Stomach

The stomach is the central digestive system organ. It is located between the esophagus and the intestines. It is muscular, elastic and pear shaped bag. The stomach can change its size and shape according to the position of the body and the amount of food consumed.

The stomach is composed of five layers. Starting from the inside, the layers are:

• The mucosa - Stomach acid and digestive juices are made here,
• The submucosa,
• The muscularis - It is a layer of muscles that moves and mixes the stomach content,
• The subserosa, and
• The serosa which is the outmost layer of the stomach

How the Stomach Works

Chewed food from the mouth enters the stomach through the esophagus. There is a cardiac sphincter that is located between the stomach and the esophagus that prevents the food from passing back to the esophagus.

Once the food is in the stomach, stomach juices or gastric juices are secreted from the stomach walls to break down the food. Some of the broken down substances are absorbed through the stomach wall at this stage. These substances include alcohol. That is one of the reasons people are advised not to take alcohol on an empty stomach as more of it is absorbed by the stomach linings.

On the other end of the stomach is the pyloric sphincter. The pyloric sphincter separates the stomach fro the duodenum. The duodenum is the first section of the small intestine.

Conditions that Affect the Stomach

The stomach is a very sensitive organ and any disease can lead to excruciating pain and if serious enough, can be fatal. Most of these conditions also involve the small and large intestines. Some of the common problems associated with the stomach include:

• Esophageal reflux - This is commonly known as heartburn and is a condition that is caused when stomach acid washes back into the esophagus and causes irritation of the tissues lining the esophagus.
• Stomach tumors - Also known as the cancer of the stomach,
• Gastritis - When gallstones form, they may lead to the regurgitation of bile acids into the stomach. These breaks down the mucous lining in the stomach exposing them to acid gastric juice.
• Gastric ulcers - When the gastritis becomes more serious causing bleeding, and perforation of the stomach wall,
• Duodenal ulcers - This occurs when the acid leaving the stomach erode the duodenum lining

Everyone has gone through stomach pain in their lives. Most of the time, it is caused by eating unclean and unhealthy food. In such cases, taking anti-acids and pain relievers will be enough. However, for long term health of the stomach, it is important to maintain a healthy diet and a balanced lifestyle free of stress.

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