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Gastric acid is one of the substances that play an important role in the digestive process. But if the levels are excessive or too little, stomach acid can cause various health problems.
Indigestion, such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloating, are some of the health problems that can arise due to abnormal stomach acid levels. If it is allowed to drag on without handling, the condition can cause serious diseases that are potentially life-threatening.
What Is Gastric Acid?
Gastric acid plays an important role in the digestive process. Without stomach acid or if the levels in the stomach are low, the body cannot absorb nutrients from food.
In addition to its role in the digestive process, stomach acid also functions to neutralize enzymes and kill harmful germs that may be present in food.
Therefore, it is important to ensure that stomach acid levels are according to the body's needs. If the amount is excessive or too little, various health problems can arise.
Causes of High Stomach Acid
One of the causes of high stomach acid is a stomach disorder called a hiatus hernia. This occurs when the upper part of the abdomen and LES move above the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the stomach from your chest. Usually, the diaphragm helps maintain acid in our stomach. But if you have a hiatus hernia, acid can rise into the esophagus and cause symptoms of stomach acid to rise.
How does stomach acid rise into the esophagus?
At the entrance to your stomach is a valve, which is a muscle ring called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Usually, LES closes as soon as the food passes it.
If LES does not close all the way or if it opens too often, the acid produced by your stomach can move up into the esophagus. This can cause symptoms such as burning chest pain called heartburn.
If the symptoms of stomach acid occur more than twice a week, you have high stomach acid disease, also known as gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) disease.
Danger of stomach acid if too little
When the body does not produce enough stomach acid, or in medical terms is called hypochloridia, the symptoms that will appear are:
- Bloated
- Burp often
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain or heartburn
- Nausea and vomiting
- The body feels weak
- Frequent exhaustion of the wind
In addition, the lack of stomach acid in the long term can also cause nutritional problems, such as lack of certain vitamins, minerals or proteins. This is because the lack of stomach acid causes these nutrients not to be digested properly by the body.
Dangers of Gastric Acid if Too Much
Conversely, if the stomach acid level is too high, there are various disorders that can occur, namely:
1. Heartburn
Heartburn is a painful sensation in the chest and upper abdomen, which usually feels more severe when lying down or bending. This condition is the effect of stomach acid that rises into the esophagus, and can indicate the presence of gastric ulcers.
If complaints of heartburn only occur occasionally, generally no special treatment is needed. But if heartburn often occurs, it feels heavy and radiates to the jaw, neck, or arms, it requires examination and treatment from a doctor.
2. Broken teeth
Gastric acid or gastric fluid that rises into the esophagus and mouth can erode tooth enamel (the outermost layer of the tooth). As a result, the teeth become damaged. Without routine dental examinations, usually people do not realize that their teeth are damaged until the damage is severe.
3. Respiratory problems
Gastric acid can also aggravate asthma or pneumonia to cause shortness of breath. This can occur if stomach acid rises into the esophagus accidentally into the throat while breathing, and enters the lungs.
4. GERD or gastric acid disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD is a chronic digestive disease that occurs when stomach acid or fluid and stomach contents rise back into the esophagus, which irritates the esophagus wall.
GERD is characterized by heartburn that appears more than twice a week. The danger of this stomach acid can be treated by living a healthy lifestyle, staying away from coffee and alcohol consumption, quitting smoking, and taking stomach acid relief drugs. In certain cases, GERD needs to be treated with surgery.
5. Inflammation of the esophagus
Gastric acid that rises back into the esophagus (GERD) can cause irritation to the walls of the esophagus. This irritation then triggers inflammation of the esophagus or commonly called esophagitis.
6. Barrett esophagus
If not treated for years, stomach acid that continues to rise into the esophagus has the potential to cause Barrett's esophagus. The danger of stomach acid is this one is a serious complication of GERD disease.
In the Barrett's esophagus, damage to the esophagus connects the mouth to the stomach. This disease has no specific symptoms, and the symptoms that appear are usually related or similar to GERD. The main danger of Barrett's esophagus is the occurrence of esophageal cancer.
To keep the stomach acid levels balanced, make it a habit to eat on a regular schedule. In addition, avoid eating too fast and immediately lie down after eating, so that stomach acid does not rise.
If complaints of digestive disorders related to stomach acid are often felt, or stomach acid disorders cause severe abdominal pain, the color of black stool, vomiting of blood, or difficulty swallowing, immediately consult a doctor to get an examination and treatment.
