The acid-base balance of the body is an important indicator of metabolism. Serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are directly related to an imbalance in this balance.
During the digestion process, chewed food moistened with saliva enters the stomach, the main function of which is to grind and mix food with gastric juice using muscles. Gastric juice is secreted by cells in the inner wall of the stomach (epithelium). Up to 2.5 liters of juice are produced per day.
Gastric juice is a clear, colorless liquid that in a healthy person contains 0.5% hydrochloric acid and enzymes that break down proteins. Hydrochloric acid is the most important component of gastric juice; it has an antibacterial effect and provides an optimal level of acidity for enzymes to work.
Stomach acid itself is very concentrated and without a protective barrier can cause a burn. However, cells in the stomach lining secrete protective mucus. It envelops the walls with a layer of 0.5 - 1.5 mm and protects them from the damaging effects of hydrochloric acid. The mucus that covers the walls of the stomach is alkaline and protects the stomach from self-digestion.
Gastric acidity is the concentration of hydrochloric acid in gastric juice . Measured in pH units.
There are normal, high and low acidity.
General information
Statistics show that gastritis with low acidity accounts for approximately a quarter of all cases of gastritis with which patients consult doctors. If an inflammatory process of the gastric mucosa is discovered for the first time during fibrogastroduodenoscopy in a person, then, as a rule, he is diagnosed with “superficial gastritis with high acidity .”
And when the acute inflammatory process becomes chronic, then high acidity levels remain for a long time. But if chronic gastritis progresses over the years, then in approximately 60% of cases there is a decrease in acidity values. In this case, signs of low stomach acidity appear. That is why this condition is more typical for older people.
What is stomach acidity
The definition of what gastric juice acidity is as follows: this is the concentration of hydrochloric acid in its composition. This pH indicator is measured in units; accordingly, the study determines the pH of gastric juice.
How to check the stomach if certain problems appear and there is a suspicion of the development of gastritis? If a patient complains of pain and fermentation in the stomach, then initially a gastroenterologist suggests that he conduct an FGSD study, as well as an analysis of gastric juice . Such an examination makes it possible to determine the state of the gastric mucosa and what the acidity is.
Normal acidity is important for the digestion process. In order for food to be digested as needed, enzymes . The main such enzyme is pepsin , which is produced and functions correctly only in an acidic environment. But further, for the contents of the stomach to enter the intestines and be properly absorbed, neutralization of the acid is necessary.
That is why two zones of the stomach are defined - the body and fundus, in which acid is formed, and the antrum, in which its neutralization takes place. When examining gastric acid and its concentration in gastric juice, these points must be taken into account.
The work of all organs and systems in the body is interconnected. And therefore, any, even the most minor, disturbances in the processes that occur in the stomach lead to disruption of food digestion as a whole. As a result, symptoms of stomach problems appear
Hydrochloric acid is produced by the cells of the fundic glands, they are called parietal glands. Hydrochloric acid in the stomach is produced constantly and equally intensively by these cells. What acid is in the human stomach depends on these cells. If they gradually die off, acidity levels decrease; if their number increases, the person is bothered by symptoms of high acidity. Signs of increased or decreased acidity are also observed if the degree of acid neutralization in the antal region of the stomach changes.
If the number of these cells gradually decreases, then over time the fundic glands also atrophy. atrophic gastritis increases significantly . This condition is unsafe, since in patients with atrophic gastritis the risk of developing oncological processes in the stomach increases sharply. In order to take the necessary measures in a timely manner and prevent such a serious disease, a patient with atrophic gastritis should regularly visit a gastroenterologist.
After all, the patient very often perceives the first signs of stomach cancer as an exacerbation of gastritis or its seasonal manifestations.
What are the dangers of high and low stomach acidity?
The production of hydrochloric acid is aimed at activating the appearance of enzymes. HCL helps disinfect and break down food. The composition of digestive juice characterizes the work of the gastrointestinal tract in the mechanical and chemical processing of food.
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Changes in subacidity indicators are affected by:
- stress;
- consumption of alcohol and cigarettes;
- binge eating;
- preference for fatty, fried, carcinogen-rich foods;
- nervous tension;
- insomnia;
- seasonal lack of vitamins.
Increased acidity is fraught with an increase in the activity of cells to produce HCL, leading to injury to the epithelial tissue lining the gastrointestinal tract.
With prolonged irritation of the mucous membrane, the following may appear:
- ulcerative defect on the walls of the stomach and duodenum;
- gastritis;
- stomach bleeding;
- gastroduodenitis.
