The human body is a complex interconnected mechanism, the slightest violations of which turn into a global failure. Digestion is a fundamental component of its functioning.
Small deviations in the work of the stomach affect the state of the body as a whole. The health of the digestive system is significantly affected by indicators of gastric juice. According to the statistics of visits to medical institutions, gastritis with a low level of acidity makes up one fourth of the registered diagnoses of a chronic disease. This condition of the disease progresses with time and with age, 60% of patients exhibit symptoms of decreased acidity of the stomach. That is why the diagnosis is most often determined by the elderly.
What is stomach acidity?
To digest food, a person’s stomach contains digestive juice, which contains hydrochloric acid and enzymes. A sign that the organ is in order is acidity, or rather, the amount of acid in the gastric juice. Measured acidity in pH.
1 pH - a sign of an increase in the parameter (maximum acid content), 7 pH - a neutral balance of alkali and acid, 14 pH - an indicator of low acidity (maximum amount of alkali).
The content of hydrochloric acid in a normally functioning stomach is constant (0.3-0.5% or 160 mmol / l). Up to 2.5 liters of hydrochloric acid are produced per day in a healthy organ. To neutralize it, alkaline components (bicarbonates) are produced in the stomach, thereby maintaining a normal, healthy acidity of the digestive juice. The slightest change in the balance of the content of both components in the stomach leads to an increase or decrease in acidity. Hydrochloric acid in an organ performs the following functions:
- contributes to the rapid decomposition of proteins;
- creates an acidic environment, so food is digested faster;
- antibacterial effect;
- breaks down metal molecules for quick absorption.
The acidity of the stomach is determined in two ways: using the aspiration method or an intragastric pH meter is performed.
Causes of stomach acidity
The cells that make up the organ mucosa produce gastric juice, it supports the digestive processes that are responsible for the proper absorption of substances. The acid content rises or falls due to:
- The wrong diet. Excessive consumption of fatty and spicy, alcohol-containing drinks, irregular meals in small volumes, or large quantities of food at a time.
- Badly chewed food. The acid balance will be disturbed if a lot of insufficiently chewed food enters the stomach.
- Medicines Thanks to aspirin, paracetamol, analgin and hormonal drugs that negatively affect the gastric mucosa.
- Stress. Under its influence, a person ceases to eat properly or begins to drink alcohol, which also negatively affects the stomach.
- Smoking. Especially hard after a cigarette to a hungry body. Toxins will interact with the mucosa with the greatest possible force.
- Helicobacter pylori. Gastritis and peptic ulcer bacteria. After entering the human stomach, they produce enzymes that can damage the mucosa.
- Infections. Influenza can cause a complication that affects the lining of the stomach.
Symptoms and treatment of low acidity depend on the causes of its occurrence.
How to determine low acidity at home?
Few people have a desire to defend long lines in the clinic to the doctor to determine their diagnosis. Often, the decreased acidity of the stomach has the following symptoms:
- The most common symptom is the smell of rot from the mouth, followed by belching, which smells like rotten eggs.
- Nausea in the morning, complete or partial lack of appetite, a feeling of heaviness or dull pain in the stomach after eating will also tell about the disease.
- Defecation disorders, such as constipation or diarrhea, are some of the common symptoms of low acidity in the stomach.
- Bloating, flatulence, rumbling, bloating - incomplete digestion leads to a process.
- The use of chewing gum after eating greatly alleviates the state of gravity.
- Due to a decrease in the acidity of the stomach, the body's resistance to various types of mycoses is reduced - fungal infections of the mucous membranes, skin integuments, and nail plates. In addition, there is a high probability of infectious diseases and the development of cancer.
- A disturbance in the digestion process entails a deterioration in appearance: the appearance of skin acne and dilated vessels on the face, brittle and dry hair, exfoliating and brittle nails, dry skin of the hands and face.
- One of the manifestations of low acidity is the presence of undigested food particles in the feces.
Other diagnostic methods
Initially, it is necessary to monitor exactly which stimuli the body reacts to, which subsequently secretes gastric juice. In order to avoid a number of undesirable diseases, such as gastritis or a stomach ulcer, and simply not to resort to medication, it is important to determine the low acidity in the early stages.
- Distinctive features in a person after eating can be severe heartburn, accompanied by belching with a sour, not pleasant aftertaste.
- Symptoms such as pain in the solar plexus and poor bowel movement may accompany people with this condition.
- There is a possibility that ulcers or any other pathologies have formed on the mucosa. Therefore, it is impossible to assert with firm certainty that the disease is at the initial stage of development.
- Relative signs of increased acidity, with the exception of heartburn and belching, will also be a deterioration in the well-being of the body as a whole.
- A constant desire to eat something sour. Such sensations can occur even with visual attention to products such as lemon, sauerkraut or apples.
- With significant use of foods containing a large amount of protein, the same symptoms may appear, this draws attention to the presence of the problem.
- When drinking carbonated soft drinks, eating fatty and fried foods, drinking alcohol, as well as various sweets, there is heartburn, severe belching.
- All this is associated with severe pain in the stomach and frequent constipation.
- After waking up, in the morning, there is a taste of copper in the mouth.
- After taking anti-inflammatory drugs, a cutting pain occurs.
- Dishes that previously seemed very tasty begin to cause disgust.
- The state of health completely changes towards deterioration.
