What Is Diabetic Dumping Syndrome?

Every diabetic should know the symptoms of diabetic dumping syndrome and how to prevent it. Although this experience is scary, it is not life-threatening. It can cause symptoms that may make you think that you are having another health problem, such as a heart attack because it causes sweating, irregular or rapid heartbeat, and other symptoms like weakness and fainting. This problem can also cause low blood pressure, flushed skin, dizziness, shortness of breath, vomiting, diarrhea, or cramps. It usually happens about 45 minutes after eating.

What Happens During an Episode of Diabetic Dumping Syndrome?

When undigested food passes into the small intestine too quickly, diabetic dumping syndrome can occur. During normal digestion, the valves at the top and bottom of the stomach break down food into small pieces that it can pass into the small intestine slowly. During diabetic dumping, food literally dumps into the small intestine very fast. It mixes with saliva instead of the acid that is required for normal digestion. At that point, water flushes into the small intestine to dilute the food. If the food that the diabetic ate was high in sugar, more water dumps into the intestine. When this process happens, it is called early dumping syndrome.

Late dumping can occur after early dumping, but sometimes it is possible to lie down and wait for early dumping to pass. Lying down can prevent the person from fainting. Late dumping syndrome involves a high amount of insulin entering the system and results in low blood glucose levels that can result in hunger, shaking, anxiety, hunger, perspiration, exhaustion, and fainting. These symptoms are the result of too much insulin building up, along with water going into the small intestine at a rapid rate.

How to Prevent Diabetic Dumping Syndrome

Diabetics need to avoid eating certain foods to prevent diabetic dumping syndrome. Foods that are high in fat, sugar, and starches, as well as fried foods, often cause this uncomfortable reaction. Milk and milk products can also cause it.

Since there is no real treatment for diabetic dumping syndrome, it is best to watch what you eat and to have small balanced meals throughout the day. Doctors sometimes recommend eating foods that are high in protein, such as lean meat, eggs, cheese nuts, fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain items that digest slowly. Doctors may prescribe medication to slow digestion so that diabetic dumping syndrome does not occur.

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