Leanne Willian from Bolton in the United Kingdom suffers from a rare condition that makes her vomit 70 times a day. The 39-year-old was diagnosed with Gastroparesis in 2008, and ever since, her whole life flipped. Gastroparesis, a condition in which the stomach cannot empty itself naturally, makes the person feel sick, nauseous and in pain. She had a gastric pacemaker fitted into her abdomen to tackle the issue and stimulate the stomach after eating. Here is all you need to know about the rare condition Leanne is suffering from.
What is Gastroparesis?
The term Gastroparesis means partial paralysis of the stomach. It is a rare stomach condition that affects 1 in 100000 people. In this disorder, the muscles and nerves do not function normally, slowing the digestion process and making it harder to empty itself. Strong muscular contractions propel food through your digestive tract and when it is paralysed the food stays in the digestive tract causing nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Causes of Gastroparesis
What leads to this digestive disorder is still unknown, but experts believe that unmanaged blood sugar levels in case of Type 2 diabetes can be a risk factor. Some medications like opioid pain relievers, antidepressants, and high blood pressure and allergy medications, can also slow down the digestion process.
In our body, the vagus nerve signals the muscles in the stomach to contract and push food out of the small intestine to the colon. When the nerve is damaged it cannot send the signal, causing food to remain in your stomach longer.
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Symptoms
Gastroparesis has overlapping symptoms like other stomach related issues that often lead to confusion. The most typical symptom of this condition includes:
Vomiting
Nausea
Abdominal bloating
Abdominal pain
Feeling full
Acid reflux
Changes in blood sugar levels
Lack of appetite
Treatment
Depending on the severity of your condition, the doctor may opt for surgery or just recommend making changes to your diet. People suffering from this condition are advised to eat smaller meals at regular intervals, chew food properly and also eat well-cooked food. If the condition is severe they may even have to undergo surgery in which a gastric pacemaker is fitted into their abdomen to make the process easier.
