Before answering the question of how to determine the acidity of the stomach at home, it is worth knowing what kind of environment is in the stomach, when it is considered normal, and why it is intended.
The cavity of the stomach contains a mucous secret, gastric juice (enzymes, hydrochloric acid). Its production occurs by the gastric glands of the mucosa, and normally its amount reaches 2 liters. Mucus is not enough, its amount increases with inflammatory processes in the mucosa. Hydrochloric acid and enzyme substances (pepsin, lysozyme, amylase, lipase, and others) provide chemical processing of food, breaking it down into components (proteins, carbohydrates, etc.). Thus, processed food (chyme) is being prepared for further digestion in the small intestine. The content of hydrochloric acid provides the contents of the stomach with an acidic environment. This also explains its bactericidal (disinfecting) effect.
The indicator of the level of acidity of gastric juice (pH) normally on an empty stomach ranges from 1.5 - 2 units. All deviations will indicate a change in acidity. Increased acidity will be fixed within 1.4 and below, reduced - 2.1 and above. A change in acidity indicators adversely affects the functioning of not only the stomach, but the entire gastrointestinal tract. A prolonged increase in the acidity of the gastric secretion leads to the development of the following diseases:
- hyperacid type gastritis (with increased acid-forming function of the stomach);
- peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, symptomatic ulcers due to damage to the mucosa in diseases of other organs (renal, liver failure, and others);
- esophagitis (inflammatory processes of the mucosa in the lower third of the esophagus);
- indirect influence on the change in the function of adjacent organs.
The treatment of all of the above pathological conditions depends on the level of acidity, which, apparently, forces us to look for ways to independently determine the acidity of the stomach. Whether it is worth doing this or entrusting this important procedure to qualified specialists in the field of gastroenterology, we will analyze in more detail.
Important! The only way to find out the acidity of the stomach at home is only to carefully monitor your own health - to notice any discomfort from the stomach. Once again - to independently determine the state of the acidic environment in the stomach, it is not necessary to buy expensive devices, you only need a little attention to yourself.
During the normal functioning of the stomach, glandular cells produce not only acidic gastric juice, but also substances that neutralize its action in order to avoid irritating effects on the mucous membrane and to prepare the chyme for shipment to the duodenum, where the environment is already alkaline.
When the secretory function of the stomach is disturbed
It should be noted that with hypersecretion of gastric juice, not only the amount of gastric juice increases, but also the amount of hydrochloric acid. Hypersecretion is observed:
- when using hot and cold food, alcohol, certain drugs: salicylates (Aspirin, Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Diclofenac), hormonal agents (Cortisone, Reserpine, etc.), insulin and others.
- in diseases: gastric ulcer and, especially, duodenal ulcer, antral gastritis, pylorospasm, pyloric stenosis.
Hypersecretion, as a rule, causes damage to the gastric mucosa: from mild focal and diffuse to severe ulceration (erosions and ulcers).
What will be the manifestations
So, the symptoms indicating increased acidity.
This symptom manifests itself when eating sour-milk products, sour vegetables and fruits.
- After drinking water with gas, excessively spicy and fried foods, marinades, preserves, eructations with a specific sour smell, pains of a different nature and intensity with localization in the epigastric region, a feeling of metal taste in the oral cavity appear.
- Very often with high acidity, constipation occurs.
Long-lasting hyperacidity is accompanied by the presence of general symptoms:
- irritability and sudden changes in emotional state;
- frequent headaches;
- possible fluctuations in body weight.
Reduced secretion of gastric juice is usually combined with a decrease in the acidity of gastric contents. A decrease in secretion is observed in acute and chronic gastritis, gastric neoplasms, dehydration. Anacidity (lack of hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice) and akhiliya (lack of juice) occur with the deepest damage to the mucosa and its glandular apparatus. As a result of a decrease in the bactericidal action of hydrochloric acid, fermentation and decomposition processes can develop in the stomach. This condition, as a rule, accompanies tumor processes in the stomach.
With reduced acidity of the gastric secretion, the following symptoms appear:
- belching, which is distinguished by a sharp and unpleasant odor that resembles the smell of rotten eggs;
- due to excessive accumulation of excess air in the cavity of the stomach and intestines, flatulence and a feeling of fullness of the abdomen develop;
- a feeling of heaviness and sometimes pressing dull pain in the upper abdomen, as the motor function of the stomach decreases;
- diarrhea tendency.
