Gastroparesis is paralysis of the stomach. Also known as delayed gastric emptying, gastroparesis is a chronic condition that affects stomach muscles and disrupts your stomach’s ability to move food along normally. It occurs when the stomach muscles that push food through your digestive tract become weakened or impaired. As a result, food lingers in your stomach longer than it should, causing uncomfortable symptoms.
Studies estimate that 500,000 to 5 million Americans may suffer gastroparesis. But other research from the National Institutes of Health suggests this may only be the tip of a gastroparesis “iceberg.” There’s evidence to suggest that there are many people living with undiagnosed gastroparesis because patients experience a range of symptoms similar to those of other diseases such as GERD and celiac disease.