Most of people are familiar with the painful, and burning sensation in the center of the chest, which is known as heartburn. This may be due to acid reflux or acidity, which can be a very uncomfortable condition. There are several possible causes for formation of acid in your stomach, and balance the pH levels in the stomach acidity. But this may worsen if you eat wrong choice of foods. However, healthy dietary choices can help you to manage with this issue in no time.
This article will review
best home therapies for acidity that may provide great help in getting rid of
acidity problems, symptoms and causes of acidity.
Best home therapies for acidity
What Is Acidity?
Acidity or acid reflux is a
feeling of burning sensation your chest, which is also known as heartburn. This
may be caused due to excessive acid in the stomach primary to an imbalance. In
some cases this can further irritates the intestinal lining, and can also
affect the esophageal tissue leading to a burning sensation.
What
are different forms of acidity and its symptoms?
Different
forms of acidity:
- Acid reflux / acidity
- Gas
- GERD
- Heartburn
Symptoms
of acidity:
- Constipation,
- Indigestion,
- Nausea,
- Frequent burps,
- Heaviness in the stomach after eating,
- Bad breath,
- Gas.
These symptoms should not
be taken lightly as they may
cause serious problems over time.
What are the common causes of acidity?
- Odd time eating or skipping meals.
- Stomach illnesses such as Ulcers, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), etc.
- Over-eating.
- Harmful eating habits such as intake of excess tea, coffee, cold- drinks, junk, spicy, oily food etc.
- Taking too much stress, inadequate sleeping, smoking, drinking alcohol etc.
How to get rid of acid reflux using home therapies?
If you're looking for ways to help with acid reflux, there are a
few things you can do at home. But it's best to talk to a doctor before trying
any of these remedies.
1. Sleeping on your left side:
Sleeping on your left side
of the bed has been found to lower your stomach acid levels. That's because
your esophagus comes in on your right side. So, when you're lying on your left,
your stomach acid levels are higher than when you're lying on your right. When
your stomach acid is higher, your stomach acid covers your esophageal opening,
which puts you at risk for acid reflux. You might not be able to sleep on your
left all night, but if you can, it could help you fall asleep more comfortably.
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Sleeping on your left side lower acid levels |
2. Maintain
a moderate weight:
According to some studies,
belly fat may increase the risk of GERD and acid reflux. Additionally, losing
10% of your weight could significantly reduce GERD symptoms. If you maintain a
healthy body weight, you may be able to reduce your acid reflux symptoms in the
long run.
3. Avoid late night meal:
Dinner is very beneficial
for acid reflux sufferers. It should be around 3 hours before bedtime. Because
food takes time to digest, going to bed shortly after your meal may worsen GERD
symptoms. According to some reviews, eating a meal late at night increases acid
exposure by 5% when lying down compared to eating early in the evening.
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Avoid late night meal to reduce acidity levels |
4. Avoid
too much coffee intake:
Some studies have shown that
coffee may not be good for your health. While it does temporarily relax the
lower sphincter of your esophagus, it can also increase your risk for acid
reflux. In fact, some studies have even found that the consumption of coffee was associated with increased acid damage in your esophagus.
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Coffee not good for acidity body |
5. Avoid smoking and drinking beer:
Both beers and cigarettes
increase the risk of gastric and digestive problems. Because beer contains
carbon dioxide, it can cause stomach pain and increase discomfort. Cigarettes
are also linked with gas production, bloating and the development of liver
disease. So, avoid both beer and cigarettes to avoid gas & bloating and
live a trouble-free life.
6. Eat
more frequent with less meals:
Consuming less food and
eating more often throughout the day can help reduce acid reflux symptoms. Acid
reflux usually occurs when there is excessive pressure on the muscle producing
acid to push through the opening. Typically, reflux symptoms occur immediately
after a meal and may worsen if you eat 1 to 2 large meals a day.
7. Follow a low carb diet:
Low carb diets have been
shown to reduce acid reflux symptoms in several studies. This is because
undigested carbs can cause bacterial overgrowth, as well as increase pressure
inside the belly, which can exacerbate acid reflux.
Alcohol is not good for
your health. It can make your acid reflux more severe. It can also make your
heartburn worse. Even too much alcohol can increase your acid reflux symptoms.
Drinking water is much better for you than wine or beer which can worsen your
reflux symptoms.
9. Skip carbonated beverages:
If you have GERD, it's
important to limit your carbonated drinks. Carbonated drinks contain CO2, which
passes through the stomach and gets stuck in your stomach as gas. This can
cause sharp pain and stomach bloating right after you drink a fizzy drink.
10. Limit
citrus juice:
However, only a small
number of people who suffer from acid reflux report that drinking citrus juice
exacerbates their symptoms. This is because not only is citrus juice acidic,
but some of the compounds in citrus juice can also irritate your esophagus.
Therefore, limiting your citrus juice intake can help you manage your heartburn
symptoms.
