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A lack of hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach is one of the most common age-related causes of a harmed digestive system. [6] Among men and women, 27% experience a varying degree of achlorhydria. US researchers found that over 30% of women and men over the age of 60 have little to no acid secretion in the stomach.
Symptoms are not specific, and diagnosis can be difficult unless patients present with clear indications for blood gas sampling. Symptoms may include palpitations, headache, altered mental status such as severe anxiety due to hypoxia, decreased visual acuity, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, altered appetite and weight gain, muscle weakness, bone pain, and joint pain.
Cancer of the stomach is difficult to cure unless it is found at an early stage (before it has begun to spread). Unfortunately, because early stomach cancer causes few symptoms, the disease is usually advanced when the diagnosis is made. [80] Treatment for stomach cancer may include surgery, [81] chemotherapy, [13] or radiation therapy. [82]
Antacids are a common treatment for mild to medium gastritis. [29] When antacids do not provide enough relief, medications such as H 2 blockers and proton-pump inhibitors that help reduce the amount of acid are often prescribed. [29] [30] Cytoprotective agents are designed to help protect the tissues that line the stomach and small intestine. [31]
Another test that can be conducted is the secretin stimulated test, [6] which is useful in patients who have the sign and symptoms of gastrinoma but the gastrin levels are below < 1000 pg/mL. Usually, an Intravenous bolus consisting of secretin 2mcg/kg and is measured in 10 minute intervals up to 30 minutes total.
As a result, the stomach's secretion of essential substances such as hydrochloric acid, pepsin, and intrinsic factor is impaired, leading to digestive problems. The most common are pernicious anemia possibly leading to vitamin B 12 deficiency ; and malabsorption of iron, leading to iron deficiency anaemia . [ 2 ]
The proton pump is the terminal stage in gastric acid secretion, being directly responsible for secreting H + ions into the gastric lumen, making it an ideal target for inhibiting acid secretion. [ citation needed ] Because the H,K-ATPase is the final step of acid secretion, an inhibitor of this enzyme is more effective than receptor ...
Abdominal pain, also known as a stomach ache, is a symptom associated with both non-serious and serious medical issues. Since the abdomen contains most of the body's vital organs, it can be an indicator of a wide variety of diseases.