The human digestive system is a very complicated and sizeable component of the body. It starts right at the beginning of the mouth, ending at the rectum. Some of the major responsibilities of the digestive system include absorption of essential nutrients and elimination of wastes.

Not only do digestive problems have embarrassing and unwanted symptoms, serious, chronic diseases can be caused if the minor problems are not treated.

Some digestive problems are listed below:

GERD: This is a burning sensation that results from acids in the stomach being squirted into the oesophagus. A burning sensation is felt, right from the chest to the end of the throat. Frequent heartburns can lead to GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), symptoms of which include dry cough, sore throat, chest discomfort and difficulty in swallowing.
Bloating: This is caused due to the presence of excess gas in the colon, small intestines or the stomach.
Dyspepsia: This is an uncomfortable feeling or pain which occurs in the upper abdominal regions, mostly a result of excess food intake. It is commonly referred to as indigestion. Dyspepsia can be discomforting and if prolonged, medical assistance should be opted for.
Chronic Constipation: Persistent constipation (chronic) is a sign that there is a problem with the elimination of wastes. This usually happens when the colon is unable to move or pass stools. Other major causes of chronic constipation can be changes in your usual diet, various eating disorders, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and excessive consumption of dairy products among others.
Food Intolerance: This occurs when the digestive system is unable to tolerate certain food items. This condition is different from food allergies as it only affects the digestive system. Some of the common symptoms include diarrhoea, headache, gas and vomiting.
Possible Serious Conditions-

A gastroenterologist is a type of doctor that specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases involving the digestive system. If you continue to experience digestion problems, it s time to make an appointment.

More serious signs could mean an emergency medical problem. Those signs include:

bloody stools
continuous vomiting
severe abdominal cramps
sweating
sudden, unintentional weight loss
These symptoms could be an indication of an infection, gallstones, hepatitis, internal bleeding, or cancer.

Medications-

You may be able to overcome digestion problems with treatment and lifestyle changes. Certain diseases of the digestive system might be long-term, but medications can help alleviate symptoms.

Identifying specific digestion problems and talking with a gastroenterologist can go a long way in terms of helping your doctor give you a proper diagnosis. Remember, you don t have to put up with constant digestive issues.

Problems Related To Digestion!

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!

When there is excessive acid build-up in your body, you experience a burning sensation in your chest. This condition is called acidity.  


You feel a burning sensation in your chest, your mouth tastes sour and your throat may feel sore during bouts of acidity.  An antacid can give you quick relief, but sometimes, you might feel like it isn t working very well for you. Ayurveda may help you in this case.
Ayurveda is safe, and it provides a natural way to heal acidity.


Here are some Ayurvedic remedies for acidity:
1. Bananas: The potassium in bananas is an excellent antidote to acidity. Eating a ripe banana can provide you relief from the discomforting symptoms of acidity.


2. Milk: The calcium in milk bars acid build-up and absorbs the extra acid produced. For best results, drink cold milk to ease your discomfort.


3. Mint leaves: Mint reduces acid production and cools the burning sensation in your stomach. Chop and boil some mint leaves; then drink the cooled solution for relief.


4. Tulsi: Tulsi boosts mucus production in the stomach and has antiulcer properties. To ease your discomfort, chew on 5-6 tulsi leaves.


5. Cardamom: Elaichi, or cardamom, is a multi-purpose remedy. It stimulates digestion, reduces stomach spasms, soothes the stomach lining and prevents excessive acid production. Just crush two pods of elaichi in boiling water and drink it for quick results.


6.  Cloves: Cloves boost saliva production, which helps in digestion and reducing the symptoms of acidity. For relieving acidity, just bite a piece of clove and keep it in your mouth. The oils released from the clove will reduce acidity within no time.


7. Aniseed: Aniseed cools the stomach lining, which reduces the burning sensation. Simply chewing a few aniseeds or saunf seeds, can bring about instant relief.


8. Cumin: Cumin stimulates saliva production, which aids in improving digestion and metabolism. You can eat cumin seeds, or boil them in water and then drink the solution for relief.


9. Ginger: Ginger improves digestion and helps absorb and assimilate essential nutrients better. It also protects your stomach from ulcers by boosting mucus secretion, which reduces the damage to the stomach lining caused by acid.


10. Amla: Also called the Indian gooseberry, amla has high amounts of vitamin C in it, which helps in healing the agitated lining of the stomach and oesophagus. You can consume one teaspoon of gooseberry powder to prevent acidity.

Acidity - 10 Ayurvedic Remedies Can Help You Treat it

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

The LES valve in the stomach is designed in such a way that as soon as food passes through it, it closes. If however, LES remains partially or fully open, acid produced by the stomach can move up to the esophagus resulting in a burning sensation called acid reflux or heartburn. This condition is commonly known as the hital hernia.

