How to increase and decrease stomach acidity at home

What are you allowed to eat?

This can be any lean fish, poultry or meat. It is best to boil or bake, and only in rare cases is it allowed to fry or stew without using breading in the form of crackers or flour.

It can be almost any soup: from cereals or vegetables, mushroom, fish or meat.

It is also recommended to eat cereals and pasta, preferably made from durum wheat. Choose any fresh lactic acid products: cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, fermented baked milk, kefir and others. However, milk can only be added to cereals, but you cannot drink it in its pure form.

Salty, fried and spicy foods are prohibited for you. You will have to give up canned meat or fish, forget about white bread and any other baked goods. The doctor will definitely advise you to quit smoking and not indulge in strong alcoholic drinks.

By the way, you should eat by chewing your food thoroughly, making sure it is not too hot or cold.

Proper nutrition

To maintain the acid-base balance, it is necessary not only to take the medicine, but also to follow the doctor’s recommendations on diet. First of all, you should exclude from your diet any product that increases acidity:

• pickles;
• fried food;
• sharp cheeses;
• alcoholic drinks and coffee;
• sour fruits, vegetables, and greens;
• hot sauces and spices;
• fatty, smoked foods;
• dairy products;
• marinades;
• sweet flour.

It is also necessary to limit the consumption of foods rich in fiber, which, although they normalize intestinal function, do not help eliminate the main problem.

Dishes must be steamed or taken boiled. Do not consume very cold or hot drinks or foods. If there is increased secretion of gastric juice, it is advisable to drink freshly prepared carrot juice. It is no less useful to consume milk and cereals based on it, cottage cheese, dark bread, lean meat and fish. Fruits and vegetables should be consumed baked.

What can reduce stomach acidity?

Currently, over fifty different drugs have been developed that affect the level of acidity in your stomach, and not always in a positive way. They exist both in the form of tablets and in the form of intravenous drugs and even in the form of suppositories.

Therefore, the choice of medications should be approached with great caution and not engage in the favorite Russian “fun” - self-prescribing pharmacological drugs.

Some hormonal drugs (glucocorticoids), potassium chloride and iron, spironolactone and reserpine, and diabetes medications can also damage the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum.

The greatest harm to your digestive tract can be caused by antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs, which are probably included in any home medicine cabinet.

In this list, you should definitely note acetylsalicylic acid and all drugs that contain it. Some medications for osteochondrosis and arthritis (indomethacin, ibuprofen, naproxen) are also included in this list.

All these drugs damage the mucous membrane, causing an inflammatory process in it. The result is the appearance of erosion, and then ulcers.

Almost always, such conditions are accompanied by gastritis and ulcers; atypical cells can degenerate into cancerous tumors. Constipation and diarrhea that irritate the rectal mucosa are a sure harbinger of hemorrhoids.

By the way, an excellent course that will help prevent the last disease, that is, hemorrhoids, can be found here: https://stophemorrhoids.ru/

Drugs that reduce the activity of acid-producing cells

Remedies for gastritis with high acidity include medications that reduce the activity of acid-producing cells. Among them are the following groups of drugs:

• alginates;
• antacids.

These medications help quickly block symptoms caused by increased stomach acid. Antacids are substances that can quickly reduce acidity due to their unique properties. They are helping:

• adsorb harmful substances;
• envelop the mucous layer of the organ and the initial segment of the small intestine;
• stimulate the production of bicarbonate, which helps increase mucus secretion, and also reduce the amount of HCl.

This group of drugs is headed by:

• Phosphalugel;
• Rennie;
• Almagel;
• Maalox.

Other representatives of this category are alginates. They are also prescribed for high acidity. Due to their specific structure (high molecular weight polysaccharide), these compounds form a protective barrier on the surface of the stomach. They contribute to:

• adsorption of hydrochloric acid and remove it in bound form;
• protect the mucous membrane of the affected organ from the formation of erosions resulting from the negative effects of HCl;

This class of medications improves local immunity, which helps the body better cope with high concentrations of acid. The group of alginates is represented by:

• Laminal;
• Gaviscon;
• calcium and sodium alginates.

These medications have no contraindications, so they are often prescribed for the treatment of pregnant women. The drugs act very quickly and effectively with increased acid secretion.

How to correct this condition?

