All about acidity!

Acidity or acid reflux is one of the main issue which can be seen in all age groups. It is caused due to the backward flow of acid from the stomach to the oesophagus when we eat a food. The person experiences an uncomfortable burning sensation between their stomach and throat. This is also known as heartburn. For some people, acidity comes along with vomiting, sickness, cough etc.. If it is not treated from the beginning, the symptoms can get worse and may be leads to infections on the internal organs. Acidity is harmless and treatable.

Causes

  • Over weight- As you increase weight, your abdomen gets bigger and heavier. When you exceed your normal weight limit, the fat starts putting pressure on the stomach. If too much pressure is placed on the stomach, it responds by pushing the acidic contents of the stomach upward into the oesophagus, which eventually results in acidity
  • Disease conditions – If a person who is affected with any type of gastric diseases are prone to get acidity.
  • Medications – Those who are taking certain types of tablets like pain killers may cause acidity.
  • Food – Some eat lots of acidity foods, spicy foods, colas and soda, foods rich in calories, foods rich in fat , packaged foods ,drinking too much coffee leads to acidity.
  • Alcohol and smoking
  • Stress
  • Pregnancy – During pregnancy, hormonal levels get increased and it can allow the partially digested food and stomach acids to travel back up into the oesophagus due to relaxation of muscles.

Is acidity treatable?

Yes! Acidity can be treated by changing the way you are living and in some extreme cases through medicines.

Try to lose weight is the important thing . This can be done by changing the eating habits like avoiding fried foods, foods rich in acid,spicy foods, unhealthy fats and eating foods rich in fiber and protein. Another tip is to exercise regularly. The meal timing should not be more and try to eat less on frequent intervals. Sleeping well is another tip and also not to sleep soon after having the meal.

When eating, be sure to chew the food properly and slowly because the acid comes only when the food is improperly digested. Eat foods like rice, dal, khichdi,porridge, yogurt or curd, fruits like banana, papaya etc. Escape from eating fried food, sodas, caffeine, onions, tomatoes, sugar, spicy, or heavily seasoned foods, fruits like lemon, salted snacks, bakery items, refined flours, noodles, etc.

Regardless of the circumstance, changing your eating habits can be quite tough. But by making diet and lifestyle modifications, you may not only keep your acidity control but also feel healthier inside.