Gastroparesis｜Full After Just a Few Bites and Still Uncomfortable Hours Later? It May Not Be Indigestion
You have barely eaten, yet you already feel full. Hours after the meal, it can still feel as though the food is sitting heavily in your stomach. It is easy to dismiss this as indigestion and assume that eating less will solve the problem.
However, when these symptoms persist, delayed gastric emptying may be the real issue.
Gastroparesis is a condition in which the stomach empties abnormally slowly despite there being no mechanical blockage.
Normally, muscular contractions of the stomach gradually move food into the small intestine. When this process is impaired, patients may experience early satiety, post-meal bloating, nausea and vomiting. Some may even vomit food eaten several hours earlier.
Nerve damage associated with diabetes is one possible cause. Certain medications, previous surgery and other neurological or metabolic conditions may also interfere with normal stomach movement.
Simply "eating less" may therefore not address the underlying problem. People with persistent early satiety, recurrent vomiting or weight loss, as well as people with diabetes who develop significant new digestive symptoms, should seek medical assessment. Further investigations may be required to assess gastric emptying and identify the underlying cause.
