Hyper acidity (Amlapitta) is also called Acid Dyspepsia, which is one of the most common problem. Hyperacidity is a condition in which stomach secretes excess amount of acid.

Hyperacidity is very closely associated to Amlapitta in Ayurveda which is caused by the imbalance of agni or the digestive fire leading to the vitiation of pitta dosha.

Causes of Hyperacidity:

Hurry ,  Worry , and  Curry  are the three main reasons for the disease.

Diet (Ahara)

Spicy fried junk food

Carbonated drinks

Excessive use of chilly, mustard, garam masala powder (spice mixture), garlic etc. in diet

Salty and sour foods like chips

Eating of stale, fermented foods (dosa, uttappa, idli, dhokla etc. bakery food items).

Excessive intake of fast food

Excessive intake of Oily foods, pickles

Excessive intake of tea/coffee.

Lesser intake of water

Irregular meal times

Skipping meals

Repeated food intake (before the digestion of the previously taken food)

Incompatible food like taking non-veg with milk, sour fruits with milk, pizza followed by milkshake

Eating too late at night

Regimens (Vihara)

Lack of rest

Fast moving lifestyle.

Insufficient sleep at night.

Sleeping immediately after meals.

Sleeping in daytime

Mental factors

Stressful lifestyle
Excessive anxiety

Anger

Other causes of acidity include:

Medications: Some anti-inflammatory drugs, when taken for a long period of time can develop chances of hyperacidity.

Drinking alcohol

Smoking

Pregnancy

Obesity

Fasting

All the above factors result in an excessive increase of  Pitta dosha  in the body and exhibits symptoms of amlapitta.

The condition of Amlapitta is explained with a simile just as milk is poured into curd pot immediately attains sourness and gets into an inspissated form. In the same way, repeatedly eaten food gets improperly burnt and causes acidity.

Signs and symptoms

Vomiting

Loss of proper taste of food

Loss of interest of food

Headache

Heart &chest burn (retrosternal burning)

Sour or bitter test in mouth and belching.

Nausea

Throat burn

Regurgitation of food or sour substance

Gaseous distention/ bloating of abdomen

Pain in abdomen

Chest pain

Foul smelling loose motions.

Burning sensation over feet, hands

Mouth ulcers

Fatigue (especially in legs)

Tiredness

Fainting

Ayurveda has explained 2 main types of amlapitta:

Urdhvag Amlapitta: Mainly characterized by vomiting due to upward movement of pitta 

Adhoga Amlapitta: Mainly characterized by loose motions due to downward movement of pitta.

Investigations

If there is chronic hyperacidity, following investigations are useful:

Gastroscopy (Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy)

Barium Meal x-ray

Gastrin levels in blood

Serology + histology for H. Pylori

Stool routine examination

Complications 

If not treated at the proper time or if faulty diet, regimen and habits continued, it can complicate as

Gastric Ulcer
Chronic Gastritis
Duodenitis
Prevention

 Prevention is better than cure  it is better to avoid all the causative factors of acid-peptic disorders (amlapitta).

Avoid excessive salty, oily, sour and spicy foods

Avoid heavy and untimely food

Avoid smoking and alcohol intake

Avoid overcooked, stale and contaminated food

Avoid fried and junk food items

Do not skip meals

Avoid fast

Do not overeat

Avoid untimely and irregular food habit

Avoid foods containing excess amount of garlic, salt, oil, chilies etc. very often.

Avoid toor dal, horse gram, fenugreek

Avoid lying down immediately after food

Avoid, smoking, alcohol, tea, coffee and aspirin type drugs

Follow the meal times

Take Light food, Coconut water, articles having cooling properties

Take vegetables like white pumpkin, cucumber, leafy vegetables except Methi

Take Wheat, old rice, green gram

Fruits like gooseberry, dry grapes (black resins), black grapes, pomegranate, fig, dry fig, custard apple.

Take adequate amount of fluids like pomegranate juice, amla juice, kokam syrup.

Medicated water with ushir (wala) or coriander-cumin seeds or tulsi seeds (sabja) or laja (puffed rice). 

Take Warm water.

Take Moravla (jam made from amla), gulkand (jam made from rose petals) 

Take One teaspoonful of ghee with warm milk

Take adequate sleep

Exercise regularly

Avoid stress

Follow mental relaxation techniques like meditation, Yoga and Pranayama

Medical management

As the disease is of Pitta origin, all measures are undertaken to pacify pitta.

Some important drugs useful in Amlapitta

Shatavari, Yashtimadhu, Amalaki, Sunthi, Guduchi, Ushir, chandan shankhabhasma, suvarnamakshik bhasma, pravalpishti, sariva, bhunimb etc

Some important Ayurvedic Medicinal Preparations are helpful when taken under proper guidance

Kamdudha Rasa 

Sutashekhar Rasa 

Prawal Panchamrit 

Shankh vati

Bhoonimbadi kwath

Avipattikar Churna

Shatavarighrit etc

'Panchakarma procedures' like Vamana (induced vomiting) or Virechana (induced loose motions) whichever is needed as per the symptoms should be administered. In chronic cases, Asthapana basti (medicated enema) is indicated.

