Gastroparesis Essay

1013 Words5 Pages
Gastroparesis Terri Wright Ms. Ann Bulger February 20, 2012 Gastroparesis, or paralysis of the stomach, is a common digestive disorder, a condition in which the stomach does not function normally. The muscle in the wall of the stomach works poorly or not at all, preventing the stomach to empty properly. The stomach has two parts. The fundus, the upper portion and the antrum, which is where the food is churned back and forth until it is broken into small fragments and then released into the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. When the condition of gastroparesis is present the stomach is not able to crush food or release it into the duodenum causing normal digestion not to occur. (Mayo Clinic) There are a number of causes for the risk factor and condition of gastroparesis, but in several cases, it is believed to be caused by damage to the vagus nerve, which is a nerve that controls the stomach muscles, the vagus nerve helps manage the process in the digest system tract, including signaling the muscles in the stomach to contract. Gas has been associated with several diseases such as diabetes, adrenal and thyroid gland problems, anorexia, bulimia, scleroderma, Parkinson’s disease, neuromuscular diseases, idiopathic, and some forms of chemotherapy, and surgery of the upper intestinal tract. As any surgery on the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum may result in injury to the vagus nerve. Symptoms of postoperative gastroparesis may develop immediately or a year after the surgery is performed. (Mayo Clinic) Symptoms of gastroparesis include abdominal bloating, vomiting, and nausea, early fullness while eating small bites, heartburn, and epigastric pain, change in blood sugar levels, and lack of appetite, weight loss and malnutrition. The most common symptom is early satiety, which weight loss occurs due to poor absorption of nutrients and taking in too few
Open Document