If food stays too long in the stomach there may be an increased risk of bacterial overgrowth from the fermentation of food. Undigested food in the stomach can harden into solid masses (called bezoars) that may cause obstruction in the stomach. These can be dangerous if they block food from going into the small intestine.
Gastroparesis can also make it difficult to control your blood glucose levels. When food that has stayed in the stomach for too long finally enters the small intestine and is absorbed, blood glucose levels rise. Since gastroparesis makes stomach emptying unpredictable, a person's blood glucose levels can be erratic and difficult to control.
Reviewed: April 2011
Next review: October 2012