What causes acidity and how to treat it?

We all have been guilty of skipping breakfast to attend to our chores. Small habits like these may result in consequences for the stomach that may inhibit our efficiency to perform at the very best in our errands. Luckily, Acidity is something curable and there are a multitude of remedies that help in diminishing Acid reflux in abdomen.

What causes acidity and how they show-up?

Before, we suggest you some remedies, Let us take a look at what causes our bellies to boil up and how we can heal those tingles before they occur. It all comes down to pH. pH is used to denote the acidity or basicity of a substance. A pH of 0 denotes extreme acidity and a pH of 14 points to an acute alkaline nature.  Stomach usually maintains a pH of 3.5 due to the medley of gastric juices present for digesting the food ingested. This value decreases further due to irregular diet patterns when acid has secreted. An array of body organs secretes gastric juices to aid digestion. But usually those corrosive effects are countered by bicarbonates secreted in the lining of the stomach. When this balance changes, it may cause acidity and you may experience one or more of the aforementioned symptoms.

Some of the common ones experienced is the burning sensation in chest, stomach and throat. Many people also report a sour taste in mouth and have post-meal heaviness. Some others report discomfort in the upper abdomen.

The things that accentuate the presence of acid in your midriff are

• Stress: You read it right. The root cause of acidity among the majority is undue stress which takes a toll on the food patterns. Also, a lot of studies have shown that when you are hungry, your decision making skills get affected. So, it is vital that you don’t skip meals and mess up with your biological cycle.
• Spicy acidic food: Those spicy meals that you have been taking to spice up your taste buds may have adverse effects with the fluids in your food tank. Also, continuously consuming non-vegetarian food also plays a role in increasing acidity.
• Alcohol consumption: One more reason to avoid alcohol is the mayhem it causes in your gut when you consume it in excess.
• Processed meat: Processed meat as such causes rapid rise in pH. This is because of the artificial preservatives and flavours that are used to process it.

Avoid these

• Pickles: Eating pickles after every meal is not a best idea and is not healthy in the long term either. Even among pickles, there are several alternatives to the oily pickles like Fresh Vegetable pickles and Lemon pickles that cause a reduced impact on your belly fluids. So stock those up instead and give it a try.
• Large, Irregular meals: Eating small, regular meals not only is good for stomach, it also helps you reduce your weight.

Home based remedies for acidity

Some foods help us reduce the effects of acidity. Here are some common foods you can consume that are all around you.

• Bananas – This fruit contains an abundance of Potassium and acts as a check for the acids that accumulate in the body. It also helps create Mucous in the stomach which acts as a barrier to the harm caused by those Acidic components.
• Cold Milk:  Milk has a high amount of Calcium that helps it prevent acid build-up and provides instant relief from the acid burn-up. Adding clarified butter (ghee) to this can increase the calming response on your digestive tract. Avoid sugar in the milk for it to work.
• Fennel Seeds (Saunf): Boil fennel seeds in water and drink to see the effect for yourself. These have potent anti-ulcer properties due to the volatile acids it contains. It also aids in digestion and relieves constipation.
• Cumin (Jeera): This quintessential Indian spice is not only added for taste but is also well known for its health benefits. In addition to aiding with digestion, congestion and fighting cancer, it provides a multitude of perks like reducing blood pressure and fighting asthma.
• Indian Gooseberry (Amla): Amla has high amounts of Vitamin C that helps heal the injured stomach lining.
• Basil leaves: The components in those leave soothe your body and help get rid of flatulence in addition to providing a relief from acidity. Chew basil leaves thoroughly to get the desired effect.
• Cinnamon: Cinnamon acts as a natural antacid and gets rid of the gases that exist in your digestive tract. Mix half a teaspoon of Cinnamon with water and boil it. You could consume it multiple times a day.
• Jaggery: The age-old tradition of eating jaggery after food that was followed by people before us had a valid reason after all. Jaggery is alkaline in nature and helps strengthen the intestinal walls.

How to maintain a balanced diet

Eat soybeans, plenty of vegetables and fruits. Avoid juices of any kind when you are faced with an acidic stomach. Herbs and spices of all kind are good for your stomach. Get rid of junk food as it not only causes acidic belly but also makes it bulge which isn’t aesthetic either. Drink herbal teas and avoid outside food. Unsweetened yogurt and milk are natural substances that soothe your gut and soul.

Acidity if not taken care when young may cause issues as you grow old. It is not to be taken lightly and as much as we don’t want to admit this to ourselves, we ought to listen to our mothers who urge us to never skip food. Our biological clock functions in a certain way and it secretes acids based on the time we usually eat. Try not to consume your last meal just before sleep. Eating food few hours before sleep goes a long way in reducing gastro-intestinal problems, preventing obesity and allowing systems to re-energise itself.

What chronic acid reflux is and why you need to know about it

Chronic Acid f as a condition occurs when acidity occurs on a fairly regular basis. It is caused by Oesophagus the tube that acts as an inlet to stomach. Oesophagus usually closes immediately after the intake of food but during acid reflux, it opens up occasionally causing those acidic fluids to go up. This leads to chest pain and heartburn. When it occurs repeatedly it causes complications and is known as Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). For example an underlying cause called Hiatal Hernia also causes chronic acid reflux. People need to be extremely cautious when they have chronic acid reflux. The better thing is to consult an experienced gastro intestinal surgeon to rule out any other underlying medical issues.

The factors that increase the risk of Acid reflux are being obese, smoking and uncontrolled consumption of junk foods. Acidity if not taken care may accentuate into other issues and it is best to treat this issue and get rid of your stomach problems at an early stage.

As an old saying goes “Health is indeed wealth for we need it to achieve our ambitions and make a dent in the universe with our legacy.” Take care and fight acidity by following these precautions and fret not as your belly is ready to face those foes.