11. Control high fat foods:
Some studies have shown that
eating fried and fatty foods can be a trigger for GERD. This could be anything
from potato chips to bacon and sausage. These foods can make your heartburn
worse by releasing bile salts into your digestive system, which can cause your
esophagus to tighten up.
12. Elevate your head while sleeping:
A lot of people have acid
reflux symptoms that get worse at night. If you want to reduce your symptoms
and improve your quality of sleep, it's a good idea to elevate your head while
you're sleeping.
13. Move around post meals:
It has been observed gas may
build up that in turn causes pain and discomfort if you sit for long time after
meal. Hence, you should get up and take a walk in the house or office.
14. Eat
slowly and chew your food well:
As always doctors advised
eating slowly, and chewing foods properly helps to improves digestion and also
ensures that there is less bloating and gas in the stomach.
Some spice and herbs are good for acidity body
What are the best foods to eat to reduce acidity?
If you are suffering the
acidity and heartburn symptoms excessively, this can be relieved with kitchen
and pantry ingredients, as follows:
- Fennel or Saunf - Chew
fennel just after meals, helps to prevent stomach acidity. Further it helps in
heartburn, bloating and improves digestion.
- Cumin seeds or jeera - Cumin seeds are used in
foods to improve flavor. Cumin seeds contains certain compounds which helps in
relieving acidity triggered due to indigestion and flatulence.
- Cloves - A
piece of clove helps in preventing the formation of gas in the gastrointestinal
tract. Cloves are used in cooking foods like kidney beans or black gram
which helps in acidity relief.
- Cardamom - Chewing
cardamom may help you to prevent acidity, flatulence and improves digestion.
- Ajwain - Ajwain
is the most popular home remedies to treat gas and acidity caused due to
indigestion, which helps in stomach pain, stomach cramps and bloating. Its
active enzymes and the biochemical thymol helps to relieve any kind of gastric
problem.
- Turmeric - Turmeric used to add
in your daily diet which relieves acidity and heartburn caused by it.
- Mint Leaves - Mint
leaves also helps in digestion and also bring a cooling effect to your entire
system. By which you can get support against acid reflux.
- Garlic - Garlic has a natural remedies for
acidity, which helps in maintaining a critical balance of digestive bacteria in
your stomach. Garlic can provide almost instant relief from acidity.
- Asafoetida (Hing) - Asafoetida used to treat acidity and indigestion. This is used in your cooking, which helps to prevent acidity and indigestion. It also has a unique flavor, in addition to helps in treating gas, indigestion, and acidity.
- Banana - Consuming
bananas provides natural remedies for constipation and neutralizes acidity and
gives relief from heartburn.
- Papaya - Papaya enzymes are very effective in breaking down complex proteins, which helps your body to produce less acid to break down food that relieves the painful heartburn.
- Lukewarm Water - Drinking lukewarm water provides relief from acidity, especially
empty stomach and before going to sleep at night.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - Drinking apple cider vinegar particularly before your meals can help reduce reflux, because this helps in digestion.
- Almonds - Almonds can help regulate acidity issues, because they are rich
in nutrients and fiber, and both may help to reduce the risk of heartburn and
also absorb acid.
- Jaggery - Jaggery contains high magnesium and potassium, which helps
boost intestinal strength. It supports your digestion system and also helps to
reduce stomach acidity.
- Coconut Water - Intake of coconut water helps
your body pH acidic level into alkaline, and also support
to produce mucous in your stomach. This way it protects your stomach from
harmful effects of excessive acid production.
- Avoid
Trigger Foods - Try to avoid certain foods that are known to
cause heartburn triggers. These foods may have high quantities of fat, salt or
spice in them including fried foods, fast food, pizza, chili powder, cheese,
peppermint, etc.
Eating papaya reduces acidity levels
Conclusion:
If you're dealing with aches,
gas, or bloating in your stomach, it can be really annoying. It can be caused
by a variety of things, like eating junk food, not getting enough sleep,
drinking too much caffeine, or smoking. There are some home remedies you can
try, but if you're dealing with serious stomach issues, it's best to see a
doctor. Most of these natural remedies are pretty effective, but you need to
make some changes to your diet if you want to keep your body in good shape.
With a healthy stomach, you can live life to the fullest.
FAQ:
Q1. Are there any
herbal teas that help with heartburn?
Answer: Yes, there are herbal teas that can help with heartburn. Chamomile tea has anti-inflammatory properties that can help calm the digestive tract. Ginger tea can also help with heartburn by reducing stomach acid production and improving digestion.
Q2. What are the do's
and don'ts for managing acidity at home?
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/heartburn-acid-reflux-remedies
https://www.femina.in/wellness/home-remedies/best-home-remedies-for-acidity-and-heartburn-80679.html
https://www.healthshots.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/8-foods-and-home-remedies-for-acidity/
https://www.1mg.com/articles/6-effective-home-remedies-to-fight-acidity/
https://www.seniority.in/blog/20-home-remedies-for-getting-relief-from-acidity/
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