Acidity - hyperacidity or acid dyspepsia

Acidity refers to a set of symptoms caused by an inequity. More names for acidity are hyperacidity or acid dyspepsia. Acid reflux or Acidity is one of the most normal diseases that cause heart burns in the upper body

Acidity can be a result of inappropriate dietary regimen or stress. It is a problem which when left unattended to, results in peptic ulcer and other complications. It is quite a simple problem when it begins, but it can get out of hand easily if not taken critically. It means the excess secretion of acid by the gastric glands of the stomach.

The usual signs of heartburn are a burning sensation or pain in the stomach after one to four hours of a meal. The too much secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach causes acidity. Acidity can be a result of improper dietary regimen or stress

The too much secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach causes acidity. Some causes of acidity include Alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, chocolate, citrus, tomato, peppermint, fried and fatty foods, over-eating, stress, some medications, and being overweight. Acid Reflux Disease causes harms to the esophagus as the acidic contents from the stomach, containing acids and pepsin, pushes back to the esophagus since the sphincter develops into weak and can no-more prevent the contents from stomach from gushing back in esophagus

Skipping meals, not eating on time, fried and spicy food, stress, anxiety, insomnia, obesity, pregnancy, smoking, alcohol, and wearing tight clothes can give you hyper-acidity and heartburn.

Acidity is a problem that occurs very commonly; so going in for allopathic medications every time doesn't seem to be a very good thought. Some herbal remedies are very effective in the treatment and prevention of acidity

Symptoms of Acidity

The main symptoms of acidity are:

• Dyspepsia and heartburn
• Discomfort, burning sensation in the upper part of the gut area, especially after eating.
• Regurgitation of the gastric contents
• loss of appetite
• nausea, vomiting
• feeling of sickness
• flatulence accompanied by burping
• constipation

Causes of Acidity

Acidity may be caused by many conditions such as:

# Medical conditions, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, stomach ulcers

# Hyperthyroidism - excessive secretion of the thyroid gland.

# Anxiety, anger and stress.

# Constipation, flatulence or intestinal gases.

# Artificial stimulants or the thought of nearing the food time can create acidity.

# Excessive intake of stimulants like tea, coffee etc.

# Excessive intake of fried foods, spicy or pungent food,

# As a side-effect of some drugs used for treating other illnesses

# Overeating along with bad food combinations. Overeating puts extra load on the stomach, liver, kidneys.

# Eating too rapidly, therefore improper salivation of food.

# Excessive smoking, intake of alcohol

# Tendency to eat and drink together

# Insomnia

# Lack of exercise.

# Long gaps between meals leads to acidity, as it gives the acid in the stomach more time to act.

Home Remedies for Acidity

1) Eat a cup of vanilla ice cream or drink a glass of cold milk to get rid of acidity. This is an easy Home Remedy for Acidity.

2) Raita prepared with fresh curd, grated cucumber, fresh coriander, tomato is a sure shot remedy in aiding digestion, and helps eliminate acidity.

3) Mint: Fresh mint juice taken every day or fresh mint leaves boiled in a cup of water and sipped slowly after meals also helps to keep the stomach acids at bay

4) Mint juice before meals keeps acidity at bay. This is another good Home Remedy for Acidity.

5) Chewing 5-6 basil leaves relieves flatulence and acidity.

6) Half a glass of fresh pineapple juice should be taken after a meal for treating and preventing acidity

7) A piece of jaggery or gur after lunch and dinner prevents acidity

8) A very simple remedy for acidity is thin butter-milk mixed with 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper powder

9) One of the common Home Remedies for Acidity - Onion (pyaz): The juice of onions is an excellent remedy for acidity.

10) Habitual eating habits and a healthy diet can prevent acidity

11) Drink plenty of water (at least 6 to 8 glasses per day) and other fluids to maintain the acid balance in the stomach

12) A sherbet made with kokum and jeera gives relief from acidity.

13) Lemon rind can also be eaten to prevent heartburn

14) A glass of cold milk provides instant relief. This is an effective Home Remedy for Acidity.

15) Eat almonds to give relief to symptoms of acidity

16) Chew a few holy basil (tulsi ) leaves to get relief 

17) Bananas, watermelon and cucumber have protective action against the acidity and heart burn

18) Lemon: Juice of one lemon mixed in half glass of water and ½ teaspoon sugar if consumed before meals helps to relieve acidity

19) When suffering from acidity, drink five to eight glass of coconut water a day. This is another effective Home Remedy for Acidity.

Some Foods to Avoid for Heartburn

There are many foods that are commonly known to cause acid in the stomach and heartburn. These are citrus fruits, tomatoes, fatty foods such as pork chops, deep fried meat, or potatoes, aerated cold drinks, coffee, hot milk and so on. These are just some of the foods one should avoid for heartburn as consuming any of these in excess can cause acute discomfort.

However, not all the items named above react in the same way on everyone. People have different reactions to different stimulants and hence, one will need to carefully watch and identify which foods cause the greatest harm. Once you have a list, eliminate those foods from your diet to the extent possible. For example if you find that hot milk causes acute heartburn, then either stop having it altogether, or have it at room temperature or ice cold. 

Similarly, with fatty foods - either totally stop having them or have a Tums right before or after the meal which will neutralize the excess acid formed in the stomach.