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- What is a hydrochloric?
- symptoms
- Causes and risk factors
- Multiples
- Diagnosis
- treatment
- protection
What is a hydrochloric? It is a condition that occurs when there is a deficiency of hydrochloric acids in the stomach.
Stomach acid is important for activating digestive enzymes and killing bacteria, viruses and parasites in the stomach, but this condition slows down the digestive process as without acid the body will not be able to properly break down protein, which increases the risk of stomach infections.
In general, if achlorhydria is left untreated, there may be serious complications, such as: damage to the digestive system.
Read on to find out more details on this topic:
Symptoms of achlorhydria
One of the most prominent symptoms of achlorhydria is iron deficiency anemia. Without stomach acid, the body will face some difficulties in absorbing iron, vitamins and other minerals, and the doctor often checks for other symptoms accompanying them, which are as follows:
- Pain in the upper abdomen, below the ribs and above the stomach.
- flatulence;
- difficulty swallowing;
- Indigestion.
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- acid reflux
- heartburn.
- Digestive problems.
- diarrhea.
- constipation;
- Weak and brittle nails.
- hair loss;
- Undigested food in the stool.
- Feeling full faster than usual after eating.
Causes and risk factors of achlorhydria
Achlorhydria affects both men and women equally, and it may occur at any age but is more common in the elderly.
There are many causes and factors that may increase the risk of infection, including the following:
1. Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism significantly slows down the metabolism, which in turn leads to decreased production of stomach acid.
2. Medicines
Although antacids and proton-pump inhibitor-PPIs help relieve acidity and indigestion, both drugs reduce stomach acid, so too much of them prevents the body from producing stomach acids, which leads to infection. With no hydrochloric.
3. Helicobacter pylori infection
H. pylori infection often causes peptic ulcers, so if left untreated, it may reduce stomach acid production, which in turn increases the risk of AHC.
4. Autoimmune disorders
Some autoimmune disorders, such as: atrophic gastritis, greatly affect the production of stomach acids, and this may be one of the causes and factors that increase the risk of developing achlorhydria.
5. Surgery
Weight loss procedures such as gastric bypass surgery reduce the size of the stomach and change the way the body deals with food, and often when stomach function changes dramatically, this leads to reduced production of stomach acid, which can lead to achlorhydria.
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Complications of hydrochloric acid
Without adequate stomach acid, some serious complications may occur, which include:
- Bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.
- stomach cancer.
- Increased incidence of fractures due to vitamin D and calcium deficiency.
- Malabsorption, a condition in which the small intestine is prevented from absorbing nutrients from foods, as a lack of these nutrients leads to many problems, such as:
- Arm and leg weakness.
- Tingling or numbness in the fingers and toes.
- memory loss.
- Vision changes.
- hallucinations;
Diagnosis of achlorhydria
Achlorhydria is diagnosed through the following tests, which include:
1. Physical examination
The doctor begins by ascertaining the symptoms that the patient suffers from, and checking the medical history, as he may have a history of the following symptoms:
- acid reflux
- Abdominal pain and bloating.
- Increased bowel movement.
- Digestive problems.
- Weight loss.
- Signs or symptoms of malnutrition.
2. Intrinsic factor antibody test
It is a test that measures antibodies to intrinsic factor, a protein produced by parietal cells responsible for hydrochloric acid. Some people suffer from pernicious anemia, which stimulates the body to produce antibodies that attack parietal cells and block the production of intrinsic factor.
3. Gastric biopsy
A tube containing a small camera is inserted through the mouth and into the stomach to take a biopsy of stomach tissue, so this examination may reveal whether the patient has gastritis, H. pylori infection, or stomach cancer.
4. Stomach acid test
The patient is injected with gastrin, a hormone that stimulates the production of stomach acid, and then a tube is inserted through the mouth or nose to take a sample to be examined and to confirm whether the patient has achlorhydria or not.
5. Serum gastrin test
Elevated gastrin levels in a blood test indicate the presence of achlorhydria.
6. Serum pepsinogen test
Low levels of pepsinogen may indicate achlorhydria, as this substance is secreted in the stomach and converted to the enzyme pepsin by stomach acid.
7. Other examinations
The doctor performs some other tests to measure stomach acid levels and to confirm whether the patient has achlorhydria or not, through blood tests, such as: a complete blood count to check for certain types of anemia that may lead to low acid levels stomach.
Achlorhydria treatment
Treatment of achlorhydria depends on the cause, such as:
- Take antibiotics to treat H. pylori infection.
- Changing acid medications, such as proton pump inhibitors, to relieve symptoms of acid reflux and to prevent AHC from being stimulated.
In general, it is recommended to consult a doctor to find the main cause of the achlorhydria and to prescribe the appropriate treatment to prevent the exacerbation of the disease and complications.
Prevention of achlorhydria
There are some methods that help prevent achlorhydria, which are:
- Improving the health system and treatment with effective antibiotics that reduce the risk of developing atrophic gastritis and autoimmune inflammation, as they are mainly responsible for achlorhydria.
- Minimizing gastric surgery. Reducing the number of surgeries for stomach ulcers helps prevent AHC.
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