetics. Although not common in individuals with type 2 diabetics, it can still occur in these individuals too. Apart from this individuals who have diabetics for more than ten years are also at risk.
There are various causes of diabetic gastroparesis and these include:
1. The most common cause of gastroparesis is viral infections.
2. There are also instances where abdominal surgery can lead to this disorder, if there is any damage to the vagus nerve.
3. Apart from this there are certain medications that are known to cause this disorder. People who use antidepressants and narcotics are more at risk.
There are various complications that can occur if the stomach is unable to empty food properly. When food starts accumulating in the body it can lead to growth of bacteria and cause other health problems too.
The blood sugar levels will also rise when the food starts entering the small intestine. This can make it very difficult to people with diabetics to control the blood sugar level.
There are various symptoms that individuals with diabetics should be aware of to detect this disorder. Early detection will help in early treatment.
1. Abdominal bloating is one of the most common signs of this disorder as food starts accumulating in the body.
2. Loss of appetite and feeling full even after you had taken only a small quantity of food.
3. There can also be nausea, heartburn and reflux. In some extreme cases it can also lead to severe vomiting.
4. The blood sugar levels will also increase and will not be controlled easily.
There are various tests that can be done to detect this condition. These include barium X-ray, barium beefsteak meal, radioisotope gastric emptying scan, gastric manometry, electrogastrography, ultrasound and upper endoscopy.
You would need to consult your physician regarding the various treatment options that are available to treat this disorder. As there are certain kinds of medications that are known to aggravate this condition, you will need to avoid them and this should be done in consultation with the physician.
Apart from this you will also need to make suitable changes to your diet and include foods that are easily digested. Diabetic gastroparesis can also be prevented if you keep your blood sugar levels under control.
