Diabetic gastropathy, indigestion due to diabetes mellitus

Gastroparesis is a movement disorder in the stomach that causes food to take longer to empty from the stomach. This condition can occur in patients with diabetes mellitus when they experience complications of diabetic gastropathy. If left untreated, this can cause annoying digestive problems. So, how to solve it?

How can diabetes cause diabetic gastropathy?

Diabetic gastropathy is a complication of diabetes mellitus that causes various digestive problems, especially in the stomach. Diabetic gastropathy is a complicating disease that is difficult to detect.

In a study by the American Diabetes Association that examined the condition of type 1 diabetes patients, it was explained that this complication indicates malfunctioning of the muscular and nervous system (neuromuscular) in the stomach.

One of the digestive problems of diabetic gastropathy that is often experienced is gastroparesis. Gastroparesis is a stomach contraction disorder that makes it difficult for food to be removed from the stomach.

Normally, the stomach muscles will contract to push food through the digestive tract. However, the condition of high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) in the long term can damage the nerves around the digestive tract, thus inhibiting muscle movement. As a result, the movement of the muscles that push food into the intestines becomes slow or can even stop.

Slow digestion can also make blood glucose more difficult to control. This disease causes blood sugar levels to rise from time to time to be too high or to drop dramatically so that they are too low (hypoglycemia).

If you have uncertain blood sugar results, consult your doctor immediately.

Common symptoms of diabetic gastropathy

Initially, the symptoms caused by gastroparesis are usually mild, such as nausea, bloating, and abdominal pain. Complaints such as feeling too full are also usually felt after eating.

However, these symptoms are not the typical symptoms that definitely indicate gastroparesis. As a result, diabetics tend not to realize that their diabetes condition has affected the work of their digestive system.

Diabetic gastropathy complications will arise when blood sugar levels continue to rise. This is indicated if the symptoms that appear at the beginning are chronic or prolonged. The initial symptoms can even get worse, causing you to vomit and feel stomach cramps.

The following are signs and symptoms of diabetic gastropathy that you need to be aware of:

Heartburn
Nausea
Throw up undigested food
Fullness
Drastic weight loss
Bloating
Loss of appetite
Blood glucose levels that are difficult to stabilize
Stomach cramps
Gastric acid rises

Even so, the symptoms of diabetic gastropathy are mild or severe still depend on how severe the nerve damage that affects the work of the stomach.

Symptoms may also be experienced more frequently after eating a high-fiber or high-fat diet. The reason is, high-fat foods take longer to digest so that the stomach works even harder.

How to deal with diabetic gastropathy

There is no specific diabetes treatment to cure diabetic gastropathy. Even so, this chronic disease can still be controlled by following a healthy diabetes diet and paying attention to food intake.

Referring to one of the studies from the journal American Family Physician , a fairly common gastropatic condition, namely gastroparesis, can be treated in the following ways:

1. Diet and type of food

You need to change your diet by eating small portions but more often, for example, 6-8 times a day. You are also advised to switch to eating foods with a soft or liquid texture, such as in the form of pulp or juice.

Avoid eating foods that contain solid fats and foods high in fiber because they can further inhibit the passage of food from the stomach, causing gastrointestinal obstruction.

Also make sure to get adequate fluid intake, especially if you are vomiting frequently.

2. Treatment

Apart from going through lifestyle changes, you may also need to take medication. Doctors usually give metoclopramide (Reglan), which is a drug that promotes movement of the abdominal muscles. That way, food can be digested more quickly.

In severe conditions, gastroparesis treatment can be done by electrical stimulation of the stomach. In this treatment, an implanted device is placed in the abdomen to provide electrical stimulation to the nerves and muscles of the lower abdomen. This method can also help you reduce nausea and vomiting.

If you have diabetes and experience signs and symptoms that may lead to diabetic gastropathy, consult your doctor immediately to confirm your condition. Treatment and lifestyle changes can be done to overcome this disease.