What is Dumping Syndrome? Symptoms and Treatment

Dumping syndrome is a condition resulting from the rapid passage of food from the contents of the stomach into the duodenum (duodenum), the first part of the intestine, following meals. If this syndrome occurs, complaints such as stomach cramps, diarrhea and nausea occur, especially after consuming foods with high sugar content. Although the control of dumping syndrome is usually based on nutrition, it may be sufficient to make various lifestyle changes. However, in more severe cases, other treatment interventions such as drug therapy or surgery may also be used. “What does dumping syndrome mean?” and “What is dumping?” You can follow the rest of the article for answers to your questions such as: There is a predisposition to dumping syndrome in people who have had part or all of the stomach removed. This predisposition also applies to people who have had esophageal (esophageal) operations. Dumping syndrome complaints, which are caused by the rapid passage of food from the stomach to the intestine, usually begin within 10 to 30 minutes after the food is ingested. However, this period may extend up to 3 hours after the meal in some people. Minimizing meals or avoiding foods with high sugar content are among the practices that can be done in this context. However, not every case of dumping syndrome may have a mild course. In severe cases of dumping syndrome, treatment interventions up to surgical applications are used to control this ailment.

What are the Symptoms of Dumping Syndrome?

Symptoms of dumping syndrome can cause this disorder to occur early or late. may vary depending on While the complaints that occur in early-onset dumping syndrome begin approximately 10 to 30 minutes after the consumption of a meal, this period is between 2-3 hours for late-onset dumping syndrome. do Various studies have shown that almost three-quarters of individuals with dumping syndrome have early-onset dumping syndrome. Late-onset dumping syndrome is observed in approximately one-fourth of the patients; Some patients may experience both forms of this syndrome at the same time. The complaints that occur in early-onset dumping syndrome manifest themselves in a short time, especially after consuming a meal with a high sugar content. The complaints that may occur in these people can be summarized in general as follows:

• Diarrhea,
• Drowsiness,
• Swelling,
• Accelerated heartbeat,
• Nausea and vomiting,
• Redness of the face or other skin areas,
• Abdominal pain and cramps.

3 hours after a meal Dumping syndrome, which occurs over a long period of time, is defined as late-onset. It usually results in low blood sugar in people. The symptoms that may occur in case of this situation are as follows:

• Drowsiness,
• Weakness,
• Feeling of hunger,
• Heartbeats acceleration,
• Sweating,
• Weakness,
• Difficulty concentrating.

Some people may suffer from both forms of the disorder. Since the symptoms of both forms of the disease can coexist in these people, one should be conscious about this. occurs over a period of time. When food passes into the small intestine, it is broken down into building blocks by digestive enzymes. Thus, these substances are allowed to mix into the bloodstream. In dumping syndrome, the passage of food from the stomach to the intestine occurs in a very short time instead of a few hours. In early dumping syndrome, the rapid passage of food from the stomach to the intestine causes excessive fluid to be drawn from the bloodstream into the intestinal lumen. It manifests itself with complaints such as excessive fluid passing into the intestines, diarrhea and bloating. Meanwhile, various intestinal secretions chemicals trigger the patient's heart rate to accelerate and blood pressure to drop. The decrease in blood pressure results in the addition of complaints such as drowsiness to the disease table.

Late dumping syndrome is generally caused by changes in the person's blood sugar and insulin levels. The occurrence of complaints in late dumping syndrome occurs due to the passage of foods with high starch and sugar content into the intestine. In the initial stage, with the absorption of these nutrients, a slight increase in the blood sugar level of the person occurs. In response to this increase, the hormone insulin secreted from the pancreas promotes the uptake of high blood sugar by cells for use in metabolic activities. An increase in the level of insulin hormone results in a person's blood sugar falling below the normal level. This condition, which is expressed as hypoglycemia, is an important finding in late dumping syndrome. Dumping syndrome is an expected situation after surgical operations such as gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy. The absence of a part of the stomach after the surgery has an effect on the passage of food from the stomach to the intestine. In addition to gastrectomy operations in which part or all of the stomach is removed, care should be taken as dumping syndrome may occur after gastric bypass operations where the stomach is made into a tube shape and esophagotomy operations where the esophagus is operated for cancer or various reasons.