Most often, high acidity occurs when a Heliobacter infection enters the body, which is responsible for the appearance of ulcers and cracks in the mucous walls of the stomach and intestines.
The bacterium is not destroyed under the influence of hydrochloric acid, causes artificial alkalization , provokes additional production of hydrogen chloride, leading to severe injury to the epithelial tissue of the gastrointestinal tract.
Low acidity is caused by stress and overeating. The predominance of an alkaline environment leads to a decrease in the protective properties of gastric juice, a decrease in enzyme productivity, stagnation and fermentation processes in the intestines, leading to intoxication of the gastrointestinal tract and the entire body (occurs when poisons enter the circulatory system).
An increase in alkaline components is fraught with the development of:
- iron deficiency anemia;
- lack of vitamins, folic acid, minerals;
- oncology.
How is acidity determined?
If a person is worried about stomach pain, he is interested in how to find out whether the acidity of the stomach is increased or decreased.
The most physiological method for determining whether a person has increased or decreased acidity is to conduct intragastric pH-metry, which allows you to determine the level of acidity directly in the gastrointestinal tract. Such a study is carried out using acidogastrometers - special pH devices equipped with probes and sensors. This method is suitable for determining acidity in different parts of the stomach. Depending on the task that the diagnostician sets himself, determining what kind of environment in the stomach can be:
- short-term – lasts for several hours;
- express assessment – within 20 minutes;
- daily – assessment of acid production throughout the day;
- endoscopic – the study is carried out during endoscopic diagnosis.
The aspiration method is also used. When using it, the contents of the stomach are taken using a fractional probe, which is used to collect gastric secretions from the stomach and intestines. However, during the process, the stomach contents from different zones are mixed, and as a result, the diagnostician receives a distorted result, which is only approximate.
Laboratory methods for determining the acidity of gastric juice
If you find signs of increased or decreased acidity, please consult a general practitioner or gastroenterologist for a full examination. The acidity of gastric juice in the diagnostic department can be determined by the following methods:
- fractional sounding (taking gastric contents from different functional zones of the stomach with its subsequent study);
- intragastric pH-metry (short-term and daily - by inserting a special probe into the stomach);
- express pH-metry (is a variation of the previous method);
- endoscopic pH-metry (performed during gastroscopy);
- breath tests;
- urine examination using ion exchange resins “Acidotest”, “Gastrotest”.
Optimal functioning of the stomach is possible only with a normal pH value of gastric juice. Be attentive to your health, pay attention to any digestive disorders that arise - this will help you suspect a violation of the content of hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice and promptly seek medical help from a specialist.
A specialist talks about the acidity of gastric juice:
How to determine stomach acidity at home
If a person is bothered by unpleasant symptoms, it is worth thinking about how to determine on your own, without gastroscopy, the level of acidity in a person. Of course, in any case, you should visit a doctor, but determining the acidity of the stomach at home will help you quickly adjust your diet and help your stomach and intestines function normally.
How to find out the acidity of the stomach at home and check whether antacid gastritis ? First of all, be attentive to the signals that the body gives. With low acidity, the following symptoms appear:
- The most characteristic symptom is the appearance of belching with the smell of rotten eggs and putrid odor from the mouth.
- In the stomach, acid provides a bactericidal and antiseptic effect, and if there is not enough acid in the gastric secretion, the defense mechanisms become very weak. As a result, the intestinal microflora changes. As a result, this condition is characterized by frequently recurring diarrhea and constipation .
- Due to decreased gastrointestinal motility caused by a lack of acid, persistent constipation may develop. And even if the patient strictly follows the diet and understands what not to eat, constipation still continues to bother the person.
- Due to fermentation, gases accumulate in the intestines, causing bloating and flatulence , and constant rumbling in the stomach.
Since proteins are not completely absorbed, an increased concentration of breakdown products is created in the stomach. of the immune system deteriorates . As a result, the body's resistance decreases, and pathological processes begin in various organs and systems. Most often, a person with this condition is worried about “attacks” of various mycoses - the fungus affects the mucous membranes, skin, and nails. Also, much more often the body is affected by viral diseases. oncological processes increases .
In addition to the disrupted process of protein breakdown, the absorption of minerals and vitamins in the intestines also deteriorates. Consequently:
- A deficiency of a number of vitamins in the body leads to the deterioration of the hair condition - it becomes very brittle and dry. Nails peel and crumble, the skin on the hands and face dries out and peels.
- Anemia develops - one of the indirect signs that acidity is low is iron deficiency anemia . If this condition is combined with atrophic gastritis , then we are talking about the development of Addison-Biermer disease . With the development of autoimmune gastritis, B12 deficiency anemia .