Any gastroenterologist will advise you not to use the above medications, but to buy safer analogues. And if possible, replace them with harmless options that traditional medicine offers us.

For example, for a fever, drink warm tea with honey, lemon or medicinal herbs.

Drugs in special capsules or tablets in protective shells also help reduce the negative impact on the mucous membrane.

Low stomach acidity can be corrected with the help of herbal remedies. In this case, there are not many recipes, and they are all based on the use of plant bitterness or such agents that can stimulate the secretion of gastric juice.

Tinctures of the following herbs and their parts help excellently in this matter: aloe, dandelion root, calamus, red rowan and viburnum, eleutherococcus, rose hips and three-leaf watch.

It is useful to drink 2 tablespoons of plantain juice or a third of a glass of cabbage juice half an hour before meals. This course should be continued for a month 3 times a day.

Plant bitters traditionally include peppermint, wormwood and fennel fruits.

Juice from black currants, lingonberries and chokeberries also increases acidity. Raspberry leaf tea also works great.

You are allowed to drink any citrus juice. Chaga mushroom is also used to increase stomach acidity. Some varieties of mineral water are also shown to you, for example, “Essentuki 17”.

Even ordinary honey water can work wonders: stir a teaspoon of this sweet product in half a glass of liquid and drink on an empty stomach.

Try to eat cabbage and beans, meat, butter and honey, any pickled vegetables or fresh cucumbers, grapes and apricots more often. Try making fresh turnip puree, seasoned with any vegetable oil. An excellent dessert for such patients is baked apples.

You can also use alternative medicine methods, for example, su-jok therapy.

On the right hand, about 2 cm below the wrist, you need to find a special point. It is located exactly in the middle. It must be pressed with a special stick or match. You can also get a lasting effect if you glue a couple of rice (or smaller) grains here and secure them with an adhesive plaster.

By pressing on them every hour, or stimulating this point with your finger using circular movements, first clockwise and then counterclockwise, you will quickly reduce pain in the stomach area.

There are also medications to increase acidity. Doctors usually recommend using Plantaglucid and Ortho Taurine Ergo.

Feedback from those who have encountered this condition suggests that this problem is surmountable. Sometimes even simple diet adjustments can help. Stay safe and come back to the pages of this blog again. I will wait for you and look for only the most interesting and important.

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A reduced level of gastric acidity is an unpleasant and even dangerous phenomenon. It is associated with dysfunction and decreased activity of glandular organs that are directly involved in the process of breaking down food. Low activity does not allow them to produce digestive enzymes in sufficient quantities, which reduces the production of hydrochloric acid. And many gastrointestinal diseases are associated with insufficient production of hydrochloric acid.

How to increase stomach acidity at home

Effect of drugs

The functioning of all parts of the stomach consists of processing and assimilation of food. Each organ compartment consists of several cells with multidirectional effects:

• parietal cells that produce hydrochloric acid, which is involved in digestion and disinfection of food;
• the main cells secrete pepsin, which takes an active part in the breakdown of proteins;
• pyloric and endocrine structures of the gastric glands, increasing the formation of acid, as well as stimulating the motility of the organ;
• To neutralize excess HCl, mucus is formed in the cells.

Medicines that reduce stomach acidity have different effects. The main role in increasing acidity is played by HCl. To reduce all the symptoms associated with changes inside the organ, it is necessary, first of all, to slightly slow down the work of the parietal cells. You can also accomplish the task through an inhibitory effect on areas that improve acid secretion.

There are several other mechanisms that can normalize the activity of the gastric glands. You can increase the volume of mucus in the organ, which will bind the already produced hydrochloric acid. This is how acid-regulating drugs work. Moreover, each group has its own special ways of influencing stomach cells. This will be discussed further.

How is stomach acid reduced?

If you understand why this happens, it is probably possible to prevent the process by taking preventive or health measures in a timely manner? Not so simple.

Fermentation slows down due to disruption of the glandular organs, which is, in most cases, a consequence of the generally accepted lifestyle. Yes, a banal disorderly existence, lack of a regime, including food, disruption of the cause-and-effect relationship between work and rest, stress - all this ultimately causes low acidity, which brings discomfort, stomach pain and illness.

