The stomach is a muscular organ that's part of your gastrointestinal tract (we say "GI" tract). But what does the stomach do, exactly? Let's take a moment to learn more about it.
A healthy stomach is J-shaped and found in your upper abdomen. It can vary in size from person to person. But for most people, their empty stomach is about the size of their fist. Your stomach stretches bigger to hold the food you eat. The top of the stomach is connected to a tube called the "esophagus." It brings food from your mouth to your stomach. The lower end of the stomach is connected to your small intestine. Rings of muscles called "sphincters" control the flow of food into and out of the stomach.
The stomach's job is to break down food so it can be absorbed by your body. To do this, it makes and releases powerful enzymes and acids. It mixes these with your food, grinding and mashing them all together. As your food breaks down, the stomach contracts and pushes the mashed food into the small intestine, where the process of digestion continues.
You can develop a wide range of issues involving the stomach. We can treat many problems with medications. But sometimes we need to remove part or all of the stomach. When we do this, we connect your esophagus directly to your small intestine. You can live a normal life without a stomach, but you will need to eat smaller meals. And you will need to eat more often. For more info, talk to your doctor.