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Acidity may be defined as sour or burning sensation in the chest, which is caused by regurgitation of the excessive acid secretion into the upper end of the esophagus.
It is advisable to chew the food properly and drink lot of water for proper digestion and absorption. Pregnant women suffer from heartburn as the uterus presses on the digestive tract as the fetus grows.
Normally the stomach secretes an acid, which is essential for the digestion. This acid helps in the breakdown of the food. When there is excessive secretion of this acid by the stomach it results in acidity. Its common symptoms are dyspepsia, heartburn and formation of the ulcers. It is more common in emotional and nervous individuals.
This is caused due to excessive secretion of hydrochloric acid, either from an increased quantity of the gastric juice or increased concentration of hydrochloric acid in it.
Other reason for this may be fermentation of organic acids such as lactic acid, acetic acid and butyric acid. Increased acidity with regurgitation causes some amount of oesophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus), which increases the sensitiveness. Acidity causes reflex increased secretion of alkaline saliva, which accumulates in the esophagus and is rushed into the mouth without any sensation of vomiting. This is commonly associated with duodenal ulcer.
Causes of hyperacidity are gastro duodenal (peptic) ulcer; reflex pylorospasm from any cause and sometimes-excessive smoking can also lead to severe acidity. The amount of free hydrochloric acid in the stomach does not gives the measure of the total acidity of gastric secretions i.e. amount of total chlorides indicates the better.
Most acidity problems occur after meals, when doing some heavy exercise and applying pressure in the intra-abdominal region or at night when lying down.
The stomach normally secretes acid that is essential in the digestive process. This acid helps in breaking down the food during digestion. When there is excess production of acid by the gastric glands of the stomach, it results in the condition known as acidity. Dyspepsia, heartburn and the formation of ulcers are some of the symptoms. It is more common in highly emotional and nervous individuals.
Common Causes of Acidity
- Consumption of Alcohol
- Highly spicy foodstuffs
- Non-vegetarian diets
- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID's)
Most acidity problems occur
- After meals
- When lifting weight or straining and applying pressure in the intra-abdominal area.
- At night when lying down.
Ulcers also occur as a result of over secretion of acid.
Home Remedies for Acidity
Tip 1:
After all three meals, take a small piece of jaggery and keep it in your mouth and suck. Voilá no more acidity.
Tip 2:
Boil one cup of water. To this add 1 tsp of Aniseed (Saunf). Cover and leave overnight. Strain the water in the morning, add 1 tsp of honey. When this is taken 3 times a day it prevents acidity.
Tip 3:
To 1 ½ liters of water add 1 tsp Caraway seeds (shah jeera). Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Sip while warm. Have the concoction 2-3 times a day for 5-6 days.
Tip 4:
Powder one clove and one cardamom; use the powder as a mouth freshener after every meal. No more acidity and no more bad breath.
Other home remedies for acidity:
- Drinking milk or eating milk products are helpful in relieving symptoms of acidity.
- Foods such as pickles, vinegar, fried foods, hot spicy foods, chocolate, pastries, and raw salad vegetables like onion, radish, cabbage, and peppers should be avoided.
- Clove also helps to relieve the symptoms of acidity. Suck one piece of clove slowly to relieve the symptoms. It also helps to reduce the onset of disease that arises due to acidity.
- A cup of vanilla ice cream or a glass of cold milk also helps to get relieve heartburn and acidity within minutes.
- Almonds are also a good source for relieving the heartburn and acidity. Eat several almonds when heartburn symptoms persist.
- Lemons also help to prevent heartburn. Cut a lemon into thin strips and dip in salt. Eat before meals to prevent heartburn.
- Take some mint leaves and chop these and then boil in a cup of water and sip slowly after meals. If a person drinks Fresh mint juice every day he will never experience acidity.
- Jaggery or gur taken after every meal also helps to reduce the acidity. Keep a piece of gur in the mouth and slowly suck it till acidity decreases.
- Eating bananas is also helpful in preventing the symptoms of acidity and heartburn. To prevent acidity it is advised to eat a banana daily.
- A mixture of 2 tsp of natural apple cider vinegar and 2 tsp raw honey in a glass of water before meals fights with acidity.
- Basil (tulsi) leaves helps to get relief from burning, nausea and gas. Chew some leaves of tulsi to decrease the acidity.
- Coconut water 4-5 times a day decreases the symptoms of the acidity and the heartburn.
- Harad (Terminalia chebula) if taken after every meal prevents the symptoms of the acidity.
- 1 tsp juice of chebulic myroblan mixed with 1 tsp of amla (Indian gooseberry) juice helps to prevent acidity and heartburn.
- Another very effective home remedy for acidity is - Boil one cup of water. To this add 1 tsp of Aniseed (Saunf). Cover and leave overnight. Strain the water in the morning, add 1 tsp of honey. When this is taken 3 times a day it prevents acidity.
- To 1 ½ liters of water add 1 tsp Caraway seeds (shah jeera). Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Sip while warm. Take this liquid 2-3 times a day for 5-6 days. This is also very effective home remedy for acidity.
- Take a glass of water, add a pinch of baking soda and drink it. It gives immediate relief from acidity.
- Take a glass of warm water, add a pinch of hing(asafoetida) and have it every morning to prevent acidity.
- Eat a serving of cucumber or watermelon 4-5 times in a day to fight against acidity.
- Fennel helps to relieve abdominal pain, colon disorders, gas, and gastrointestinal tract spasms. It is an effective remedy for acidic stomach conditions (heartburn).
- Ginger is very useful for digestive disorders. It help to relieve indigestion from rich foods.
- Make a fine powder by adding equal amounts of ginger powder, black pepper, dried mint leaves, asafetida (hing), anise seeds, coriander seeds, cumin, fennel and common salt. Dosage: Take about 1 teaspoon of this powder with water, twice a day after meals.
- It is advised to eat 8-10 glass to water daily. Drinking water gives immediate relief to symptoms like wind, distended stomach and acidity.
- Chewing bubble-gum also disappears the acidity. This is an easy and best way to get rid of Acidity.
- For heartburn drink a teaspoon of vinegar. It is because there is not sufficient acid in our stomach to digest food properly, thus gasses come back up and burn our stomach.
- Calcium also helps to fight with the heartburn and acidity. Yoghurt or ice-cream gives immediate relief from acidity and heartburn.
- 1 tsp juice of chebulic myroblan mixed with 1 tsp of amla (Indian gooseberry) juice daily relieves acidity.
- Powder one clove and one cardamom; use the powder as a mouth freshener after every meal. No more acidity and no more bad breathe.
- After food maintain an upright posture to prevent the reflex and to prevent the symptoms of acidity.
- Sleep with your head and shoulder on a high pillow for elevation.
- Do not skip meals. Do not keep large gap between meals. This produces gas / wind.
- Eat dinner 2-3 hours before going to bed.
- Last but not the least stop smoking and cut down on alcohol.
Reference: Clifford R. Anderson, M.D. : Your Guide To Health. Second edition.
Snow J. Monograph: Glycirrhiza glabra Leguminacae The Protocol Journal of Botanical Medicine 1996;Winter:9-14.
Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.
This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICEand should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor.