It's estimated up to 5 million people in the U.S. are affected by gastroparesis, according to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. To bring light to the condition, the IFFGD established Gastroparesis Awareness Month in 2016 to take place every August.
The theme for this month is "Make Patient Voices Heard," encouraging improved research, support and treatment for gastroparesis.
Here are five things to know about gastroparesis:
1. According to the IFFGD, patients suffer with gastroparesis for an average of five years before receiving a diagnosis.
2. The symptoms of gastroparesis include nausea or vomiting, dry heaving, stomach fullness after a normal-sized meal, early fullness and the inability to finish a meal, as well as bloating, stomach pain, loss of appetite and heartburn.
3. Symptoms typically occur during or after a meal and can appear suddenly or gradually.
4. If left untreated, gastroparesis can lead to additional complications such as severe dehydration, malnutrition and poor insulin control in individuals with underlying diabetes.
5. "Patients and those closest to them are uniquely able to speak to the burdens posed by life with a chronic digestive disorder like gastroparesis and the needs of those affected," said Ceciel T. Rooker, IFFGD president.