What Happens When There Is Too Much Acid in the Stomach?

Stomach Acid Serves a Purpose

Many individuals believe that stomach acid is an ever-present source in the human stomach, a pool of caustic liquid that sits waiting for food to arrive. While a very small amount of acid does exist as a residue in the stomach, most acid used in the breaking down of food is produced as it is needed by the digestive system. In a well-adjusted diet, food that enters the stomach has been properly chewed and mixed with saliva which, when coupled with natural enzymes in the food itself, begins the digestive process before the food even travels down the esophagus. This dietary balance does not always exist, however, and the lack of proper pre-digestion can cause overproduction of natural digestive acids.

Acid Is Produce On Demand

When food arrives in the stomach, a number of processes take place. Some of these processes, like the breakdown of simple carbohydrates and the mechanical movements of the stomach, are altogether independent of stomach acid. As digestion advances, however, the stomach produces natural chemicals like carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) to help further break down food; these chemicals immediately combine, and bond with sodium and chlorine particles extracted from the salt in food. After some complex chemical reactions, a form of hydrochloric acid, specially produced to complete the digestion of food, has been created. If the pre-digestion process left too many or too few of the food enzymes intact, however, the amount of acid produced may not be correct for the digestive job at hand; in this event, the individual may be left with too much or too little acid in the stomach.

Too Much Stomach Acid Can Cause Conditions

When too much stomach acid has been produced in the stomach's effort to digest food, that acid can cause a number of uncomfortable conditions. Perhaps the most common of these conditions is gastritis, known to scientists as helicobacter pylori, which is an inflammation of the stomach lining. If the acid begins to eat through the stomach lining, it may cause a gastric ulcer (a condition that can be very painful) and, if left untreated for some time, may even cause stomach cancer. Too much stomach acid can also cause problems with the pancreas, gallbladder, and other digestive components, as well as escape upward and cause erosion of the esophagus.