Do you know the link between diabetes and stomach discomfort?
A 43-year-old male patient presented to my clinic with the complaints of stomach discomfort, gas, and bloating with loss of appetite.
On further questioning, he has been diabetic for the last 6 years. Not aware of his high blood pressure.
He is not using any medication for diabetes or occasionally taking for a day or two. Upon asking why he is not using diabetic medicines, he told me that people say diabetic medicine causes renal problems.
Vitally, he was
Pulse: 92/min
Blood pressure: 160/90
Fever: a-febrile
Respiratory rate: 16
Oxygen saturation: 99%
Random blood sugar: 313
My diagnosis was delayed gastric emptying, also called gastroparesis, which results in food taking more than normal time to pass from stomach to small intestine.
The management of gastroparesis or delayed gastric emptying is
He was counseled about diet management
, daily exercise,
regular blood pressure , and RBS monitoring
and advised medicine for stomach discomfort,
diabetes, and hypertension and called for follow-up.
I helped him understand his condition and debunk some of his myths on the spot. But keeping in mind his literacy and understanding level, he was not information overloaded on the first visit.
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