A condition in which the stomach cannot empty the food in a normal way. It affects 4% of the US population, women are four times higher than men to have it. The symptoms include nausea/vomiting, acid reflux, upper abdominal pain, bloating, loss of appetite, and weight loss. To make a confirmed diagnosis, gastric emptying scan and breath test are performed. There are no effective cure so far. Most of the medications have severe side effects.
The common cause of gastroparesis is associated with vagus nerve damage due to diabetes and stomach surgery. More than one-third are idiopathic, which means unknown reasons. One possible association is psychological distress, reportedly 24% of patients have combined anxiety and depression. In the gastrointestinal tract, the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (resting stage) increases bowel motility and mucus secretion. In contrast to it, the sympathetic activity (flight and fight stage) leads to a reduction of intestinal activity and a reduction of blood flow to the gut when the individual faces stress. This is why we experience indigestion when we are stressed, vs improved appetite when we are eating with loved ones. Acupuncture, customized herbal therapy and mind body techniques such as yoga and meditation have been shown promising results with improved symptoms. In addition, eating small frequent meals, quitting smoking and alcohol, regular exercise and weight loss are beneficial to manage the symptoms.