What Is Dumping Syndrome?

What is Dumping Syndrome and Why Does It Occur after Gastric Bypass Surgery?

Do you want to know more about Dumping Syndrome? If you plan to have gastric bypass surgery, then you need to be aware of a condition called dumping syndrome. This condition occurs when the stomach doesn’t digest some or all of the food before it passes into the small intestine. Dumping syndrome actually refers to the symptoms you feel when this happens and there are two types of dumping to be aware of.

Early dumping syndrome occurs between ten to thirty minutes after eating and late dumping can occur within one to three hours after your meal. The symptoms are also different for both types of dumping syndrome.

Early dumping symptoms include:

• Nausea
• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Lightheadedness

Late dumping symptoms include:

• Anxiety
• Weakness
• Fainting
• Reactive Hypoglycemia

The stomach is designed to digest food before it moves into the small intestine. When the food is dumped into the intestine without being properly digested, the body reacts by releasing gut hormones and filling it with fluid. It’s the fluid that actually causes the symptoms associated with this condition.

This condition normally occurs when the person strays from their recommended diet and nutrition plan by eating foods containing high fat content, starches and sugars. The good news is that in most cases, getting back on your diet will relieve the symptoms and cure the problem. Chewing your food well and eating slowly can also help prevent dumping syndrome.

Angela x