Categories
Acidity Health Tips

10 Major Signs of Acidity

Acidity is a pain in stomach caused due to excess production of acids in our stomach. Generally gastric glands in stomach produce acid or hydrochloric acid for digestion of the food we take. Acidity is a common problem faced by lot of people due to irregular and unhealthy food habits. Acidity includes symptoms like heartburn, gastric inflammation, headache and stomach ache.

Types of Acidity :

  • Acid reflux – There are two types of acid reflux, they are supine acid reflux and upright acid reflux.
  • Supine acid reflux- In this the pain occurs during the night time while lying down.
  • Upright acid reflux- The pain comes during the day when a person is sitting up.
  • Gastro esophageal reflux-  This pain comes when lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is unable to close properly.
  • Acid indigestion

Symptoms of Acidity :

The symptoms of acidity differ from one person to another depending on their stage and health condition. The most common symptoms experienced by people are

  • Burning in throat and stomach
  • Sour taste
  • Indigestion
  • Constipation
  • Chest pain
  • Vomiting
  • Restlessness
  • Nausea
  • Bad breath
  • Burping.

Acidity is caused due to imbalance in the acid levels in stomach. People with acidity have a burning sensation after having a meal.

Causes of Acidity :

Causes of acidity include unhealthy food habits, taking spicy food and improper life style. Some of the most common causes are

Improper working timings, unhealthy diet like junk food, spicy food plays a crucial role in acidity. Pregnant ladies are also infected by acidity. High intake of coffee or tea can also cause acidity. Heart burn in infants and young people is usually a sign of gastroesophageal reflux. Sometimes, a heavy meal or lifting heavy weights can bring acidity as it increases pressure in abdomen.

Tips to avoid acidity problems :

One can avoid acidity by changing the life style. Drink a glass of lukewarm water every day before going to sleep and immediately after waking up in the morning as it helps wash out acidity and indigestion, improper digestion contributes to acidity. One can control acidity by following these simple steps

  • Avoid oily, spicy and fat food as these foods are difficult to digest and the stomach releases more acids to digest them, which can cause acidity.
  • Avoid smoking, alcohol consumption, tobacco and caffeine products like coffee and tea as these products cause hyperacidity.
  • Proper and enough sleep helps in avoiding acidity.
  • Avoiding the food, which you feel is causing acidity to your body.
  • By having small frequent meals you can avoid acidity.
  • Taking high fibre food, fresh non acidic fruits help in digestion and avoid producing acids to digest food.
  • One should avoid acidic food like pickles, tamarind, vinegar, curd and acidic fruits as these increase acids level in the body.
  • One can control acidity by including these foods in their diet as these gives relief from acidity; they are mint leaves, tulsi, cinnamon, buttermilk, cumin seeds, banana, and elaichi.