Parkinsons and Digestive Health: What You Should Know
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Parkinson’s disease doesn’t just affect movement—it can also have a significant impact on digestive health. Many people with Parkinson’s experience gastrointestinal issues that can disrupt their daily lives. These complications occur as Parkinson’s affects the nerves that control digestion. They include:
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia). This occurs because of the breakdown in nerve control that accompanies Parkinson’s disease. Dysphagia has a range of signs and symptoms, including pain while swallowing (odynophagia), coughing or choking while eating or drinking, and regurgitating food.
- Delayed stomach emptying (gastroparesis). Normally, the muscles in the digestive tract contract to send food into the stomach and release it into the small intestine for absorption. Parkinson’s disease can disrupt this process so that the stomach does not empty well, resulting in nausea, vomiting, and belly pain.
- Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) can sometimes accompany gastroparesis. When the progress of food through the small intestine is slowed, it can become a breeding ground for bacteria. The excess bacteria absorb nutrients that should be reserved for your body, resulting in diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition.
- Chronic constipation. If Parkinson’s disease disrupts the nerves in the large intestine, muscles that enable regular bowel movements may fail to contract, resulting in the buildup of excess waste.
At David Song GI, we understand how intertwined digestive health is with neurological conditions like Parkinson’s. Our team offers personalized care to help manage these digestive symptoms and improve quality of life. If you or a loved one is living with Parkinson’s and facing digestive challenges, contact us today to explore treatment options.

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