Hyperacidity And Ayurveda!

Gastric acids are chemicals provided by your stomach to aid digestion. But the corrosive effects they induce are counteracted by the secretion of other chemicals. It is when the secretion of these chemicals is impaired that it leads to damaged stomach lining, causing acidity, also known as acid reflux.

Ayurveda promises some easy home treatments for acidity which are quite efficient in ensuring fast recovery for you. You can use any of these listed Ayurvedic treatments if you suffer from acidity.

1. Amla powder (Indian Gooseberry) and honey
 
Soak one teaspoonful of amla powder in half a cup of water. Add honey and stir and drink empty stomach in the morning. Repeat similarly for the evening.
 
2. Cumin seeds

You can reduce cumin seeds to their powder form, then you have to add half a spoon of it to water; presumably, one liter. Then, keep the solution boiling then filter it. You will have to make sure that you drink this solution instead of normal water. Take this water based solution everyday till recovery. This is quite an effective remedy for acidity.
 
3. Mulethi (liquorice) and honey
 
You can reduce liquorice root to powder, then to half a spoon of this powder add little honey to form paste. Lick to consume this paste twice daily after meals. Liquorice neutralizes the acids quickly to give relief.

4. White pumpkin juice
 
Take white pumpkin peel and slice it and make a pulpy juice out of it. Half a cup twice daily gives fast recovery from gastritis and acidity. Alternatively you may eat sweet made of pumpkin (peetha ki methai) after meals.
 
5. Buttermilk

You can take half a glass of buttermilk and add a pinch of each asafetida and turmeric to it. With it, also take care to add a tiny amount of fenugreek and drink it at night, to make the most of its benefits.

6. Jaggery

You can try taking boiled ash gourd with jaggery. This relieves the burning sensation in the stomach to a considerable extent.

6 Ayurvedic Home Treatments For Acidity

Ayurvedic treatment for Hyperacidity

Acidity gives you tremendous discomfort. The stomach condition wherein acid levels of the gastric juices are much more than normal is known as hyperacidity. It causes uneasiness alongside symptoms like loss of appetite, heartburn, unexpected stomach pain, etc. According to Ayurveda, the main cause of this condition is the worsening of the Pitta Dosha (the fire element) in your body.

The reasons that worsen this dosha are:

- Having foods that don't match your constitution or which aren't supposed to be had like milk and salt or milk and fish
- Extremely spicy and sour beverages and foods
- White flour products
- Products made from white sugar
- Smoking
- Excessive intake of coffee and tea
- Alcohol
- Having food even though you may be suffering from indigestion
- Controlling the urge to urinate or pass stool
- Prolonged exposure to heat and the sun

What happens to your digestive power?

The exacerbated Pitta worsens your digestive fire, causing your food to be not properly digested as well as influence the production of ama (toxins). When ama builds up in your various digestive channels, it brings about the problem of hyperacidity. The treatment focuses on calming down the irritated Pitta Dosha. For this, certain herbs are used to get rid of the toxins that block these channels. This automatically improves your digestive fire, bringing about better digestion.

What changes you're required to make?

To keep this problem at bay, there are certain lifestyle changes that you may have to make such as

- To curb the consumption of acidic foods like garlic, onions, ginger, vinegar, and tomatoes
- Avoid having curd/yogurt at night
- Practice yoga and Pranayam like Bhujangasana, Vajrasana, Shitkari Pranayam and so on
- Avoid fermented as well as processed foods
- Avoid coffee, tea, alcoholic or carbonated beverages

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

15 Best Ayurvedic Remedies to Cure Hyperacidity | Acid Reflux

If you are experiencing heartburn during pregnancy, it is important for you to know about the ways of dealing with it. Heartburn, which is a fiery, painful sensation, occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) starts leaking or relaxing. This makes your stomach acids to flow up into the esophagus, resulting in acidity or heartburn. Pregnant women are more susceptible to heartburns because the relaxing hormone slows down the rate of digestion, thereby keeping food in the stomach for longer duration and triggering acidity.

Here are the various measures you should take for dealing with acidity during pregnancy:

Follow regular eating patterns: Overeating triggers heart burns, and hence, you should eat less. During pregnancy, there is much less space in the stomach for it to expand. Maintaining a healthy diet in lesser quantities will help you in eliminating the heartburn throughout your pregnancy. You should eat several small meals a day instead of having two or three large meals. It is easier for your body to digest smaller meals.
Avoid trigger foods: You need to identify the common foods, which trigger your heartburn, and eliminate them from your diet. You should abstain from consuming acidic food items like tomatoes, citrus fruits, fried and spicy food, coffee, carbonated drinks, and alcohol.
Focus on fluids: A liquid diet causes much lesser problems compared to solid food products as they can move through your stomach quickly. You should consume milkshakes, soups, yoghurt, smoothies, puddings, and protein shakes. Try to take liquids, which are rich in protein like dairy products. While having solid foods, ensure that you chew them very well.
Sleep properly: In order to avoid heartburn during the night, you must not eat anything three hours before going to sleep. You should make the head of your bed elevated by placing books or any solid object under the bed s legs. You should sleep on your left side, which will make it difficult for stomach acids to travel up to your esophagus.
Sit or stand up right after a meal: After taking any meal, you should take a short walk, undertake some housework, or sit down for a while. Avoid lying down, and abstain from doing anything for which you have to bend over.
Wear comfortable clothes: You should wear loose-fitting clothes for dealing with acidity or heartburn during pregnancy. Tight clothing puts extra pressure on your abdomen, which is already crammed. This is capable of worsening acid reflux. Therefore, you should choose loose fitting maternity wear for eliminating acidity and heartburn.


