The combination of gastroparesis and diabetes can be a scary one, and let’s face it; the symptoms of this condition will make you down right miserable. It becomes difficult and painful to eat, and vomiting, diarrhea, and heartburn are just a few of the daily symptoms you can expect. It can be difficult to understand why or how diabetes can cause such horrible stomach problems. Believe it or not, gastroparesis and diabetes are connected when blood sugar is not controlled well and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) occurs frequently.

According to the American Diabetes Association, hyperglycemia related to diabetes can cause neuropathy, which is nerve damage. This nerve damage is just one of many extensive complications that can occur from undiagnosed or poorly controlled blood sugar. When the neuropathy (nerve damage) occurs in the stomach, this causes extremely slow digestion, which is known as diabetes gastroparesis.

Diabetes related gastroparesis is an …