Diabetes and Stomach Pain

According to the Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland, 23.6 million people in the United States have diabetes. Diabetes is a serious condition that must be monitored daily and controlled as best as possible. There are many complications linked to diabetes. Many of the symptoms begin with stomach pain and may progress into a more serious condition.

Constant Hunger

• Constant hunger is an early warning sign of diabetes. A person with diabetes may lose sugar through recurring urination. This also leads to a loss of calories. At the same time, diabetes may prevent sugar from entering the cell, leading to constant feelings of hunger. Management of hunger can become a huge problem with diabetes. This feeling of constant hunger can lead to overeating and obesity, inviting more health problems and serious medical conditions such as heart disease. With type 1 diabetes, extreme hunger is experienced because the body does not have enough insulin to move sugar into cells. Muscles and organs then become depleted of energy. This triggers increased hunger, even after one eats, because without insulin, the sugar in your food never reaches the tissues, which become starved.

Gastroparesis

• Gastroparesis, also called delayed gastric emptying, is a condition in which the stomach takes too long emptying its contents. It affects people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and is considered a complication to diabetes. Under normal circumstances, the stomach contracts to help move food into the small intestine for digestion. The vagus nerve regulates the movement of food from the stomach to the digestive tract. Gastroparesis occurs when the vagus nerve is damaged and the muscles in the stomach no longer work correctly. Gastroparesis is a type of neuropathy (nerve damage) because it damages the natural functioning of the vagus nerve. With diabetes, this type of neuropathy can be caused by long periods of high blood sugar. Delayed digestion also makes diabetes management more difficult. However, it can be treated with insulin management, drugs, dietary changes or, in severe cases, a feeding tube.

Hypoglycemia

• Hypoglycemia, also known as low blood sugar or low blood glucose, occurs when blood sugar is low and affects diabetics from time to time. It causes hunger pangs and pains in the stomach as well as other serious symptoms, including fainting and seizures. It can be a serious condition if left untreated and can cause a coma. According to the American Diabetes Association, the best way to treat hypoglycemia is to have five or six hard candies, or have fruit or glucose tablets so sugar can get back into the body system.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis

• Diabetic ketoacidosis, also known as DKA, is a serious condition that occurs most frequently with type 1 diabetes. It occurs when insulin levels are not high enough to meet the body's basic metabolic requirements. Symptoms include hypoglycemia, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain occurring especially in children. According to the Merck website, cerebral swelling is a complication occurring in about 1 percent of patients, mostly children. Death is a possible outcome of this condition, occurring in 1 to 10 percent, according the Merck website. It is a serious condition that must be treated immediately.

Control and Management

• As long as diabetes is controlled and watched closely, most complications that occur can be treated easily. Diabetes can lead to deadly complications if not controlled. Stomach pain is a common symptom occurring in diagnosed and undiagnosed cases of diabetes. A feeling of constant hunger and hunger pangs is an early symptom of diabetes. If you suspect you have diabetes, consult with your doctor immediately, before the situation gets out of hand and you must be treated for a serious complication.