Very often, people with low acidity notice that their hair has become dry and prone to falling out, their nails exfoliate, and their skin is flaky and pale. Against the background of a violation of the normal absorption of nutrients, vitamins and water, metabolic processes in the body are disturbed, there is a decrease in appetite and weight loss.
The severity of these symptoms depends on the degree of deacidification.
In order to prevent the development of the above symptoms and diseases in which they are observed, you should visit a medical institution where you can reliably assess the state of gastric acidity using special examination methods:
- Examination of the state of the mucous membrane of the upper alimentary canal using a probe.
- Conduct laboratory express tests.
- pH-metry throughout the day.
- Sensitive taste buds in the mouth respond to sour, citrus fruits (such as lemon).
- The use of baking soda - belching in this case occurs when interacting with the acidic contents of the stomach. But it will be even with low acidity.
- A technique using wheat porridge in combination with olive oil. There should be heartburn. Heartburn occurs with increased acidity, but the cause of its occurrence is not increased acidity, but a violation of the motility of the upper gastrointestinal tract with a weakening of the lower esophageal sphincter, which leads to reflux - the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus. Reflux can be with increased, normal and even low acidity. And in all cases, the manifestation of reflux will be heartburn, but of varying intensity. Therefore, the appearance of heartburn is not an indicator of increased acidity.
- Apple and other varieties of freshly squeezed juices are also heartburn and the same explanation.
- Some sources state that the litmus test is a reliable method to determine your stomach acidity on your own.
A test with a litmus test to determine the pH is indeed carried out, but in this case the pH in the oral cavity will be determined, it is used to indirectly judge the indicator of acid-base balance (balance) of the human internal environment. Normally, it should be alkaline. This test has absolutely nothing to do with determining the acidity of gastric juice.
It is necessary to check the acidity of gastric juice, because the quality of treatment depends on it. But it is almost impossible to do this with special techniques qualitatively, with a reliable result at home! The state of acidity can be judged indirectly by the implicit symptoms of an existing disease. And this is just one more reason to go to a medical institution. Timely treatment will help to quickly solve health problems.
K29.4 Chronic atrophic gastritis
Epidemiology
The real number of people who have an insufficient level of stomach acidity, no one knows. However, according to some reports of practicing European and American gastroenterologists, almost 28% of adults have this problem by the age of forty, and almost 40-45% have a chance to encounter it at the age of 50. And among people 70 years of age and older, this number rises to more than 75%.
So it should be borne in mind that the older the person, the less hydrochloric acid the stomach produces, which can lead to a condition such as achlorhydria.
Causes of low stomach acid
In a list that includes the main causes of low acidity of the stomach, only one item can be indicated, and this is a reduction in the production of hydrochloric acid, a product of parietal exocrinocytes (parietal cells) of special intragastric glands - fundus, located deep in the mucous membrane of the fundus of the stomach (fundus ventricul).
But the reasons for the decrease in the secretion of hydrochloric acid (HCl) are associated by gastroenterologists with the following factors:
- infection of the stomach with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (to ensure its survival, it neutralizes stomach acid with hydrogen nitride);
- slow metabolism due to hypothyroidism (decreased thyroid function);
- hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis (develops in diseases accompanied by frequent vomiting or diarrhea);
- stomach cancer and / or radiation therapy that affected this organ;
- tumors of islet cells (islets of Langerhans) of the pancreas;
- somatotropic pituitary adenoma (which increases the synthesis of the hormone somatostatin);
- autoimmune damage to the parietal cells of the stomach (immune gastritis) with Sjögren's syndrome;
- lack of zinc in the body;
- deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1) and niacin (nicotinic acid or vitamin PP).
Risk factors
Also, experts call such risk factors for reducing the acidity of the stomach, such as:
- malnutrition and severely restrictive diets;
- excess consumption of carbohydrates;
- inflammatory bowel diseases that have a general inhibitory effect on HCl secretion;
- stress and chronic depression (contributing to the development of functional achylia);
- celiac disease (gluten intolerance to cereals);
- elderly age.
In addition, long-term use of sodium bicarbonate (soda) and antacids that relieve heartburn neutralizes the action of gastric acids. Antihistamines (blocking H2-histamine receptors) and antiulcer drugs of the proton pump inhibitor group suppress the functions of the lining cells of the stomach and the production of HCl. But acetylcholine receptor antagonists (m-anticholinergics) lead to a decrease in the secretion of gastric juice by reducing the influence of the vagus nerve.