Low acidity causes discomfort and abdominal pain

What is acidity as a concept? In relation to the human stomach, this is an indicator of how much acid is contained in the gastric juice. Since this juice is an integral component, or rather even a participant in digestion, acidity is an important indicator of this process.

By the way. If the acidity is neither increased nor decreased, but is normal, the body from the stomach may not be afraid of attacks from microbes and bacteria, since it has protection against them. But if the indicator changes in one direction or another, the entire digestive system can be put under bacterial attack.

Any deviations from normal levels cause pain and various digestive disorders - from minor to those in which food ceases to be digested, for the most part. This means that, to one degree or another, the body does not receive nutrients that should be absorbed from food.

Deviations from normal acidity levels cause pain and various digestive disorders

What happens when there is a lack of essential substances? The immune system weakens. Autoimmune pathologies, anemia and other diseases develop. Also, in such a situation, the risk of stomach and intestinal cancer increases threefold.

Symptoms and causes of low acidity

A number of symptoms indicate that the acidity level is low.

Nagging pain under the ribs

All of these signs can be present in both adults and children. Sometimes, especially in children, an elevated temperature of about 37 degrees is added to the list.

Advice. If you or your child has most of these symptoms, you need to consult a doctor to find out exactly how you can change the acidity, raising it to normal.

There are many factors that cause a decrease in acidity or provoke a process that arose due to other reasons.

Imbalance of nutrition, diet, and consumption of harmful foods.

What are the consequences of eating unhealthy foods?

Long-term use of medications is harmful

If acidity begins to decrease, this triggers other unhealthy processes in the body. The breakdown of proteins, microelements, and fats deteriorates. A deficiency of these substances occurs, which leads to skin rashes, dry skin, thinning hair, layering of nail plates and other problems.

Skin rash due to decreased stomach acidity

Advice. A timely visit to a gastroenterologist will make it possible to begin immediate treatment, which will consist of complex therapy, including taking medications, following a diet and using folk remedies.

Treatment of gastritis with high acidity

The main goal of therapy for gastritis and stomach ulcers is to achieve the destruction of Helicobacter pylori, eliminate the symptoms of pain and heartburn, and reduce stomach acidity.

Useful herbs

A set of herbs from yarrow, St. John's wort and mint helps well with heartburn. Mix in equal proportions and pour boiling water. The infusion is taken orally before meals.

Licorice root treats cough and aggravated gastritis. Grind it, brew it with boiling water and consume a tablespoon daily before meals. The decoction retains its properties when stored in the refrigerator.

Vegetables

For gastritis and stomach ulcers, potato juice helps reduce acidity. Vegetables should be peeled, grated, squeezed out the juice through cheesecloth and taken in the morning before meals. Treatment is carried out for 2 weeks.

Honey

A good folk remedy for treating gastritis is honey. This is a rare product prescribed for gastritis with varying acidity. Honey promotes healing of the mucous membrane and normalizes the production of hydrochloric acid. For a therapeutic effect, a tablespoon dissolved in a glass of warm water is enough.

Diagnostic and therapeutic measures

The disease, even in its advanced form, can be treated at home, but treatment should be started only after consultation with a gastroenterologist, using the means that he prescribes.

Table. Ways to increase stomach acidity.

But before starting treatment, it is necessary to accurately diagnose that acidity is reduced, and not vice versa. To do this, you can use some observations made at home at the initial stage. Then you should consult a doctor for a full diagnosis.

How to understand that acidity is low

If the symptoms described above occur, there is reason to be wary and interested in the level of acidity of your stomach, especially if there are provoking factors in the patient’s life.

True, only a set of symptoms will give a complete picture; if they occur individually, there is a high probability of other pathologies not related to gastric acidity. For example, heartburn or belching in combination with bowel dysfunction can result from poisoning or intestinal disorder. But if belching occurs mainly after eating sour food, is accompanied by an unpleasant nagging sensation of pain under the ribs, if heaviness in the stomach occurs even after eating a small amount of food, and at the same time either diarrhea or constipation periodically occurs, it is worth suspecting low acidity.

You should worry about your health if you experience belching after eating acidic foods.

Important! Determination of gastric acidity in non-clinical conditions is for preliminary and reference purposes only. The results must receive laboratory confirmation after taking the tests prescribed by the doctor.

If you have a group of symptoms and provoking factors, such as long-term abuse of smoking and alcohol, stress, overeating, taking medications, and so on, you can try to understand at what level the acidity is.