Some of the common symptoms of acid reflux:
1. Consumption of large meals at one go.
2. Lying down immediately after having a meal.
3. Obesity or being overweight.
4. Consumption of snacks just before bedtime .
5. Consumption of certain food items such as chocolate, garlic, onion and citrus-related food.
6. Consumption of caffeine related products such as coffee, liquor and cigarettes.
7. Certain medicines such as aspirin is also known to be a trigger for acid reflux.
8. Pregnant women or patients with blood pressure are known to be suffering from acid reflux.

Tips to deal with acid reflux
There is a wide range of treatment options available for acid reflux. If you are suffering from occasional heartburn, there are some wonderful home remedies that can be tried. However, if the acid reflux recurs more than once in a week, it is best to consult a doctor. Home remedies to deal with acid reflux:
1. Sleeping on the left side is known to reduce acid reflux.
2. Reducing weight greatly helps in tackling acid burn. Patients with obesity are more vulnerable to acid burn.
3. It is best to avoid food that triggers acid burn.
4. Chewing gum greatly helps in countering acid burn. It helps in producing saliva which soothe the esophagus.
5. Intake of One spoon of baking soda every day proves to be extremely effective. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate which has a pH of more than 7 and can effectively neutralize the acid from stomach.
6. Intake of aloe vera, apple, banana or ginger is known to have very positive effects on acid burn.
7. Intake of 1 table-spoon of mustard can give instant relief from acid burn. Mustard s alkaline properties can make the acid neutral in the system.
8. Regular intake (one after every meal) of almond helps to fight acid burn

Medication:
1. If you are buying over the counter, Histamine 2 blockers is a great medicine that instantly gives relief from an acid burn. Typically Doctors suggest this medicine with a higher dosage. This medicine can be consumed half an hour before the consumption of a meal. However, It is best to consult a doctor before consuming any medication.
2. Doctors often suggest medicine from the PPI family. It effectively blocks acid production in the esophagus for a longer duration. Some common medicine from this group includes Lansoprazole, Pantoprazole and Rabeprazole. Although, a doctor should be consulted. 

What Causes Acid Reflux? 8 Tips to Deal With it

The problem of acidity occurs when the gastric glands of the stomach release extra acid, i.e. hydrochloric acid. This acid helps in the breakdown and digestion of eating food and when the extra hydrochloric acid is produced, that is when the problem of acidity arises. 

Types of acidity

Two types of acid reflux are

Upright acid reflux: Every hour when you are sitting throughout the day, upright acid reflux occurs.
Supine acid reflux: This form of acid reflux generally happens at night when the acid flows twice in the esophagus. Throughout the night time, we usually relax ourselves, so the acids are likely to go upside down. Visit a doctor before your supine acid reflux gets worse.
Symptoms of acidity:
Dyspepsia and heartbeat are the major symptoms of acidity. Heartburn usually occurs when you have your meal and is more irritated if you are involved in heavy weight lifts which result in stomach pressure.
Although you can experience different forms of acidity, symptoms of both types can be common. General symptoms of both the upright and supine Acid Reflux include ulcers, sinusitis, dysfunction, tooth decay. Chronic Supreme Reflux can cause chronic pain in the chest, long-term damage to the arms and jaws, stomach and respiratory tract.

Treatment for Acidity
There are seven ways to help treat your acidity:

Maintain a healthy die as maintaining proper habit is important. The consumption of spicy, processed food, pebbles, and high-fat food is not recommended. Eat slowly and chew your food properly.
Quit smoking and avoid alcohol consumption, as it increases heartbeat problems.
Diagnose yourself and meet a doctor. Some clinical trials to be conducted include X-rays, blood tests and endoscopy.
Some tips that you can follow to prevent insult include: (A) Avoid exercising with the entire stomach (B) Do not wear tight fitting clothes while sleeping (C) If you go to bed at least three Wait hours ago.
Your body weight also plays a crucial role. The weight of the extra body is pressured on the lower esophagus (LES) sphincter, which can weaken it over time. If LES fails to shut down correctly, then you are likely to experience from acid reflux.
Long-time acute stress and anxiety can cause acidity. You can follow some relaxation techniques to deal with stress and anxiety.
Dietary supplements available in health food stores and drug stores such as calcium and digestive enzymes can reduce the acidity.
Most of us can understand that acidity is a superficial issue, but when it gets spoiled it causes serious health issues such as an ulcer. Therefore, it is suggested to be attentive to the symptoms and moves forward a suitable remedy for acidity, positively.

Acidity - 7 Tips To Help You Control It!

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