Gastroparesis is a condition that affects the muscles and nerves around the stomach and prevents the stomach from properly digesting food. Normally, when food enters the stomach, the muscles contract, which churns and breaks up the food into smaller particles. Then, the food can pass into the small intestine. When the muscle contractions around the stomach are weakened, the food doesn’t get broken up thoroughly or empty into the small intestine. This can lead to a wide variety of uncomfortable symptoms.