Acidity: Causes, Treatment, Home Remedies and Foods to Avoid
Today, a fast-paced lifestyle has become the norm. People are constantly on the move, and are plagued by a desire to not miss anything in life. Be it work experiences, relationships, and exploring new places, they desire it all. Juggling so many things requires a high amount of energy that never crashes. Afterall, it is what allows you to experience all that life has to offer.
In the midst of all this hustle and bustle, people are often heard complaining, ‘I have digestive problems, how can I reduce acidity?’ Despite suffering from digestive issues, they never stop to wonder what causes acidity? How many people are actually aware about their erratic working hours, either at work or at home that make them prone to acidity issues? Late night parties, travelling frequently, and staying up late to meet those stringent deadlines eventually takes a toll on the health of many people. Eventually, they find themselves experiencing a loss of energy and subsequently nursing a crappy mood.
You can experience heartburn by consuming a variety of oily and spicy foods that are heavy on your digestive system. Eating them at irregular hours will trigger acidity and soon you will feel that burning pain in your throat. To sum it all, we can say that acidity can prove as a major mood killer and to get rid of it you need to take certain proactive steps to restore your digestive health and the vitality of your life. Before we delve into the ways by which you can beat acidity, let us first understand what exactly does the term acidity mean.
What Is Acidity?
Man experiencing heartburn, Credit: Pixabay
Acidity, or acid reflux is a health condition that occurs when the acids in the stomach flow back up to your throat and give you a burning sensation. It is also known as heartburn and you can commonly feel it in the lower part of your chest. Since the burning sensation and pain is felt in your chest area, it can prompt you to assume that you might be suffering from a heart attack. However, it is not the case. You are simply suffering from an episode of heartburn or acid reflux that is mainly because of your bad lifestyle characterised by a lack of physical activity.
Acidity can be classified into two types, namely, the heartburn reflux and the throat burn reflux. You can experience the sensation of a lump in your throat or chronic cough during this time.
What Causes Acidity?
Your body produces hydrochloric acid to aid the digestion of food. It helps in breaking down the food so that it can be absorbed more easily by the body. The major cause of acidity is the more than usual production of acid inside the stomach. This acid is produced by the gastric glands.
Acidity can be caused due to a variety of reasons. It is important to note that not all of these causes are under your control. However, gaining an understanding of them will make you aware of them and so you will be able to take steps to prevent yourself from experiencing acidity again.
The major causes of acidity include:
Excessive consumption of beverages, spicy, or fried food items
An after-effect of a prior or current medication
Other causes
1. Bad Eating Habits
Donuts in a bakery, Credit: Pixabay
Today, we are bombarded with advertisements of junk and unhealthy food items that are practically devoid of any nutritional value. In such a scenario, it becomes difficult to resist their charm and their ready availability in the market prompts us to choose them over making healthy food in our homes.
Overeating on fried and junk food, or consuming them 15-20 minutes before sleeping makes it extremely difficult for your digestive system to process them optimally. People also have the habit of skipping meals and due to erratic working hours are unable to consume healthy meals at proper times during the day.
If you want to cure your acidity issues, then you should take steps to include healthy and fibre rich meals in your diet that are minimally processed. You will instantly notice a difference in your energy levels.
2. Excessive Consumption of Beverages, Spicy, or Fried Food Items
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Time and again, we are told by our parents and doctors alike to consume more home cooked food in order to attain better health. Today’s generation more often than not turns a blind eye to this advice. However, when acidity strikes due to the excessive consumption of beverages like tea, coffee, and carbonated drinks, they only regret not listening to the words of their elders.
People can be seen consuming foods like pizza, donuts, and fried rice on a regular basis. Without limiting their intake, they cannot hope to free themselves from the clutches of digestive issues. The best acidity cure is to avoid the frequent consumption of such food items.
3. An After-Effect of a Prior or Current Medication
Various types of medicines, Credit: Pixabay
It is one of the causes of acidity that is hard to control. If you have been taking anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, or medications for high blood pressure, then acidity can strike as its unwanted side-effect. If you are finding it hard to manage your acidity symptoms because of your medications, then its best to talk to your doctor about it.
4. Other Causes
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Sometimes people get so caught up with their work and the stress of being the perfect one that they unknowingly forge certain harmful habits which over a period of time adversely impacts the quality of their health. Tension, stress, lack of sleep, smoking, alcohol, and a sedentary lifestyle all create a conducive ground for digestive problems like acidity to occur.
What Are the Major Acidity Symptoms
Woman experiencing sore throat, Credit: Pixabay
Some of the most common symptoms of acid reflux include:
A burning sensation in your chest and throat, also called heartburn.
The presence of a bitter-tasting acid in your throat or mouth, also called regurgitation.
Bloating
Stools that are black in colour
Burping and hiccups that do not seem to end
Nausea
A sudden loss in weight
Sore throat
Are There Any Home Remedies for Acidity
Lime water in a jar and glass, Credit: Pixabay
You will be surprised to know that some of the best acidity remedies do not require you to go to the chemist store to purchase expensive medicines. You can cure it by yourself in the comfort of your own home. Get ready to overcome all your digestive issues with the following medicines.
Drink coconut water. It will instantly soothe your digestive system and give you relief. For best results, drink at least two glasses every day.
Before you dig into your lunch, drink some fresh lime juice. It will give you relief from the uneasiness that you feel in your stomach.
After every meal, make it a habit to drink a glass of lukewarm water. It is also quite effective against acidity.
Include food items like yoghurt, cucumber, and banana in your diet. It is best to snack on them in between your meals to get relief from acidity.
A piece of clove can come in handy whenever you are feeling that burning sensation in your throat after your meals. Keep sucking on it and in no time you will find your pain fading.
While cooking meals include ginger. Alternatively, you can also boil it in water and drink it.
One of the most easy yet effective acidity home remedies is drinking a glass of cold milk. Being rich in calcium, it prevents the acidic buildup and provides instant relief. It is especially useful for senior citizens.
After you wake up, take apple cider vinegar with water on an empty stomach.
Mint leaves boast of digestive properties that are effective in helping you with acidity. Drink a cup of mint tea by boiling some mint leaves in water.
Did you know that a chewing gum is also a powerful remedy for acidity relief? It produces saliva in your mouth which helps the food to move through the oesophagus.
These are some of the best acidity home remedies that you can use to fight off acidity and get back the energy you need.
Which Food Can Reduce Acidity?
It is not easy to avoid acidity causing food items as they are quite delicious. But if you want to stay at the top of your health, then limiting their consumption is the best option. Watch out for the following foods and make a conscious attempt to avoid their frequent intake.
Fried food items like fried rice, fried potatoes, chips, fries, and the like.
Caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee.
Alcohol
Raw onions
High sugar and high salt food items like pizza, pastries, and cakes.
By now you must have acquired a sufficiently good understanding of the acid reflux disease. If you are suffering from this ailment, then it is best to take the preventive steps mentioned above. Ignoring or neglecting this condition can wreak havoc on your health overtime. Do not let the quality of your life be affected by this health condition which you can easily overcome. A healthy is the key to preventing any kind of digestive health issue from cropping up in your body.
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