Other indicators
In addition to all the symptoms described earlier, there are also indicators that inform a person about low acidity. After eating something sharp, oily, headaches can occur. Unremarkable environmental factors make a person annoyed and nervous, for no apparent reason. A yellow coating forms on the surface of the tongue, smelling unpleasantly, which is almost impossible to remove. In order to avoid various kinds of diseases and the consequences to which they can lead, the first thing to do is to review the daily diet. Bad habits, smoking, alcohol adversely affect the gastric mucosa, so it is better to abandon them. It is necessary to form and adhere to the diet, as far as possible, excluding from it those dishes and drinks that adversely affect the stomach. Thus, acidity can be foreseen in everyday life, however, it will not be superfluous to consult a specialist.
Low acidity treatment
Only a thorough diagnosis and treatment of low stomach acid can help identify the problem. Unfortunately, there are not so many pharmaceutical products to deal with the problem. Very often, hydrochloric acid preparations and substances that help acid production are prescribed to increase acidity. In addition, alternative methods of increasing the acidity of the stomach are recommended for use. Such herbs as calamus, wormwood, peppermint will help with improving digestion. In any disease, self-diagnosis and self-medication are unacceptable, it is necessary to undergo an examination in the clinic and get a full doctor’s appointment, according to the disease.
Diet for this pathology
A diet that lowers acidity is divided into 2 types:
Sparing nutrition creates conditions that normalize the work of the digestive tract, eliminating the inflammatory process. It is prescribed when the inflammation has just passed into the active phase. For this purpose, food capable of thermally, mechanically or chemically irritating the walls of the gastrointestinal tract is excluded from the diet. Therefore, food should be:
- Slightly more than room temperature, boiled and well grated.
- Fried or too baked dishes are prohibited, it is recommended to increase the number of cereal decoctions, jelly, soft-boiled eggs, mashed potatoes, jelly desserts on the menu.
- Under the ban, everything that has fiber (it can injure the mucous membrane), solid connective tissue.
- Limit the use of garlic, onions, meat and fish broths.
- Exclude pickles and alcohol. The duration of such a diet is 7 days.
A low-acid stimulant diet is introduced to stimulate gastric activity. It involves mandatory chopping or slicing of all products, without exception. Eating occurs every 2 to 3 hours. Little by little, food is added to the food menu that affects the secretion of hydrochloric acid, such as: parsley, carrots, raspberries, lemon, orange and crackers. It is allowed to use moderately fermented milk products, but it is prohibited:
- rich;
- fried;
- containing fiber;
- canned food;
- spicy.
Alcohol and tobacco are strictly prohibited. The duration of the diet is determined by the doctor, based on the condition of the patient.
Recommendations for regulating acidity (if low)
- First of all, you need to start consuming food in small portions more than 4 times a day, and go to bed at least three hours after dinner.
- It is important to refuse acute and sour, so as not to provoke a surge in the amount of gastric juice.
- Also, do not take medicine again and get into stressful situations.
- Care must be taken to get the full amount of protein per day.
- Be sure to regularly consume cereals such as rice, oatmeal, semolina.
- Meat consumed should be low fat and not combined with heavy carbohydrates.
- Avoid coffee, strong tea, and sodas.
- However, you should closely monitor the consumption of the required amount of water throughout the day.
- It is also worth giving up fried foods. It may well be replaced by steamed and boiled food.
- With reduced acidity of the stomach, fractional food is much better absorbed. Souffle and mashed potatoes will be an ideal choice.
Useful food products for this disease include cereal soups, low fiber vegetables, mint tea. To obtain vegetable protein, in addition to salads, you can eat raw nuts. When normalizing, it is useful to drink milk. It regulates the level of acid. This condition can be fixed with honey, which will bring life-giving elements and protect the walls of the stomach from damage. Aloe vera tea will be helpful. It perfectly inhibits the increase and decrease in acidity in the stomach.
Low acidity and psychosomatics
People with low acidity are most often infantile and indifferent. These are far from aloof non-initiative individuals, but their level of social responsibility leaves much to be desired.
Reduced acidity in the stomach kills any anger and decisiveness that helps a person overcome difficulties and bring the job to the end. Thus, at the slightest obstacle, such people throw everything on its own, and also hope that subsequent problems will disappear on their own.
When interacting with such a person, it is important to remember that he is absolutely not aware of the difficulties that will follow him for this or that choice. And even if you explain to him all future problems, his psyche will supplant their importance and the person will not take them seriously.
Often there is a sharp drop in acidity - from high to low. Then a person is seized by apathy, drowsiness and weakness. In such a situation, you should take an urgent vacation and go to rest for a period of breakdown. Active recreation is excluded, but a variety of boarding houses and motels will help restore the balance of the nervous system. It is important to minimize all incoming duties so as not to get into the habit of leaving things halfway.
Acid increase and psychosomatics
There is a method to increase low acidity without drugs and folk remedies. To do this, you need to change your psychological type. The portrait of people suffering from high acidity is almost the same in almost all cases. This is a work-overburdened person who has taken on more than he can do.
The degree of responsibility lying on him is much higher than the resources of his nervous system. As a result of this, an aggressive mental state becomes regular in a person. However, his anger is aimed not at others, but at himself. Such a person blames only himself for his failures.
This disease has become almost professional among dispatchers, pilots, and drivers responsible for safety at hazardous facilities. The whole thing lies in their responsibility. Therefore, such people carefully monitor their nutrition, since they can not be indifferent to their work - people may die. So you have to work on the verge of gastritis.
In a situation where people's lives do not depend on you, but the acidity of the stomach increases regularly, you need to learn calm. It is important to know that not one task assigned by others is 100% binding. If the requirements for carrying out the work are higher than the available forces, then you must forget about it. Thus, all obligations that exceed the existing resource should be discarded, and only feasible tasks should be left.