Definition:
Rapid gastric emptying, also known as dumping syndrome, occurs when undigested food empties too quickly into the small intestine.
Diagnosis:
The doctor can often diagnose dumping syndrome by taking a careful medical history and then evaluating the signs and symptoms. If the person has undergone stomach surgery, that may help lead the doctor to a diagnosis of dumping syndrome
Treatment:
If changing the person's diet doesn't relieve his symptoms, the doctor may advise medications or surgery to slow the emptying of the stomach's contents.
Symptoms and Signs:
Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and cramps, diarrhea, dizziness and lightheadedness, bloating and belching, fatigue, and heart palpitations and rapid heart rate. Some people undergo both early and late signs and symptoms. Conditions such as dizziness and heart palpitations can arise either early or late — or both. No matter when problems develop, however, they may be worse in the aftermath of a high-sugar meal, specifically one that's rich in sucrose (table sugar) or fructose (fruit sugar).
Causes:
In dumping syndrome, food and juices from the stomach move to the small intestine in an unregulated, abnormally fast manner. This accelerated process is most often related to changes in the stomach associated with surgery.
