After swallowed food travels through the esophagus, it is broken down further in the acid environment of the stomach. The resulting liquified mass travels through the small intestine where digestive enzymes break down proteins, sugars and fat into small particles that can be taken in.
Only waste products are left by the time the food reaches the big intestine. Here, water absorption takes place and the excreted item, if whatever is working right, is a semi-soft consistency. A problem can take place anywhere along the digestive tract due to a contagious disease, a foodborne disease or a physiological concern.
My Stomach is Not Digesting Food Properly
Gastroparesis is a condition that occurs when the stomach takes too long to empty food. This condition, also referred to as postponed gastric emptying, is a result of unusual motion of the muscles in the stomach.
1. This can be due to either nerve damage or muscular disease. There’s no recognized remedy for gastroparesis, however medical treatment can help you manage your symptoms.
Throwing up suggests food is not taking a trip past the stomach to be totally absorbed. It may be because of food poisoning or other poisoning, where case the digestive system is attempting to forcibly eject something that was ingested.
It can also signify a clog, a point at which food can not pass. Blood in vomit can be a sign of an ulcer. Symptoms lasting more than a day, failure to keep liquids down or signs of blood in vomitus must prompt an instant see to the doctor to avoid more serious effects.
2. Pain can result from food poisoning, a mechanical obstruction, malabsorptive illness like celiac sprue or cystic fibrosis, or digestive tract illness like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Another problem could be lactose intolerance.
Thirty million American adults have some degree of failure to absorb the sugar in milk. When lactose is not split into simple sugars as it need to be, the small intestine pulls in more water to dilute it and the result is bloating, cramping and gas. Selecting lower-lactose foods or taking dairy products in smaller amounts can minimize these symptoms.
3. When food isn’t really broken down effectively, bigger particles like fat and undigested sugars remain in the stools. Transit time through the intestine might be shorter than regular and intestinal tract matter will typically consist of more water, triggering loose stools or diarrhea.
In malabsorptive illness such as Crohn’s disease, celiac sprue and cystic fibrosis, undigested matter can sometimes be observed in the feces. When fat is present the stools will float on the surface area of the toilet water, which is not regular.
Causes of Gastroparesis
The precise cause of gastroparesis isn’t really understood, however it’s believed to have something to do with disrupted nerve signals in the stomach. It’s thought that the vagus nerve, which controls the motion of food through the digestive tract, ends up being broken and causes food to be digested slowly or not at all.
A typical cause of damage to the vagus nerve is diabetes, specifically diabetes that isn’t well managed. High levels of blood sugar level can change the way the vagus nerve gets its nutrients.
Surgical treatments that involve the stomach or other digestive organs can also harm the vagus nerve. Infections, medications, and muscle illness are other causes of gastroparesis. However in a lot of cases, the cause is labeled as idiopathic, which implies the factor isn’t understood.
Symptoms of Gastroparesis
The symptoms of gastroparesis can vary from mild to severe. They take place more frequently in some individuals than others. The symptoms of gastroparesis can include:
- heartburn
- loss of appetite
- excess gas
- bloating
- upper abdominal pain
- queasiness
- vomiting
- poor nutrition
- changes in your blood sugar levels
- unexpected weight loss
- feeling full after just eating a little
- swollen abdominal area.
Treatment Options for Patients with Gastroparesis
If your gastroparesis is caused by a condition like diabetes, the primary step is to improve control of that underlying condition. After that, your doctor may recommend medication, diet changes, and even surgery in many cases.
1. Diet changes. Seeing a dietitian (an expert on food and nutrition) is a typical part of treatment for gastroparesis. A dietitian can recommend foods that your body can absorb more quickly, enabling your body to take in more nutrients. Your dietitian may make recommendations like:
- eating mostly low-fat foods
- eating well-cooked vegetables and fruit to reduce the quantity of fiber they include
- drinking water during your meal
- eating smaller meals more frequently
- preventing foods that have a great deal of fiber, like broccoli and oranges
- ensuring sufficient time after meals prior to lying down for bed
- substituting solid foods for pureed or liquid foods
When food matter goes through the system undigested, numerous calories can be lost. Energy from fats and sugars is never ever soaked up and with time weight loss can result.
This is likewise an indication that vitamins, especially the fat-soluble ones, are not soaked up either. Shortage symptoms from fat malabsorption include dry, flaky spots on skin, reduced night vision from vitamin A deficiency, and decreased calcium absorption from vitamin D shortage.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, look for medical attention. Just your doctor can diagnose a food malabsorption concern and suggest the proper treatment.
2. Medication. Your doctor might recommend several medications to treat your gastroparesis. Medicines like prochlorperazine (Compro) and diphenhydramine (Benadryl) are typically offered to manage queasiness and vomiting caused by gastroparesis.
Medicines like metoclopramide, erythromycin, domperidone, and cisapride stimulate the abdominal muscle and aid with food digestion. But these drugs can cause side effects. Talk with your doctor to choose which medication is right for you.
3. Surgery. If your poor nutrition or vomiting stays an issue even with using medicine, your doctor might decide that surgery on your stomach is needed. The goal of surgery for gastroparesis is to assist your stomach empty better. Surgery might involve stomach stapling or a stomach bypass procedure.
If you have a severe case of gastroparesis, you may not be able to eat solid foods and drink liquids. In this case, you might require a feeding tube till your condition improves.
Good luck! Have a nice weekend!