Acidity During Pregnancy - How It Can Be Dealt With?

The quote 'Good day starts with coffee' suits a lot of people who love nothing more than a cup of coffee every morning. However, your morning tryst with a cup of coffee might not be a very healthy habit. Believe it or not, addiction to caffeine (in the form of coffee) is as harmful as addiction to any other drug. In fact, caffeine is a legal drug that slowly and gradually damages your gastrointestinal tract. Here are the negative effects of coffee on your digestive system:

Increases Acidity: Coffee is known to contain different kinds of oils, acids and caffeine. These compounds have an adverse impact on the digestive system. The stomach and intestinal linings get damaged due to the over-consumption of these compounds in the form of coffee. Moreover, as you take coffee, your stomach produces more hydrochloric acid for digestion. This causes acidity and hampers the HCL levels altogether. When we take coffee regularly for years in empty stomach, our body's capacity of producing proper amounts of HCL gets hampered. Often, HCL production gets reduced as well. This leads to indigestion of other food items and effects flatulence and produces unwanted gases due to the improper breaking of proteins and fats by the body.
Ulcers and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Doctors believe that coffee acts as an irritant for patients of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), gastritis, Crohn's disease, colitis and ulcers. Coffee is responsible for the irritation of the lining of stomach and intestine. It is also noticed that certain enzymes present in the coffee beans are also harmful to the gastrointestinal tract.
Heartburn: Coffee is responsible for relaxing the esophageal sphincter muscle. The relaxation of this muscle hinders the process of digestion and causes acid-reflux, resulting in heartburn. It is known to have compounds that have diuretic, laxative and mineral blocking effects on the body.
Laxative Effects: Coffee stimulates the process of peristalsis or movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract. The peristalsis starts immediately after food is swallowed by the individual. The intake of coffee catalyzes peristalsis and consequently leads to emptying of the stomach even before the food is digested properly. The semi-digested food is sent to the intestine too early, causing injury to the intestine and hampering the absorption of nutrients.
Affects absorption of minerals: Caffeine reduces the ability of the stomach to absorb iron and also hinders the absorption of minerals like calcium, zinc and magnesium by the kidney. All these minerals help in digestion at different points and regulate the bowel movement.
Coffee is known to have benefits like reduction of constipation and sugar absorption. But, it also interferes with the smooth functioning of the digestive system. It has a tendency to increase stomach aches, disturb the fluid balance and the overall process of digestion.

Coffee and Your Digestion

Acidity or acid efflux refers to a sharp pain and burning sensation in the center of a person s chest. Often referred to as heartburn, this disorder affects millions of people across the world. Even though suffering from acidity once in a while is more or less normal, a frequent case of acid reflux may be indicative of a more severe underlying condition.

Here is a look at some of the common reasons behind your recurring acidity.

Lying down after a meal: A meal requires a bit of time to get digested. Before digestion, the acid is contained in the stomach using the diaphragm. However, if you lie down right after having a meal, the diaphragm may or the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) may open up, causing the stomach acid to spill into the chest. This can alleviate acidity symptoms. Similarly, a particularly heavy meal can also cause acidity.
Obesity: People who are overweight or obese have a greater risk of suffering from acidity compared to those who maintain an ideal body weight. So, start exercising and losing the extra pounds if you have been suffering from acid reflux for quite a while now.
Certain foods: Citrus fruits and vegetables contain citric acid, which help in increasing the overall acidic level in the stomach. Other foods, which should be avoided and can be a cause for acidity include chocolates, garlic, mint, onions, oily and fatty foods. You do not have to stop having these foods completely, but you should try to avoid them as much as possible.
Certain beverages: Alcohol consumption can often lead to acidity. It is best to avoid regular alcohol consumption and even if you choose to have a peg or two, make sure it is only for a limited period of time. Regular or excessive consumption of other artificially sweetened drinks, carbonated drinks and even tea or coffee, can also lead to acid reflux syndrome. If you partake any of these drinks, try to reduce the amount and ingest as little as possible.
Pregnancy: Pregnant women undergo a plethora of changes in their bodies. Some are visible from the exterior, while the others happen inside the body. A range of hormonal changes occur at this point in time which can cause certain problems in the body. One of the major hormones linked to acid reflux during pregnancy is progesterone. This hormone is vital for the proper growth and development of the fetus, but the hormone also slows down the rate of digestion. 

5 Sure Shot Reasons Behind That Acidity 

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