Pathogenesis
Most often, the pathogenesis of violations of the secretion of hydrochloric acid is seen in the problems of nervous, paracrine and endocrine control of the multi-stage process of its production.
For example, there may be insufficient activity of G-cells of the gastric antrum mucosa (from Latin antrum - cavity), producing gastrin and functioning only at a certain pH level, as well as partial dysfunction of ECL cells, a source of gastric histamine.
Improperly signaling receptors for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, the release of which in the stomach (after ingestion of food) should stimulate its production, may be involved in violations of acid production.
Disturbances in the transfer from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane of parental cells, necessary for the formation of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen protons (H +) are not excluded. This process is provided by a transport enzyme - hydrogen-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (H + / K + -ATP) or a proton pump, and here, due to insufficient strength of cell membranes, there may be losses of H +. And the density of membranes and their compounds in parietal cells, as it turned out, is regulated by the glycoprotein cytokine VEGF (vascular endothelial factor), which may be lacking under certain conditions, in particular, with prolonged oxygen starvation of tissues, the presence of foci of chronic inflammation or the constant presence of mycotoxins in the body mold and other fungi.
Quite often, the pathogenesis of low acidity lies in the imbalance of substances that can inhibit the secretion of gastric juice: enterogastrone (intestinal gastroinhibiting hormone), secretin (especially its varieties - vasoactive intestinal peptide), somatostatin hormone (produced by D-cells of the gastric mucosa and regulating the release of gastrin).
Symptoms of low stomach acid
The first signs of a high pH of gastric juice appear after eating - in the form of belching and discomfort in the stomach. Moreover, belching (with a taste of food consumed) can be several hours after eating. This symptom is evidence that the food is still in the stomach, while with normal acidity it should already be in the small intestine. Therefore, a feeling of discomfort in the abdomen may accompany nausea with low acidity of the stomach.
Also noted are symptoms of low acidity of the stomach, such as flatulence (bloating); intestinal disorders (diarrhea or constipation); halitosis (bad breath), and there may be a white coating on the tongue; the presence of undigested food fragments in the feces; weight loss; itching in the rectum; chronic fatigue.
Pain in low stomach acid is rare and usually extends from the abdomen to the throat, appearing after heartburn.
By the way, heartburn with low stomach acidity is a common occurrence, as with high acidity: the difference lies in the cause of gastroesophageal reflux. The fact is that insufficiency of gastric acid leads to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, under the influence of which the lower esophageal sphincter opens, which separates the esophagus and stomach. And even a microscopic amount of acid that has fallen on the mucosa of the esophagus is enough to start heartburn.
A long-term decrease in the level of hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice and the associated deficiency of certain substances (mentioned above) can be said:
- chronic fungal infections and recurrent intestinal invasions;
- food allergies and chemical poisoning;
- irritable bowel syndrome;
- limb weakness, paresthesia (numbness and tingling in the limbs);
- acne, eczema and skin rashes;
- increased dryness of the skin, brittle nails, thinning and hair loss;
- depression, sleep and memory disorders.
What is dangerous low acidity of the stomach?
This question can be answered very briefly: a sufficient level of acidity in the stomach and gastric juices is crucial for good digestion and a healthy immune system.
Complications and consequences
Listing the specific consequences and complications of high gastric pH, experts emphasize the paramount importance of acid for protein digestion: HCl activates the transformation of the proenzyme pepsinogen II into the enzyme pepsin, which provides the process of breaking the bonds of amino acids in protein foods through proteolysis.
Acid is necessary for the proper functioning of the sphincters of the stomach and the further promotion of its contents (chyme); for the neutralization of pathogenic bacteria and yeast fungi entering the gastrointestinal tract; for the production of pancreatic juices by the pancreas. Finally, only in an acidic environment are the calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, and others necessary for the body absorbed.
So the consequences and complications of reduced acidity can be expressed in an increase in the body's susceptibility to intestinal infections and enteroviruses; protein deficiency due to their malabsorption; iron deficiency anemia; deficiency of vitamins C, A, E, B12 and folic acid; reduction in the secretion of bile and pancreatic enzymes.
All this can lead to the development of a wide range of pathologies. Thus, toxins from intestinal microbes, entering the bloodstream, cause allergic or inflammatory reactions in distal areas, for example, interstitial cystitis. There is a tendency to develop intestinal dysbacteriosis.
Properly undigested proteins acidify the blood (thus losing skeletal strength) and increase blood urea nitrogen levels many times over, which increases the load on the liver and kidneys. A lack of cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) and folic acid in the body leads to the development of Addison-Birmer disease (megablast anemia) with numerous neurological manifestations.
Diagnosis of low stomach acid
With a certain symptomatic similarity with hyperacidity, the diagnosis of low stomach acidity often leads to an erroneous diagnosis. According to some reports, this occurs in 10-15% of cases in patients under 40-50 years of age and in at least half of the cases in patients over 60-65 years of age.
To detect pathology, blood tests are necessary: biochemical, for antibodies to Helicobacter Pylori, for PgII (pepsinogen level) and serum gastrin, for residual urea nitrogen. To confirm Helicobacter pylori infection, aerotesting is carried out - the composition of the air exhaled by the patient is examined for the presence of ammonia.
Differential Diagnosis
Particularly important in gastroenterology is differential diagnosis, since many diseases do not have specific symptoms. For example, in elderly patients with low stomach acid, fatigue after eating is attributed to old age, and rectal itching is often diagnosed as hemorrhoids.
How to distinguish the increased acidity of the stomach from the lowered one?
Let's start with the fact that pure water is taken as a neutral pH indicator - a hydrogen indicator (H + level in solution): pH - 7.0. By the way, the pH of human blood plasma is normally 7.35-7.45.
The higher the pH, the lower the acidity and vice versa.
When measuring pH on an empty stomach in the lumen of his body and on the mucous membranes of a given localization, the physiological norm of acidity is below 2.0. And the pH for gastric juice is normally 1.0-2.0. And these are the most favorable "working conditions" for the gastric enzyme pepsin.
If the pH exceeds 4-4.5, that is, pH> 4-4.5, the acidity of the stomach is considered low.
It should be noted that all medical textbooks indicate the rate of acidity of the antrum in a very wide range: from pH 1.3 to pH 7.4. The theoretically possible minimum of stomach acidity is 8.3. And the max level is considered to be a pH of about 0.9.
Treatment of low stomach acid
The medical notion of a wider prevalence of hyperacidity of the stomach and errors in diagnosis lead to the fact that patients are prescribed certain drugs that cannot be used with low acidity.
Thus, the treatment of low acidity of the stomach excludes the use of drugs such as Almagel (Alumag, Maalox, Gastal and other trade names) - this is an antacid that neutralizes the hydrochloric acid of gastric juice. All antacids only exacerbate the problem, but they are actively marketed as universal remedies for heartburn.
It is contraindicated to treat low acidity with Omez antisecretory agents (Omeprazole, Omitox, Gastrozol, etc.), as well as Controloc drugs (Pantoprazole, Sanpraz, Nolpaza), which are proton pump inhibitors (for a proton pump, see earlier - in the section Pathogenesis of low stomach acid ).
Bismuth antiulcer drugs - De-Nol (Gastro-norm) and Bismofalk are not a means of drug therapy for this pathology.
Is it possible to increase the secretion of hydrochloric acid and how to increase the low acidity of the stomach? Given the complexity of the process and the polyetiology of its disorders in gastroenterology, the simplest way to solve the problem is used - it is recommended to take HCl preparations and enzyme drugs that compensate for the lack of endogenous digestive enzymes.
So hydrochloric acid - a solution of hydrochloric acid - is taken with meals at a dosage determined by the doctor based on the results of the examination. Natural canned gastric juice (of animal origin) is also taken during the meal - a tablespoon up to three times during the day. In the same way and in the same dosage, it is supposed to take Pepsin (powder for dissolution in water) or liquid Pepsidil.
The enzyme preparation Oraza (in the form of granules) helps digestion, which is recommended to be taken with meals or immediately after it three times a day - a teaspoonful. Treatment can be carried out within a month. When using this remedy, diarrhea may become worse.
Pangrol (analogues - Pantsitrat, Festal, Creon, Mezim) based on the digestive enzyme pancreatin is taken one to two capsules before meals. The drug can cause nausea and intestinal disorders, but long-term use is fraught with an increase in the content of uric acid in the blood and urine.
Means that increase the acidity of the stomach are few. For example, to activate the secretion of gastric juice, bitterness is used - tincture of wormwood (15-20 drops 20 minutes before meals). Drops of Aristochol can be prescribed (20-25 drops three times a day, after meals).
Means Cytoflavin (succinic acid + vitamins) is recommended to be taken 30 minutes before meals - one or two tablets twice a day. If there are no problems with kidney stones, you can use the complex of vitamins and minerals Calcemin - once a day, one tablet. It is also advisable to take vitamins B1, B9, B12, PP.
How to improve low stomach acid?
Pay attention to foods that increase the acidity of the stomach. These nutritionists include: all vegetables and fruits with a high content of ascorbic acid (vitamin C); ginger root (in the form of warm ginger tea, which also helps reduce intestinal bloating) fermented vegetables (sauerkraut - as an appetizer, 100 g is enough before the main course); everything is sour milk.
You can increase the intake of zinc, which is necessary for the production of HCl in the stomach, by eating pumpkin seeds, potatoes, beans, peanuts, cheeses, whole grain cereals and bread, brown rice. And to improve the absorption of zinc, take vitamins C, E, B6 and magnesium.
What can alternative treatment of low stomach acid offer? Apple cider vinegar (a tablespoon in a glass of water, taken half an hour before meals); freshly squeezed juice from white cabbage (in half with water) - twice a day, 100 ml; a decoction of rose hips (no more than 300 ml per day)), as well as drinking water before meals with the addition of lemon juice.
But a decoction of oats, as well as flax seed, despite the presence of omega acids in it, are not used in the treatment of low acidity. And to provide the body with omega-3 fatty acids, it is better to take fish oil capsules (1 capsule once a day).
The herbal treatment practiced in folk medicine with a decrease in the level of hydrochloric acid in gastric juice is carried out using fresh dandelion and plantain leaves, which are recommended to be added to food (without heat treatment).
The collection of herbs for this pathology includes the same plantain leaves, coriander fruits; leaves of trifoli, gentian, silvery cinquefoil, gravel, as well as chamomile (flowers). The mixture for preparing a decoction should contain the same amount of all ingredients, for example, three tablespoons. For a decoction, a tablespoon of the mixture is taken per 0.5 liter of water, boiled for 15 minutes, then infused, filtered and topped up with boiled water to the original volume. It is recommended to use in between meals throughout the day - 100-150 ml. After a three-week course, you need to take a break for a week.
You can also drink a decoction of dandelion roots, which are dug up in early autumn, peeled, finely chopped and dried. Brew at the rate of a teaspoon per glass of boiling water, drink a day in several doses.
Prevention
To date, the prevention of hypochlorhydria is to reduce the diet of animal proteins (which are poorly digested with low acidity) and replace them with vegetable proteins from legumes, as well as reducing or eliminating sugar. There should be enough fiber in here.
The recommendations of nutritionists to ensure proper digestion come down to the rejection of food containing preservatives and other additives, and the transition to a separate diet. That is, carbohydrates should not be consumed along with proteins (it is better to eat meat with vegetables that do not contain starches), and fruits are consumed separately, and not during the main meal.
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In the human stomach, the normal environment is acidic. This is due to the presence of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Its volume is very small - 0.5% of the total volume of gastric juice, but it is its presence that helps the human body to digest food normally, disinfecting various pathogens that enter the gastrointestinal tract along with it.
Diagnostics
If the acidity of the stomach is increased or decreased, this can lead not only to rather unpleasant sensations, but also to provoke the development of serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, such as gastritis, inflammation of the esophageal mucosa, gastric or duodenal ulcers, various functional disorders of the digestive system. That is why it is very important to notice in a timely manner when acidity changes in order to be able to normalize the acid balance of the stomach, until these disturbances become persistent and lead to illness.
Kinds
Physicians conditionally divide acidity into two types - basal and stimulated. Basal acidity is determined with an empty stomach, in a hungry state of the patient. Stimulated acidity is an indicator of the acid content in the gastric juice during the work of the stomach or when it is stimulated with special medications.
Of course, accurate indicators of acidity can only be obtained in the laboratory conditions of the clinic, but if for some reason a visit to the doctor is postponed, you can try to make sure that the acid balance is disturbed at home. You should not just forget that, firstly, this will require a certain amount of time and patience, and secondly, that the results of home observations will be very approximate.
Symptoms
Symptoms of high acidity:
- Heartburn that occurs almost immediately after eating;
- Burning pains in the region of the stomach;
- Frequent constipation;
- Feeling of heaviness in the stomach;
- Rejection of sour food;
- Coppery taste in the mouth in the morning (sometimes this taste can be caused by a large amount of protein food);
- Belching with an unpleasant sour taste;
- Stomach pain or nausea after taking certain anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or diclofenac.
