Did you know that your digestive process starts even before you take your first bite?

Your stomach begins to produce acid, and the muscles of your digestive tract get ready to work, moving food through your system in a process known as gastrointestinal motility.

But for about five million Americans, a condition called gastroparesis disrupts this flow.

We asked Amir Masoud, MD, medical co-director of the Hartford HealthCare Neurogastroenterology & Motility Center, about gastroparesis symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.

Neurogastroenterology & Motility Center

Learn more about the Neurogastroenterology & Motility CenterCall 475.210.4727

What is gastroparesis?

Gastroparesis slows or stops the stomach’s ability to empty its contents properly.

The result? A range of symptoms that includes nausea, vomiting, bloating, abdominal pain, or constipation.

The condition complicates nutritional intake and can be especially dangerous for people with diabetes, because blood sugar levels can be affected.

> Related: Constipated? Check Your Medicine Cabinet

Gastroparesis is more common than you think.

Gastroparesis has many possible causes. Some common ones include:

  • Diabetes
  • Post-surgical complications.
  • Medications including opioid pain relievers, antidepressants, and those for high blood pressure and allergies.
  • Neurological disorders like Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and stroke.
  • Thyroid conditions
  • Autoimmune disorders

> Want more health news? Text StartHere to 85209 to sign up for text alerts

Symptoms of gastroparesis look different for everyone.

Gastroparesis can manifest in various ways, and not everyone will experience severe symptoms.

Some of the most common symptoms include:

  • Nausea, with or without vomiting
  • Abdominal bloating and pain
  • Feeling full after eating only a small amount
  • Vomiting undigested food eaten hours earlier
  • Acid reflux
  • Fluctuating or difficult-to-control blood sugar levels
  • Poor appetite
  • Weight loss and malnutrition

Gastroparesis can be complex to diagnose.

But it’s important to know that these symptoms don’t always mean you have gastroparesis, says Dr. Masoud.

“We know that the stomach doesn’t empty at the same rate depending on what we eat,” Dr. Masoud explains. “For instance, a large meal like spaghetti will empty differently than a salad. It’s not like a timer that goes off and tells the stomach when to empty. It’s important that we don’t misdiagnose patients with gastroparesis when it may be more a functional problem.”

Sometimes, an issue further down the gastrointestinal intestinal track can be the source of the problem.

“Sometimes there’s a significant overlap with constipation,” says Dr. Masoud. “We know that patients with severe constipation can have a secondary slowing of the stomach. So we treat the constipation first, then se if the stomach is still the problem because we know that the gastrointestinal tract, each part of it, is not functioning in isolation. They all communicate with each other. It’s all through feedback mechanisms. A slow end of the line leads to a slow start of the line.”

3 ways to diagnose gastroparesis

A gastroenterologist can help with diagnosis gastroparesis. Two tests they may use are:

  1. Scintigraphy: Often considered the “gold standard” for diagnosing gastroparesis, this test involves eating a light meal containing a small amount of radioactive material. A scanner placed over the abdomen tracks the rate at which the stomach empties food over four hours.
  2. Breath Tests: These tests involve consuming a substance that can be detected in your breath after it’s absorbed by the body. Breath samples are collected over several hours to assess how quickly the stomach empties its contents.
  3. SmartPill: This newer option is a capsule you swallow that measures transit time throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract. Dr. Masoud notes that this test can provide valuable information about not just the stomach but also the small bowel and colon, which is important because gastroparesis often occurs alongside other motility disorders.

When to see a doctor

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms or have concerns about your digestive health, speak with your healthcare provider.

Gastroparesis often isn’t an isolated problem, and an expert can help you look at your gut health holistically, says Dr. Masoud.

“We know that the gastrointestinal tract doesn’t function in isolation. So it’s very important to think of the patient as a whole and not take symptoms, or tests, in isolation.”