Do I have indigestion?
Lily is a diabetic patient and has bad blood sugar control for more than 7 or 8 years. Her HbA1c level is as high as 10% or more. Lately, Lily has been complaining of gastric discomforts, abdominal bloating and heartburn. After diagnosis, the doctor confirmed that Lily has gastroparesis.
What is gastroparesis? It is a form of diabetic neuropathy, a chronic complication resulted from improper control of blood sugar level. Pro-longed high blood sugar causes damage to the neural muscular structures of the gastrointestinal tracts, causing delayed gastric emptying and reduced peristalsis of food in the tract. If the food stayed too long inside the stomach, bacterial infection may occur due to overgrowth of bacteria. Unfortunately, gastroparesis currently cannot be cured, but the symptoms of gastric discomforts and infection can be relieved and controlled. Symptoms of gastroparesis include: heartburn, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, bloating, weight reduction and gastroesophageal reflux.
⋐ How can gastroparesis be treated? ⋑
- Good blood sugar level control is the key, as well as proper management and control of any infectious symptoms.
- Patient with severe gastroparesis may require feeding tube or intravenous feeding.
⋐ How to reduce gastric discomforts? ⋑
- Adjust dietary habits according to recommendations from dietitian.
- Avoid high lipid and fiber foods; foods high in lipids will stay longer inside the stomach; foods high in fiber are difficult to digest, both of which will cause gastric discomforts.
- Eat frequent meals in smaller quantity and chew well; avoid lying or sitting down after meals; get up and walk around after meals.
Reference: 1. American Diabetes Association; 2.WebMD website