These symptoms become pronounced already when the level of hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice rises regularly and the gastric mucosa has already undergone some changes.
Symptoms of low acidity:
- Constant rumbling in the stomach;
- Flatulence;
- Bloating
- Taste of metal in the mouth;
- Anemia;
- Loss of appetite;
- Fragility of hair and nail plates;
- Belching with putrid smell;
- Nausea after eating;
- Smell from the mouth;
- Indigestion up to diarrhea;
- Lack of vitamins;
- Heaviness in the stomach immediately after eating.
Decreased acidity can lead to much more severe health consequences than increased acidity. The thing is that with such a disorder, food is absorbed very poorly and the body does not receive all the nutrients it needs for normal life, which can result in various metabolic disorders.
Is it possible to determine the level of acidity at home empirically?
- The first method is "litmus".
Hold a litmus test on your tongue an hour before meals. If the indicator turns pink or red, the acidity is most likely increased. Blue color - low acidity. If the acidity level is normal, neutral, the indicator will be purple. This experiment is performed several times to exclude a random result.
- The second way is with soda.
In the morning on an empty stomach, drink 1/4 tsp in one gulp. soda dissolved in a glass of cold water. If after a few minutes belching does not appear, it is likely that the acidity of gastric juice is increased.
Of course, the methods are folk and, at least, very approximate. Moreover, many doctors believe that both of the above methods for determining the level of acidity at home do not carry any useful information at all. By applying litmus paper to the tongue, the acidity level is determined, rather, saliva, and not gastric juice.
As for testing with a soda solution, the acid that causes belching is constantly present in the stomach and its level fluctuates slightly. For example, if overeating or a long feast took place the day before, including heavy festive dishes, then a little more acid will be released to digest the food received than usual.
Accurate data on the level of acidity of your stomach, the state of the gastrointestinal tract can only be found out with the help of modern laboratory studies in a clinic or hospital.
The most common methods today are:
- Endoscopic examination with a probe, as a result of which a stimulated level of acidity is established;
- Daily pH-metry (the study is also conducted at night) allows you to see the most accurate results;
- sounding;
- Laboratory express research, the result of which can be obtained immediately.
Each of these procedures is carried out in a clinic and in the presence of a qualified health worker. All other methods (including home methods) can only suggest a problem at best.
Comments:
- How is the process of digestion
- How to determine the acidity of the stomach
- Symptoms of acid imbalance
- How to restore balance with high acidity
- Nutrition with low acidity
Most diseases of the digestive system begin to develop when it is increased or decreased - how to find out its level, what methods exist for determining it. The answers to these questions will appear as you read this information.
How is the process of digestion
In the process of digestion of food, the main role is played by gastric juice, which consists of hydrochloric acid, hormones, a number of enzymes and other substances that break down food. It looks like a colorless liquid with particles of mucus, sometimes giving a pearly hue.
Hydrochloric acid is the most important component of gastric juice, the state of the acidic environment depends on it. It protects the body from pathogenic bacteria, helps the process of digestion.
In addition to hydrochloric acid, other substances are involved in the process of digestion:
- pepsins that break down proteins;
- lipase, which breaks down fats;
- enzyme factor Castle, activating vitamin B12;
- bicarbonates, mucin (mucus), which protect the epithelium of the stomach from the effects of acidic enzymes.
Different parts of the internal epithelium of the digestive organs secrete juice with a heterogeneous content of hydrochloric acid, which affects digestion in different ways. Primarily, food is processed by saliva in the oral cavity, then the food bolus passes through the esophagus and enters the acidic environment of the stomach.
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How to determine the acidity of the stomach
Since the acidic environment directly affects the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, it is necessary to periodically determine the percentage of hydrochloric acid. In other words, you need to check for low acidity or high. There are several ways to determine the acidity of the stomach:
- laboratory examination using probing;
- examination using a special acid test;
- determination by the characteristic reactions of the body to food intake;
- determination using litmus paper.
A probing examination is performed using a thick and thin probe. A thin probe examines the activity of the secretion of the digestive organs, the level of their acidic environment. His testimony is considered accurate, without any doubt.
But about the data obtained using a thick probe, doctors have disagreements. The essence of the method is to study the quality of digestion of food eaten by the patient at dinner, standard for this procedure (buckwheat or rice with raisins). There is an opinion that such probing can give an inaccurate picture of the patient's health status, taking into account the individual characteristics of its secretion.
