That heartburn hit! And you don't think twice about resorting to the first antacid you come across. Know that this attitude can aggravate your health condition, so it is necessary to make the correct choice of medication to be ingested.
Action in the body: the hypochloric acid produced in the stomach, which is responsible for activating enzymes in the digestive process, is also the cause of heartburn (stomach acidity). Antacids then function as neutralizing bases.
The chemical nature of the bases is one of the factors to be considered:
Bicarbonates - NaHCO3 and KHCO3
Carbonates - CaCO3 and MgCO3
Hydroxides - Al(OH)3 and Mg(OH)2
As you can see, despite receiving the same name “antiacid”, they can contain different formulas. See below the indications and contraindications according to the patient:
High blood pressure patient: avoid formulations with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), the sodium ion increases blood pressure.
Osteoporosis patient: in this case, the recommended is the calcium carbonate-based antacid (CaCO
This tip is for everyone: avoid mixing large doses of calcium carbonate and aluminum hydroxide Al(OH)3. Together, the two components cause a kind of “constipation”.
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By Líria Alves
Graduated in Chemistry
Brazil School Team
Inorganic chemistry - Chemistry - Brazil School
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Líria Alves de. "Acid-Base Chemistry in Action"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/quimica/quimica-acidobase-acao.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
