Definition of Gastroparesis
Gastroparesis: Gastroparesis is a medical condition in
which the muscle of the stomach is paralyzed by a disease of either
the stomach muscle itself or the nerves controlling the muscle. As a
consequence, food and secretions do not empty normally from the
stomach, and there is nausea and vomiting. Abdominal bloating and
pain can result.
Gastroparesis may be associated with paralysis of other parts of
the gastrointestinal tract (the small intestine and colon).
The most common cause of gastroparesis is diabetes mellitus. (So
often is gastroparesis due to diabetes that there is a term,
gastroparesis diabeticorum, that refers exclusively to it).
A nuclear medicine test designed to study gastric emptying is the
most common means of diagnosis of gastroparesis.
Gastroparesis is treated with medications to increase the
contractions of the stomach's muscle, occasionally with surgery, and
experimentally with electrical pacing.
The word "gastroparesis" is compounded from "gastro", pertaining
to the stomach + "paresis", a loss of strength = a loss of strength
of the stomach = stomach paralysis.
Last Editorial Review: 2/15/1999 5:36:00 AMCommon Misspellings: gastroporisus, gastioporisis
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