Complications of gastroparesis
When food is not digested properly, it can stay inside the stomach causing symptoms of fullness and bloating. In some cases, undigested food can also form solid masses known as bezoars that can lead to:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Obstruction of the small intestines
Gastroparesis makes it more difficult for a person with diabetes to manage their blood sugar levels. in most cases, the person’s stomach may take longer periods to empty the food into the small intestine for absorption. Other times, the stomach may empty the food fast.
This unpredictability makes it hard for someone with diabetes to know when to take insulin, this implies that their blood sugar levels may get too high or too low at times.
When the blood sugar level is too high, the patient becomes more susceptible to the following conditions:
- Kidney damage
- Eye damage include retinopathy and cataracts
- Heart disease
- Foot complications that can cause amputation
- Neuropathy
- Ketoacidosis
When blood sugar levels go too low, a patient with diabetes may experience the following conditions;
- Shakiness
- Seizures
- Loss of consciousness
- Diabetic coma from low sugar
Other complications caused by diabetic gastroparesis are:
- Malnutrition
- Tears in the esophagus from chronic vomiting
- Inflammation of the esophagus that may cause difficulty swallowing
- Electrolyte imbalance
- Bacterial infection
- Indigestible masses, known as bezoars that cause stomach blockage
Gastroparesis comes with significant concerns for people with diabetes because delays indigestion make regulating blood glucose difficult. This condition makes the digestion process hard to monitor, so glucose measurements can fluctuate. If your glucose reading is erratic, tell your doctor about it together with any other symptom you are having.
Gastroparesis is a severe disease and having the disorder can feel overwhelming. The process undergone when trying to change your diet and regulate blood sugar levels while feeling sick and nauseated to the extent of vomiting is tiring. People with gastroparesis feel frustrated and depressed.