Hydrochloric Acid in Stomach

The stomach is the organ that is an important part of the digestive system. This is the organ that is responsible for digesting the food that is carried from the mouth to the stomach through the esophagus. The enzymes that are present in the stomach which digest the food require an acidic pH to function properly. This is where the hydrochloric acid comes into play. The main function of hydrochloric acid in stomach is to provide an optimum pH for normal functioning of the enzymes present there. For example, hydrochloric acid helps convert pepsinogen to pepsin, which is responsible for breaking down proteins in the stomach.

How Does the Stomach Prevent Itself from Digestion?
Did you know that the pH concentration of hydrochloric acid in stomach is as low as 1 to 2? This pH is low enough to melt solid metal! So how does the stomach protect itself from self digestion? Well, the stomach protects itself from the strong acid as there is secretion of a thick mucus protective layer which prevents the acid from harming the cells of the stomach. Furthermore, sodium bicarbonate buffering aids in preventing damage to the cells of the stomach.

Low Hydrochloric Acid
As mentioned earlier, the hydrochloric acid in the stomach has many important functions, and thus, when there is decreased secretion of it, it leads to many problems. Decreased production of hydrochloric acid is known as hypochlorhydria, whereas complete absence of hydrochloric acid is known a achlorhydria. This decreased production of hydrochloric acid can occur due to vitamin and nutrient deficiency. There are many symptoms of low hydrochloric acid in the stomach, like offensive smelling stool (due to the presence of undigested food), delayed gastric emptying, upper abdominal bloating and general flatulence, drowsiness after meal, frequent hunger pangs, etc. Furthermore, a decrease in the levels of gastric acid also lead to increased susceptibility to infections of the gastrointestinal tract, as the hydrochloric acid also the property of being a disinfectant. Thus, all these symptoms point towards decreased secretion and production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. The treatment for hypochlorhydria or achlorhydria involves including food items that will either assist in the digestion process or will stimulate the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. These food items include cayenne pepper, vinegar, digestive enzyme supplements, etc.

Too Much Hydrochloric Acid
Excess amounts of hydrochloric acid in the stomach can lead to a lot of health problems. This condition arises in certain diseases like Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and hypercalcemia. Excess of gastric acid occurs when there are increased gastrin levels, which is responsible for instigating the cells into secreting more gastric acid. This condition leads to symptoms like stomach aches and stomach ulcers. Furthermore, other stomach acid symptoms include pain in the stomach due to the presence of excessive acid, which makes the person lose his or her appetite. Eating spicy food also further aggravates the pain in such cases. For stomach acid relief, the treatment is to take antacids, either in the form of solutions or drugs and medicines. However, for cases where there is persistent over secretion of hydrochloric acid, it is best to consult a doctor and get the condition properly diagnosed and treated.

Although it is very rare that there are problems related to the levels of secretion of the acid, if they do occur, it is best to visit a doctor and get the condition treated at the earliest, so as to prevent any further complications.