Heavy smokers should think about the level of stomach acidity

“Plus” or “minus” is important, because with a pathologically elevated level, the mucous membrane becomes thinner and gastritis and ulcers occur, and with a low level, hydrochloric acid, produced in insufficient quantities, does not destroy bacteria. The entire microflora is disrupted and the immune system suffers.

Low stomach acidity decreases immunity

Methods for independently determining indicators are as follows.

Urine pH litmus test . Special strips with an indicator that changes color when exposed to acid. If the acidity is increased, the indicator turns red; with lower levels, the color goes towards blue. It is better to carry out the test in the morning, somewhere from 9 to 11, before breakfast, that is, the stomach should be empty. This method is considered the most accurate, with the only caveat - the most reliable results can be obtained if you repeat it up to seven days in a row.

With low stomach acidity, the taste of lemon does not seem too rich

By the way. A sign that can be noticed in everyday life. Almost certainly, if you always want something sour - lemons and other citrus fruits, pickles, marinades, unsweetened apples, hot seasonings, as well as black bread, the acidity level is low.

In any case, the knowledge you acquired at home cannot be considered absolute. They are just a reason to visit a doctor, who, using the appropriate tools and methods, will diagnose the problem and prescribe treatment.

Medications

Herbal preparations are the best way to increase acidity. From the pharmacy, these can be tinctures of plants such as calamus, mint, wormwood, fennel. Their effect is to increase the secretion of gastric juice.

Peppermint tincture

Hormonal medications can include Heparin, Histamine and others.

As an emergency measure, to speed up the digestion of food, your doctor may recommend taking a capsule containing hydrochloric acid.

Following a diet is the main basic measure that will help cope with low acidity even without medication. But without following a diet, you will not be able to achieve a persistent increase in acidity with medications alone.

Food should be taken warm and pureed or porridge-like (we are talking about solid food). The ideal side dish is a slimy porridge.

Oatmeal on the water

All products are steamed or boiled only, no frying, and so on. The optimal consistency is soufflé.

Products recommended for low acidity.

1. Fermented milk products, including cottage cheese and hard cheeses.

Eggs, if you cook them soft-boiled or make an omelet.

Cocoa with milk

All marinades, too sweet foods and fruits, fatty foods, legumes, spicy and smoked foods, chocolate and dried fruits are prohibited.

The ideal daily menu to increase acidity:

• curd mousse, tea with honey;
• pumpkin baked with kefir or yogurt;

Pumpkin baked in the oven

Five meals a day, small portions - after a few weeks the acidity will gradually begin to normalize.

Traditional methods

To help the process, you can use traditional methods. There are a lot of them, but discussing the options with your doctor will narrow down the options and allow you to choose the most effective ones.

A tablespoon of carrot juice before meals or the same amount of blackcurrant juice after.

How to drink carrot juice correctly

Rowanberry drink

If the acidity level is reduced, it not only brings inconvenience and discomfort, it deprives a person of a normal life and provokes various diseases. Therefore, having recovered once (increasing acidity, relieving an acute condition), a patient predisposed to a decrease in acidity levels must take preventive measures every 3-4 months, try to constantly maintain a dietary regimen and undergo a maintenance course of traditional medicine.

Drugs that reduce the production of hydrochloric acid by the stomach

How to treat high stomach acidity if you suffer from heartburn? If a medicine from the previous category does not help or the tablets last only a few hours, the gastroenterologist may prescribe drugs that act directly on the cells that produce acid. These drugs include histamine H2 receptor blockers and proton pump inhibitors. These compounds have their own differences in the mechanism of operation:

• blockers (ranitidine, famotidine) act not directly, suppressing the formation of HCl, but through inhibition of the production of histamine, which stimulates acid production;
• the products activate the production of mucus, which helps reduce the aggressive effect of hydrochloric acid on the digestive tract.

As for proton pump inhibitors, their effect goes directly to the last stage of acid production. These medications include:

• Omeprazole;
• Pantoprazole;
• Esomeprazole.

Therapeutic doses of representatives of these groups are enough to reduce acidity, heal ulcers, erosions and inflammation of the mucous membrane. However, not all of the acid is blocked, but only that part that the body’s own defense mechanisms are unable to neutralize.