{"id":9095,"date":"2025-07-17T04:31:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T08:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/type1support.ca\/gastroparesis-a-little-known-but-common-disorder-in-type-1-diabetes\/"},"modified":"2025-06-17T12:39:24","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T16:39:24","slug":"gastroparesis-a-little-known-but-common-disorder-in-type-1-diabetes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/type1support.naracreative.com\/en\/gastroparesis-a-little-known-but-common-disorder-in-type-1-diabetes\/","title":{"rendered":"Gastroparesis: A Little-Known but Common Disorder in Type 1 Diabetes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Digestion is skillfully coordinated by the human body. When we eat, food moves through our digestive system section by section, spending just the right amount of time in each. For the stomach, that\u2019s about two hours.<\/p>\n

Sometimes digestion can be impaired. This occurs when the nerves controlling stomach muscles are damaged or not functioning properly and stomach emptying is slowed. This is called gastroparesis.<\/p>\n

Gastroparesis and diabetes<\/b><\/h2>\n

Although the cause of this condition is unknown in more than a third of cases, gastroparesis can be a complication of diabetes. It\u2019s more common in people who have been living with diabetes for some time and have other complications (e.g., nerve, kidney or eye damage) than in people without diabetes.<\/p>\n

As symptoms of gastroparesis may be associated with other conditions, the number of people affected is likely underestimated. However, it\u2019s known that people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at greater risk of developing this complication than those living with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Gastroparesis is estimated to affect\u00a0 5% of people living with T1D, and women are up to four times more likely to develop this disorder than men.<\/p>\n

Impact on blood suga<\/b><\/h2>\n

Gastroparesis can make managing blood sugar more difficult for people living with T1D. Since digestion is slowed once food reaches the stomach, the arrival of glucose (sugar) in the blood may be delayed, unpredictable, and no longer correspond to the timing of insulin action.<\/p>\n

If insulin is taken before a meal, as recommended, it could start acting before the delayed arrival of glucose in the blood, causing hypoglycemia.<\/b><\/p>\n

As digestion slows, glucose could enter the blood after insulin has stopped acting, causing hyperglycemia.<\/b><\/p>\n

Therefore, one might need to adjust the dosage and timing of their insulin to limit these risks.<\/p>\n

Identifying gastroparesis<\/b><\/h2>\n

Gastroparesis is sometimes difficult to diagnose, because the type, frequency and intensity of symptoms can vary from person to person.<\/p>\n

The most common symptoms experienced are:<\/p>\n