1. Choose Foods That Are Easy to Digest
Avoiding foods that are difficult to digest can help you manage your gastroparesis, also called delayed gastric emptying. When you have gastroparesis, your stomach muscles are unable to contract enough to complete the digestion process. By adjusting your diet, you can make it easier on your body and possibly reduce the frequency of nausea and vomiting that are main symptoms of the condition. Eliminate raw vegetables that contain indigestible fiber, such as apples, broccoli and cauliflower, from your diet. Cook your produce well before eating, to render it softer and easier to break down. Limit the amount of acidic and fatty foods that you eat, as well as carbonated beverages. All of these items can be difficult to digest at times, even for a person with a healthy digestive system. Some people with severe problems with delayed stomach emptying may need to blend their foods into a puree that they can more easily digest.
2. Manage Your Blood-Sugar Levels
Diabetes is a large risk factor for gastroparesis. Therefore, you should take the matter of managing your blood-sugar levels very seriously. If you have diabetes, consult with your doctor and a nutritionist to find out what types of foods you can safely consume without causing extreme fluctuation of your blood sugar. If you are insulin-dependent, take your medication exactly as prescribed and report any unusual symptoms right away.
3. Take Medication
In some cases, prescription medication can help reduce or eliminate the symptoms of gastroparesis. A type of drug called a prokinetic can be used to make your stomach muscles contract and propel food further down the digestive tract. Anti-emetics may be prescribed to alleviate nausea.
4. Opt for Surgery
If all other treatment options are not allowing you to manage your digestive ailments as well as you would like, you may need to turn to surgery. Stomach-bypass procedures, in which the lower section of your stomach is stapled, can be done to speed the emptying. Implanting a gastric neurotransmitter is another option. The transmitter gives off signals to your stomach muscles when they are not doing their job, allowing you to digest your food.
