Is Constant Bloating Gastroparesis?
September 3, 2007 Dear Mayo Clinic: I have constant bloating (stomach extended and hard) that at times makes it difficult to breathe, especially when attempting to walk up stairs or exercise. I’ve had the gastric emptying study performed twice in the last three years and performed in the lower end of the normal range. Is my chronic bloating gastroparesis? And if not, how can I control this situation? Answer: If you have gastroparesis, the muscles in the walls of your stomach don’t work properly, so that after you eat your stomach doesn’t empty food into the small intestine the way it should. Bloating can be a symptom of gastroparesis, but usually it’s not the only one. For most people, nausea and vomiting several hours after eating are the most common symptoms. In addition, gastroparesis can make you feel full after eating only a few bites of food, and it often causes heartburn, regurgitation (reflux) of stomach acid or bile, lack of appetite and weight loss. Gastric emptying studies,