The normal content of hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice of a healthy body is considered to be a value from 0.4 to 0.5%. The indicator of the norm of acid-base balance is 1.5-2 pH, the minimum number is 0.83 pH, the maximum is 8.3 pH.
Another type of examination - acidotest, is carried out using a complex of drugs, consisting of pills and tablets.
The test begins with the emptying of the bladder. The patient is given to take pills, after an hour the first portion of urine is taken, then the patient is given a dragee, after one and a half hours the second portion of urine is taken. Both portions are examined using the colorimetric scale attached to the test.
Such a survey allows you to see only an indirect picture of the state of the acidic environment of the digestive organs, it has a certain error in the accuracy of the results. Therefore, modern medicine does not use it often and, as a rule, uses it only to clarify a previously established diagnosis.
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Symptoms of acid imbalance
Next, we will consider how to determine the acidity of the stomach on our own, without exposing your body to a laboratory examination. To do this, you need to analyze your own feelings before and after eating. Characteristic signs of increased acid content are:
- feeling of heartburn, heaviness after eating;
- burning pain in the esophagus when the food bolus moves;
- belching with acidic contents, constipation;
- sometimes gag reflex with mucus or bile;
- pain spasms between meals;
- development of gastritis, peptic ulcer.
A low level of acidity in the gastrointestinal tract is determined by the following symptoms:
- belching with an unpleasant smell of rotten eggs from the oral cavity;
- lack of appetite, feeling of nausea in between meals;
- manifestation of dyspepsia, flatulence, grumbling, bloating;
- prolonged pain, heaviness after eating;
- rash of acne on the face, dry skin, hairline;
- reduced immunity, iron taste in the mouth;
- development of beriberi, anemia.
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How to restore balance with high acidity
An increase in the amount of acid secreted by the digestive organs is a consequence of the use of spicy, fatty, acidic foods and the habit of haphazardly, abundantly eating in a hurry.
Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to restore the diet and return to a healthy menu.
To restore the pH balance, you need to give up acidic and spicy foods, excessive consumption of coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, sweets, citrus fruits. Harmful to the organs that digest food, snacking at night. Symptoms of increased acidity, as a rule, are observed in those people for whom stress and anxiety are a frequent occurrence.
In order to fully restore the normal state of the acidic environment of the digestive organs, it is worth accustoming yourself to strict adherence to several rules in nutrition:
- give preference to food boiled or steamed;
- finely chop foods for your menu, and chew pieces of food for a long time;
- refuse too hot and cold food, eat it warm;
- eat only fresh products without preservatives and spices.
The main part of the diet should be lean meat soups (rabbit, turkey, veal) and milk porridge. From cereals, preference is given to rice, oatmeal, semolina, they envelop the mucous layer of the epithelium, protecting it from corrosive acid-containing enzymes. Milk well neutralizes the acidic environment. Kefir, cottage cheese, low-fat cheese can also be consumed.
Vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, potatoes) are best boiled or stewed. From fruits, you should choose not very acidic types and varieties. It is useful to cook kissels, soothing drinks, decoctions of oatmeal, flaxseeds, infusions of blackberries, mint, lemon balm. Borjomi mineral water creates a good balance.
Bread is best eaten in the form of dried toast. Eat eggs soft-boiled, and homemade - raw. The protein of a raw chicken egg, drunk chilled, has an enveloping effect half an hour before a meal. This reduces pain after eating, inhibits the release of acid by epithelial cells.
It is good to reduce the high level of acid content in raw potato juice:
- rub the young potato with the skin;
- squeeze the juice through gauze or a sieve;
- take half an hour before meals, 50 ml three times a day;
- the portion is gradually increased to 150 ml;
- the course of treatment lasts 1 month.
Modern society is distinguished by a rather fast-paced lifestyle, the result of which is an irregular diet, leading to numerous problems in the work of the digestive organs.
In particular, there were numerous complaints of patients about heartburn, stomach pain. As a rule, these problems are associated with insufficient or increased concentration of hydrochloric acid, which is part of the gastric juice. For the normal functioning of the stomach and the digestive system as a whole, a certain set of enzymes is required. The main one responsible for the general condition of the digestive tract is pepsin, which can only be produced normally in an acidic environment.
However, for the rest of the digestive system to function properly, the acid must be neutralized. That is why the human stomach is divided into two sections: acid-forming and neutralizing. If there is dysfunction of one of the sections of the stomach, then the entire process of digestion can be disrupted. Next, we will talk about what methods will help determine the level of acidity, and tell you how you can regulate it.
