Autoimmune diseases that are associated with gastroparesis are scleroderma and lupus.
The autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma and lupus that can cause gastropareisis does so because of the smooth muscles in your stomach weakening as a result of the process of those diseases.
Lupus and scleroderma also causes the smooth muscles to break down in your GI tract and the rest of your body.
Gastroparesis is a type of stomach failure in which your stomach is basically paralyzed.
The condition gastroparesis is paralysis of the stomach that affections the stomach nerves and muscles and makes the stomach muscle contractions slower and weaker than they need to be to digest the food properly and pass it on through your intestines.
When this happens it causes the food to sit too long in the stomach.
Gastroparesis is a disorder which slows or stops the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine, even though there is no blockage in the stomach or intestines.
The condition gastroparesis is also called delayed gastric emptying.
The most common cause of gastroparesis is diabetes which can damage nerves such as your vagus nerve and nerves and special cells called pacemaker cells in the wall of your stomach.
Your vagus nerve controls the muscles of your stomach and your small intestine.
Gastroparesis can also interfere with a persons normal digestion, cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Gastroparesis can also cause problems with your blood sugar levels and nutrition.
Although there's no cure for gastroparesis, changes to your diet, along with medication, can offer some relief from gastroparesis.
Gastroparesis mortality is highly variable, ranging from 4% in a mixed cohort of inpatients and outpatients followed for 2 years to 37% in diabetic gastroparesis patients requiring nutritional support.
Doctors can test for gastroparesis by the use of lab tests, upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, imaging tests, and tests to measure how fast your stomach is emptying its contents to diagnose gastroparesis.
Gastroparesis slows down your whole digestive process, which can delay your bowel movements.
It can also deliver large, undigested pieces of food to your intestines, which are more difficult to pass through.
Your doctor can perform urine tests and blood tests to diagnose gastroparesis.
Urine tests are important in showing signs of infection, dehydration, diabetes, or kidney problems.
Blood tests are used to detect signs of inflammation, dehydration, malnutrition, and infections.
If gastroparesis is left untreated the food tends to remain longer in the stomach.
This can lead to bacterial overgrowth from the fermentation of food.
The food material can also harden to form bezoars.
These lead to obstruction in the gut, nausea and severe vomiting and reflux symptoms.