human stomach

The human stomach is an amazing and very important organ that digests food, but few people know how this process takes place. Together with expert Yulia Esipenko, we will figure out where the stomach is, how it looks and works, why the stomach in men and women can hurt

The stomach is called the speaking organ. After all, he often reminds himself of himself with sounds that are heard even by others – rumbles and gurgles. Through the stomach, many women try to find their way to a man’s heart. And someone unfairly accuses the stomach of its own insatiability.

Have you ever wondered what the capacity limit of your stomach is, how it works in general, why it hurts, and how this pain can backfire on you in the future? We deal with the expert general practitioner and gastroenterologist Yulia Esipenko.

What is important to know about the human stomach

Size	The length of an empty stomach is on average 18-20 cm, moderately full – 24-26 cm.
Volume	Empty – 0,5 l, after eating – from 1,5 to 4 l
How much food can stay in the stomach	30 minutes to 4 hours
How much food can you hold	Up to 3-4 liters
functions	Partial digestion of food, neutralization of bacteria and toxins, breakdown of proteins. Up to 2 liters of gastric juice is secreted per day, which contains enzymes and other substances involved in digestion.

The size of the stomach varies greatly depending on body type and degree of filling. And the fact that the stomach is able to accommodate 4 liters of food (almost the size of a small bucket) does not mean at all that it is designed to digest such volumes.

Where is the human stomach

The stomach is located in the upper part of the abdominal cavity, under the diaphragm and liver, between the esophagus and the duodenum. Three quarters of the stomach are located in the left hypochondrium, one quarter – in the epigastric region.

What does the human stomach look like?

In fact, the stomach is a sac-like extension of the digestive tract, but it does not always look like a sac.

In humans, there are three main shapes and positions of the stomach:

horn or cone (located almost transversely);
“fishing hook”;
“stocking”.

Such forms of the stomach as “hook” and “stocking”, as well as numerous intermediate options are found in the vertical position of the human body. But the shape of the stomach is constantly changing, depending on the position of the body, the pressure inside the abdomen, the tone of the muscles of the stomach, the amount of food in it.

Some diseases can affect the shape of the stomach. For example, with an ulcer in the scarring stage, it becomes like an hourglass, and with a tumor it can take on the shape of a horn.

The shape of the stomach also depends on age and gender: in women, the stomach is more often in the form of an elongated hook, in the elderly and children – in the form of a horn.

For all its outward simplicity, the stomach is a rather complex organ. From the inside, it is lined with a mucous membrane, which is dotted with glands. The glands produce mucus, hydrochloric acid and enzymes. This is how gastric juice is formed – a mixture of mucus, digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid. So that the stomach does not digest itself with acid, it is forced to protect itself with a thick layer of mucus and renew it every 2 weeks.

Hydrochloric acid is the main component of gastric juice, the acidity of the stomach depends on its amount. Acid creates an environment for the work of gastric juice enzymes, activates enzymes that break down proteins, and kills all foreign bacteria in the stomach.

How the stomach works

When we only think about food or smell it, the stomach receives a command from the brain to produce gastric juice.

When food enters the lower esophagus, the inlet sphincter of the stomach opens and lets food in. The muscle tissues of the stomach contract, food is mixed with gastric juice and digested to a liquid slurry. Enzymes break down proteins and complex carbohydrates.

Food can be “processed” in the stomach for up to 4 hours, depending on the composition. Fruits and vegetables are digested the fastest, fatty meats, mixed heavy meals take the longest.

But the process of digestion of food does not end there. The stomach has completed its work, its muscle tissues receive a signal from the nervous system, after which the lower sphincter opens – and the digested slurry enters the duodenum. Now the digestion process continues in the intestines¹.

Why can a person’s stomach hurt

Stomach pain is a complex clinical symptom that can be caused by various causes.

Sharp pain

Such complaints are characteristic of gastric ulcer or duodenal ulcer.

Sharp, stabbing pain

Such pain indicates a serious condition, such as perforation or perforation of the gastric wall, which often occurs with complicated gastric ulcer.

Sharp, unbearable pain

Among the possible reasons: a burn of the walls of the stomach with chemicals or poisoning.

Burning pain

Often depends on food intake: occurs immediately after a meal or on an empty stomach. Such pain usually appears with progressive peptic ulcer and gastritis.

Aching or dull pain

If it is concentrated in the stomach, then this is a symptom of developing gastritis or its chronic form.

Weak, aching and persistent

Such pain may indicate cancerous tumors or the growth of polyps in the stomach.

Intense pain, like contractions

Indicates damage to the organs of the gastrointestinal tract by a bacterial or viral infection.

How is the stomach treated?

Only a doctor should treat stomach pain, self-medication is unacceptable here. In different cases, both drug treatment and surgical treatment (with serious complications) can be prescribed.

Medication

For the treatment of diseases of the stomach, there are a variety of drugs:

antacids (to neutralize excess hydrochloric acid),
means with a gastroprotective effect (to increase the protective properties of the mucous membrane),
blockers of H2 receptors (help reduce the production of gastric juice),
proton pump inhibitors (suppress the secretion of hydrochloric acid),
antibacterial drugs (for diseases caused by Helicobacter pylori infection, to suppress the activity of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori),
preparations for peristalsis (increase the tone and stimulate the motility of the gastrointestinal tract).

What drugs and in what dosage to prescribe them, the doctor decides after the examination².

Operative therapy

Surgical treatment is used for complicated diseases of the stomach: bleeding, perforation or perforation of a stomach ulcer, hernia of the esophageal opening of the diaphragm, oncological diseases of the stomach and some others.

One of the most common operations for diseases of the stomach is resection. During resection, the affected part of the stomach is excised, and the continuity of the gastrointestinal tract is restored with a special connection (anastomosis)³.

THAT ALSO HAPPENS

Today, such an operation as gastric bypass surgery is on hearing. It’s not really a medical procedure. They do it at the request of overweight patients who cannot curb their appetite. Bypass surgery is a reduction in the volume of the stomach cavity, due to which a person actually begins to eat less. This method has a number of contraindications, besides, shunting does not solve the problem of obesity globally.

Diet

Diet is one of the important elements in the treatment of stomach diseases. Food should be as gentle as possible. With complex treatment, mineral waters of a certain composition, herbal medicine and physiotherapy can also be prescribed.

How to keep your stomach healthy at home

The foundation of a healthy stomach is a healthy diet. It must meet four basic requirements.

The amount of energy supplied with food must correspond to the energy needs of the body in order to avoid a deficiency or excess of body weight.
Replenishment of essential nutrients in the body.
Selection of the ratio of nutrients in the daily diet, taking into account preventive medical recommendations.
Recommendations for healthy eating should be based, where possible, on sustainable eating habits (e.g. regional)

A healthy diet should include daily:

the required amount of energy: 10-15% in the form of protein, 55-60% – mainly complex carbohydrates, 30% – fats, of which 5-10% saturated and 10-15% unsaturated fatty acids,
less than 300 mg of cholesterol,
more than 35 g of fiber,
less than 6 g of table salt,
800-1000 mg calcium
about 180 micrograms of iodine.

It is advisable to completely exclude sausages, semi-finished products, carbonated sweet drinks from the diet. The temperature of the food consumed should be no more than 40 degrees. Quitting smoking and drinking large doses of alcohol is also welcome.

Eating should be regular: 3-4 times a day, at about the same time.

When a stomach disease appears, it is impossible to engage in (and abuse) self-medication. It is unsafe to drink a large number of drugs on your own, especially if there is no clear diagnosis.