Smoothy Slim
Photo by Vlada Karpovich Pexels Logo Photo: Vlada Karpovich

What are the symptoms of not digesting food properly?

Symptoms Vomiting. Nausea. Abdominal bloating. Abdominal pain. A feeling of fullness after eating just a few bites. Vomiting undigested food eaten a few hours earlier. Acid reflux. Changes in blood sugar levels. More items... •

How do you know if your detox is working?
How do you know if your detox is working?

When detoxing from drugs or alcohol, your body goes through a process that can affect several bodily functions and systems. Some of these signs...

Read More »
Do you tip the Walmart delivery guy?
Do you tip the Walmart delivery guy?

Tipping your Walmart delivery driver is always optional, but it's highly encouraged and made super easy by Walmart. You can tip online, in person,...

Read More »
Traditional “juice” activates 24/7 fat-burning
Traditional “juice” activates 24/7 fat-burning

A potent powdered supplement blended right into water or your favored beverage to be appreciated as a scrumptious morning smoothy.

Learn More »

Overview

Stomach and pyloric valve Open pop-up dialog box Close Stomach and pyloric valve Stomach and pyloric valve Your stomach is a muscular sac about the size of a small melon that expands when you eat or drink. It holds as much as a gallon (3.8 liters) of food or liquid. Once your stomach breaks down the food, strong muscular contractions known as peristaltic waves push the food toward the pyloric valve. This valve leads to the upper portion of your small intestine, a segment known as the duodenum. Gastroparesis is a condition that affects the normal spontaneous movement of the muscles (motility) in your stomach. Ordinarily, strong muscular contractions propel food through your digestive tract. But if you have gastroparesis, your stomach's motility is slowed down or doesn't work at all, preventing your stomach from emptying properly. The cause of gastroparesis is usually unknown. Sometimes it's a complication of diabetes, and some people develop gastroparesis after surgery. Certain medications, such as opioid pain relievers, some antidepressants, and high blood pressure and allergy medications, can lead to slow gastric emptying and cause similar symptoms. For people who already have gastroparesis, these medications may make their condition worse. Gastroparesis can interfere with normal digestion, cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. It can also cause problems with blood sugar levels and nutrition. Although there's no cure for gastroparesis, changes to your diet, along with medication, can offer some relief.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of gastroparesis include:

Vomiting

Nausea

Abdominal bloating

Abdominal pain

A feeling of fullness after eating just a few bites

Vomiting undigested food eaten a few hours earlier

Acid reflux

Changes in blood sugar levels

Lack of appetite

Weight loss and malnutrition

Many people with gastroparesis don't have any noticeable signs and symptoms.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. From Mayo Clinic to your inbox Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. Email ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Subscribe! Thank you for subscribing! You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry

Causes

Why is it good to poop in the morning?
Why is it good to poop in the morning?

Rather, morning poops are great because the human body is best equipped evacuate during this time — so don't hold them in. “In the morning, when we...

Read More »
Do you have to ask for the free cup at Starbucks?
Do you have to ask for the free cup at Starbucks?

The red cup giveaway is available however a customer orders, including orders placed on the Starbucks mobile app and Starbucks Delivery, the...

Read More »
Traditional “juice” activates 24/7 fat-burning
Traditional “juice” activates 24/7 fat-burning

A potent powdered supplement blended right into water or your favored beverage to be appreciated as a scrumptious morning smoothy.

Learn More »

It's not always clear what leads to gastroparesis, but in some cases it can be caused by damage to a nerve that controls the stomach muscles (vagus nerve). The vagus nerve helps manage the complex processes in your digestive tract, including signaling the muscles in your stomach to contract and push food into the small intestine. A damaged vagus nerve can't send signals normally to your stomach muscles. This may cause food to remain in your stomach longer, rather than move into your small intestine to be digested. The vagus nerve and its branches can be damaged by diseases, such as diabetes, or by surgery to the stomach or small intestine.

Risk factors

Factors that can increase your risk of gastroparesis:

Diabetes

Abdominal or esophageal surgery

Infection, usually from a virus

Certain medications that slow the rate of stomach emptying, such as narcotic pain medications

Scleroderma — a connective tissue disease

Nervous system diseases, such as Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis

Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

Women are more likely to develop gastroparesis than are men.

Complications

Gastroparesis can cause several complications, such as:

What makes your skin lighter?
What makes your skin lighter?

Skin-lightening procedures work by reducing the concentration or production of melanin in the skin. Melanin is the pigment that gives skin its...

Read More »
What is the best fruit in Colombia?
What is the best fruit in Colombia?

Here are some of the nation's favorites: Maracuyá (Passion fruit) ... Gulupa. ... Uchuva (Golden Berry) ... Zapote (Sapota) ... Pitaya (Dragon...

Read More »
Strange purple cocktail removes 2.7lbs every 4 days
Strange purple cocktail removes 2.7lbs every 4 days

This effective juice jolts the metabolism, boosts energy and burns fat all day.

Learn More »
How do I detox from sugar ASAP?
How do I detox from sugar ASAP?

7 tips to detox from sugar Eat breakfast. Eating breakfast with proteins, complex carbohydrates, fiber-rich foods, and healthy fats can keep blood...

Read More »
Strange purple cocktail removes 2.7lbs every 4 days
Strange purple cocktail removes 2.7lbs every 4 days

Contains a potent powdered supplement blended right into water or your favored beverage to be appreciated as a scrumptious morning smoothy.

Learn More »
What causes pimples?
What causes pimples?

Acne develops when sebum — an oily substance that lubricates your hair and skin — and dead skin cells plug hair follicles. Bacteria can trigger...

Read More »