Acidity or Acid Reflux is the most common condition often ignored by many of us. Have you ever wondered what is acidity? How is it caused? What are the symptoms? So, basically to lets us first understand what acidity means.
Follow The Healthy Pinch on Instagram.
What is Acidity?
The food we consume goes from the Oesophagus to our stomach.
In your stomach, the gastric glands produce acid which is required to digest
the food. You appear to experience a burning feeling under the breastbone as
the gastric glands produce more fluid than required for the digestive cycle.
Commonly, this state is called acidity.
The most frequent symptom of acid reflux is a burning chest
feeling and discomfort. While most people suffer from pain, they don't realize
the main reason is poor lifestyle choices.
What are the Causes of Acidity?
The Gastric Glands produces excess acid in the stomach, more then what is needed for the digestion process. It is followed by a burning sensation just above the stomach or below the breastbone. People who tend to consume spicy and oily food are most likely suffering from this issue. Here are some causes of acidity:
Unhealthy eating habits
- Skipping meals or eating your meals at irregular time intervals
- Overeating and overconsumption of spicy food
- Low dietary fiber diet
- High intake of table salt
Follow The Healthy Pinch on Instagram. Overconsumption of Certain Foods
- Pizza, Burger, Donuts, and other fried Junk foods
- Extremely spicy food
- Coffee, tea, alcohol aerated and carbonated drinks
- Non-vegetarian food
Unhealthy lifestyle habits
- After eating a heavy meal, lying on your back or bending over at the waist
- Eating large portions of the meal and then not moving
- Snacking close to bedtime
Regular Intake of Certain Medication can lead to side-effects
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Certain muscle relaxers
- Blood pressure, depression, and anxiety medications
Stomach Disorders
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Tumors
- Peptic ulcers
Other Causes includes
- Excess stress
- Lack of sleep
- Lack of physical exercise
- Pregnancy and being overweight
- Smoking
- Women nearing menopause
Follow The Healthy Pinch on Instagram. What are the Symptoms of Acidity?
It actually differs from person to person. The most common
acid reflux symptoms are chest pain and burning sensation below the breastbone,
there are other symptoms that are not that common.
Acidity symptoms include:
- Burning sensation and pain in the stomach
- Burning sensation and pain in the throat
- Swallowing difficulty, or the feeling of food stuck in your throat
- Frequent burping or hiccups for no apparent reason
- Burning sensation and pain in the chest
- Regurgitation: Prolonged sour taste in the mouth or bitter-tasting acid that backs up into your throat and mouth
- Post-meal heaviness
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Indigestion
- Bad breath
- Restlessness
Hyperacidity symptoms include:
- Heartburn: Persistent pain or discomfort that enters your chest from your stomach and occasionally even up to your throat.
- Chronic discomfort in the upper abdomen
- Bloody or black stool often accompanied by bloody vomiting
- Dry cough, wheezing, hoarseness, or chronic sore throat
- Weight loss for no apparent reason
Although symptoms of acidity in the chest are most commonly
diagnosed as acidity, contacting the healthcare provider is often recommended
if the symptoms continue.
Home Remedies for Acidity
Acidity is a common issue that most of us face in our lives. Mostly people prefer home remedies over medicine. Some of the home remedies option are listed below:
- Coconut water soothes your stomach and digestive system. Drinking coconut water on an empty stomach in the morning can help prevent acid reflux.
- Melons: Melons such as musk melon, cantaloupe, and watermelon are rich in antioxidants and fiber. They help to avoid acid reflux and other stomach issues by maintaining the mucous membrane. The cooling properties of these fruits and their high-water content help to hydrate the body and reduce the pH.
- Cold Milk: This home remedy is followed in Indian households for decades. Milk prevents the production of acid in the stomach, stops any reflux or burning sensation in the gastric tract. Get a glass of pure cold milk without any additives or sugar if you feel an acid-forming in the stomach or heartburn coming on.
- Home set Curd and buttermilk also provides relief in acidity. They help in cooling the stomach and keeps the overall digestive system healthy. After a spicy meal, grab a glass of buttermilk or have curd along with your meals to avoid acid reflux.
- You can either munch on a few basils or mint leaves or boil them in water and drink it to reduce acidity.
- Keep a piece of clove or cardamom in your mouth to reduce symptoms of acidity.
- Banana, cucumber, and yogurt can be included in the diet to get instant relief from acidity.
- Use ginger in your cooking or boil it in water till the water is reduced to half the amount. Phenolic compounds of ginger help to relieve gastrointestinal irritation.
- Cumin is a superb acidity remedy. Munch on some cumin or boil a glass of water with a teaspoon of cumin. Boil until the water is halved. Drink it on an empty stomach.
- Aloe vera juice is another natural treatment that can be of assistance. With its sedative properties. It cools down the burning feeling.
- It has also been shown that rice-based meals are beneficial for people with frequent acidity. Curd rice, chiwda rice are the best meal options.
- Potatoes are also a complex carbohydrate and help in acidity. Make sure to have boiled and not fried!
- Start your day with black raisins, soaked overnight, after drinking a glass of water. This also helps with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), bloating, and indigestion.
- Have curd at around 11 am with soaked poha (in case lunch is delayed) or around 4-6 pm. Put soaked poha, curd, and some black salt in a pot, then mix well before eating.
- Place in a glass of water some gulkand (the sweet preserve of rose petals), and drink through the day. If you suffer from insomnia along with acidity you will have this post-dinner.
- If you are overweight or obese, try losing some weight
- Increase consumption of healthy food over fried or junk food
- Maintain daily mealtime with dinner finishing at least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime
- Have small frequent meals
- Avoid foods which cause acidity like raw onion and citrus juice
- Avoids caffeine and carbonated beverages
- Stop falling asleep on your right side
- Start stress level relieving exercises such as meditation
- Avoid smoking and alcohol
Comments
Post a Comment