- With low acidity and, accordingly, a lack of vitamins, severe acne ; dilated blood vessels are visible on the nose and cheeks.
Another characteristic symptom is the regular appearance of undigested food residues in the stool.
Those who are interested in how to determine gastritis should take into account that people suffering from this disease feel heaviness in the stomach, bloating, and are bothered by heartburn . Sometimes a dull pain in the abdomen appears either immediately after a meal or 20 minutes after eating.
If the concentration of acid in the stomach decreases, due to the inactivity of pepsin and other enzymes, protein digestion is significantly impaired. This reflects very poorly on the body as a whole.
Signs of high stomach acidity: description
Often, stomach acidity increases due to poor nutrition. Irregular eating, eating dry food, consuming spices, herbs, and carbonated drinks cause excessive formation of acid cells in the stomach. This pathology can occur in those people who eat a lot of protein.
Below we have provided you with a description of the signs of high acidity.
- Heartburn. Heartburn is a burning sensation that occurs in the epigastric region and chest. Often this symptom can appear due to meat products, eggs, fatty, sour foods. Heartburn can also be triggered by mints or chewing gum. Heartburn becomes worse when lying down, and decreases or disappears if a person drinks soda solution, warm milk or water, as they reduce acidity.
- Pain. As a rule, the pain appears a couple of hours after eating food and is aching in nature. The pain is mainly present in the left hypochondrium. In some cases, the patient experiences colic, spasms and constipation.
- Nausea, gag reflex, vomiting. Nausea occurs after an overabundance of difficult-to-digest food. After vomiting, the pain decreases as the acidic contents are eliminated.
Signs of increased stomach acidity
In addition, the patient may be concerned about the following symptoms:
- Constipation, which occurs due to spastic actions in the gastrointestinal tract
- Belching, quite sour, occurring after eating
- Presence of sour taste in the mouth
- There is a white or grayish-white coating in the center of the tongue
Appetite with increased acidity, as a rule, does not change, and may even increase. However, with severe pain it can worsen. As a result, body weight decreases, some patients have pronounced thinness.
What diseases cause low acidity?
If a person constantly exhibits the symptoms of low stomach acidity described above, and the study confirms that the acidity is low or zero, then this is fraught with the development of the following diseases:
- stomach cancer;
- antacid gastritis or gastroduodenitis with low acidity. It should be taken into account, if anacid gastritis , that this is a condition when the acidity in the stomach is more than 5 pH. Signs of low stomach acidity in this condition are accompanied by constant discomfort and pain in the stomach area.
determine stomach ulcers , gastritis and other pathological processes after examination.
Fluctuations in acidity levels
Digestive juice in the stomach is released at the sight of food and its smell. Acidity is constantly changing, depending on external and internal reasons. Unpleasant sensations associated with food can stop the production of digestive fluid.
Increases and decreases in acidity are also affected by inflammatory diseases, infections of the stomach and other parts of the gastrointestinal tract, stress, and anxiety. Hypersecretion occurs when eating foods with spicy seasonings, meat dishes, and alcoholic beverages.
Psychosamatic gastritis - can occur with both high and low acidity.
The same phenomenon, but without connection with certain foods or drinks, occurs with hyperacid gastritis. Excessive amounts of acid are harmful to the walls of the stomach and cause discomfort in a person. Insufficient secretion is no less dangerous - the stomach in this case cannot cope with its digestive function, which causes the whole body to suffer.
How to treat low acidity
If a patient is diagnosed with this condition, it is worth learning how to increase stomach acidity at home and cure gastritis caused by this condition.
Provided that the patient is diagnosed with gastritis without erosions, the following treatment is practiced:
- Replacement treatment with gastric juice , Acidin-pepsin , Pepsidil ;
- if there are indications, use antacids ;
- In order to get rid of Helicobacter pylori, according to indications, they take metronidazole , antibiotics , De-nol .
The diagnosis of “gastritis with low acidity” can only be confirmed by a gastroenterologist. Therefore, those who constantly notice symptoms of gastritis with low acidity should definitely contact a good specialist and describe to him all these signs.
Currently, drugs used to treat gastritis with low acidity are not produced in such a wide variety as drugs for the treatment of high acidity. If not only a diet is needed, but also medication treatment, as a rule, hydrochloric acid and medications that stimulate its production are prescribed. Herbs are also used for treatment - peppermint, calamus, wormwood.
Treatment must be monitored by a specialist, while periodically monitoring the patient’s condition over time. After all, low acidity causes cancer tension. Self-medication without medical supervision is not allowed, as this can lead to a serious deterioration in the patient’s condition.