What is stomach acidity and its types
Fundic glands are responsible for the secretion of gastric secretions. Their functioning is constant, with a permanent intensity. If the cells of the fundic gland die off or their number increases, the entire digestive system comes into a state of dysfunction. In other words, the patient has an increased or decreased acidity.
According to what time of day the level of acid balance in the gastrointestinal tract is determined, two types of stomach acidity are distinguished:
- Basal, which is determined on an empty stomach.
- Stimulated, developed after a special breakfast with the use of acidic foods (for example, sauerkraut or sour juice, as well as other foods that can provoke heartburn). To determine the stimulated acidity of gastric juice, some special medications are also used.
What acidity of the stomach is considered normal
To understand what level of acidity is considered normal and which is elevated, we suggest that you consider the table below for greater clarity.
Signs of low acidity
Signs of low stomach acid occur when the cells of the fundic glands die. With a decrease in their number, the fundic glands of the stomach gradually die off, which entails the development of a rather serious disease, such as atrophic gastritis, which entails such unpleasant consequences as the formation of malignant cancer cells on the gastric mucosa. In such cases, constant monitoring by a specialized specialist (gastroenterologist) is recommended.
The level of acidity in the stomach increases with a balanced diet. The diet of such a patient should be rich in vitamin-containing foods, proteins of animal and vegetable origin. You can independently understand and determine the signs of low acidity by the following symptoms:
- A foul, putrid odor from the mouth, reminiscent of the smell of a rotten egg.
- Heartburn, problems with stools, increased gas formation, diarrhea, pain in the intestines, bloating and other malfunctions in the digestive tract.
- The presence of undigested food fragments in the stool.
- General weakness and decreased activity, lethargy, drowsiness, hypotension and weight loss.
If a person observes one or more of the symptoms described above, then we can safely say that this is increased acidity. All of them are provoked by the fact that gastric juice does not have strong enough properties to destroy the pathogenic microflora in the stomach cavity. As a result, the protein that enters the stomach with food is not completely digested, and its residues, interacting with pathogens, begin to ferment, causing all the same heartburn, bloating and flatulence.
In addition, the absorption of other components useful for the human body (vitamins, minerals) is significantly reduced, which leads to dry skin, fatigue, brittle hair and nails, acne, anemia due to iron deficiency. By observing your body, you will understand whether a doctor's consultation is necessary.
Signs of hyperacidity
If with reduced acidity one can observe the death of cells of the fundic glands, then increased acidity, on the contrary, occurs with excessive formation of these cells. In the case when the acidity of the stomach is increased, the disease is accompanied by such unpleasant factors as:
- Burning in the throat and chest area, heartburn.
- A bitter taste that accompanies belching, which can occur not only after eating, but throughout the day.
- Cutting or aching pain in the stomach, in the right hypochondrium and intestines.
It should be noted that in both cases (with increased and decreased acidity), self-diagnosis is subjective, and only a gastroenterologist can make an accurate diagnosis after conducting the necessary laboratory tests.
Clinical methods for determining acidity
One of the most optimal and common today methods for measuring the level of acidity in the stomach can be called intragastric pH-metry (popularly known as probing). For its implementation, a special apparatus is used - an acid gastrometer, which is equipped with several sensors that measure acidity directly in the stomach area, in a natural environment. The device allows you to examine each section of the stomach separately, which makes it possible to diagnose probable diseases with maximum accuracy.
There are several types of intragastric pH-metry:
- Short-term, known to us as sounding. A special tube with sensors is inserted into the stomach cavity, which are aimed at determining the acid balance. This examination is carried out within a few hours.
- Daily. The study of gastric juice in this case is carried out during the day, including at night, when the production of hydrochloric acid is most actively produced by the body.
- Express method. All actions in this case are similar to those described above, but the study is performed within half an hour.
- Endoscopic. In this case, artificial stimulation of gastric secretion is performed, based on the results, the level of pH indicators is examined.
The aspiration diagnostic method is also used. To conduct such an analysis, the contents of the stomach are taken (probing is also necessary for this procedure). This method differs from the one described above in that the result of such a study may be distorted, since during the sampling process the contents from different parts of the stomach are mixed. Based on the diagnosis, the gastroenterologist determines the methods of therapy aimed at increasing or decreasing the level of acidity in the stomach. If it is lowered, the gastroenterologist prescribes drugs and a special diet that increase the pH level.