How to Diagnose Dumping Syndrome? Is it determined?

There are various methods that can be used in the diagnostic approach to dumping syndrome. A medical history and physical examination of the patient who applies to health institutions with complaints about this ailment is performed. At this stage, the complaints of the person are carefully examined and it is investigated which ones may be associated with dumping syndrome. Following these stages, different tests can be applied to clarify the presence of dumping syndrome in the person. In the oral glucose test, the patient's blood sugar is measured at certain hourly intervals, and it is aimed to detect the low blood sugar that occurs especially in late-onset dumping syndrome cases. In addition to this test dumping Another application called gastric emptying test can also be used in the diagnosis of the syndrome. In the gastric emptying study, the patient consumes a radioactively labeled food. Then, special scanning devices are used to find out how this food is in the digestive tract. Thus, it can be determined how quickly the food consumed leaves the stomach and passes into the intestines. In addition, endoscopic examinations may be required, especially in patients with a history of gastric surgery.

How is the Treatment of Dumping Syndrome?

Dumping syndrome, which develops in the early period following the consumption of food, is a condition that tends to regress spontaneously, usually within 3 months. Various lifestyle changes that a person will make during this time may be beneficial in controlling the complaints caused by dumping syndrome. In summary, the practices that people with dumping syndrome can do to alleviate their symptoms are as follows:

• Instead of consuming 3 meals a day, these meals are divided into parts and consumed in 5-6 meals,
• Bakery products, Avoiding products such as sugary and carbonated drinks or snacks containing refined sugar,
• Consumption of protein sources containing white meat,
• Fiber, which has the feature of slowing down the absorption of sugar and other carbohydrates from the intestines, should be used more in the nutrition plan.
• Not consuming liquid half an hour before and after meals,
• Swallowing the foods consumed after thoroughly chewing in order to facilitate digestion,
• Not between meals during the day. Consuming 8 glasses of water with
• Trying to rest for 30 minutes after meals,
• Avoiding high-carbohydrate foods such as low-fiber white bread, pasta and rice,
• Termination of alcohol consumption.

It is recommended that you consult with your physician to decide which of these applications is suitable for you. It is a very important issue that you do not perform applications that are not within the knowledge and recommendation of your physician. B� If such a situation is detected, the physician may add various supplements to the treatment plan. In cases where adequate recovery cannot be achieved despite changes in nutritional style, treatment is supported with different drugs. Some endoscopic techniques, which have been used more frequently recently, can also be tried as adjunct methods in treatment. In cases where there is no response despite all these applications, surgical interventions can be applied. Early detection of nutritional deficiencies, which may occur due to the wrong eating habits of some patients and the dumping syndrome itself, and prevention of wrong behaviors are among the basic approaches that positively affect the treatment process of the person. Occurrence of osteoporosis due to the effect of calcium absorption in patients with dumping syndrome is among the possible complications. At the same time, anemia (anemia) can be added to the symptoms of the disease due to insufficient intake of various vitamins, especially iron. It is very important for late-onset dumping syndrome patients to increase their fiber consumption. Increasing fiber consumption may be a protective behavior against the development of hypoglycemia in these individuals by slowing down the absorption of glucose. However, if you experience the signs and symptoms of dumping syndrome, it is recommended to apply to health institutions even if you do not have a history of operation involving the digestive tract. At the same time, it is very important for people who have been diagnosed with dumping syndrome but whose nutritional habits and symptoms have not improved, and individuals who experience uncontrolled weight loss during the course of dumping syndrome by applying to health institutions and getting support from specialist physicians. We wish you healthy days.

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