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

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

Acidity is an ailment that troubles most people regardless of the absence of any other medical condition. It causes discomfort in the chest region along with heart burn and indigestion. If you are distressed with acidity, you may consider undergoing Ayurvedic treatment which would help in alleviating the problem to a great extent.

1. Tulsi leaves:
  Tulsi leaves help in stimulating the stomach for production of more mucus and are also rich in anti-ulcer properties which cause a significant reduction in the effects of gastric acid.
  It is recommended to chew 5 to 6 clean Tulsi leaves when you have acidity to soothe the stomach.

2. Bananas:
  The potassium content in ripe bananas helps in eliminating sudden bouts of acidity.
  Bananas also aid in relieving constipation problems and cause healthy bowel movement.

3. Cumin seeds:
  Cumin seeds which are commonly used in cooking dishes have anti-inflammatory properties that aid in soothing the digestive tract.
  These stimulate saliva production, boost metabolism and relieve the problem of bloating along with other discomforts caused by gastric troubles.
  You may chew a few cumin seeds when troubled with acidity or boil them in water and drink the solution.

4. Cold milk:
  The richness of calcium in milk aids in reducing acid problems and absorbing the acid which has already been produced.
  It helps in providing instant relief from the burning sensation owing to its coldness.
  But it is important to drink it plain without any additives like sugar.

5. Cloves:
  Cloves are known for their calmative properties which help to improve the process of peristalsis by which food moves down the stomach.
  When you put a clove in your mouth, just bite it once to help in releasing the extracts which would reach your digestive tract and immediately lower down the acid reflux.

6. Ginger:
  If you do not find raw ginger to be very pungent, you can keep a candied ginger slice in your mouth for instant relief from acidity.
  If you feel that you wouldn t be able to chew raw ginger, you can boil it in water and drink it after it cools down.
  Ginger can be also eaten with a small piece of jaggery to help the juice reach the stomach and alleviate the acidity.

7. Mint leaves:
  Commonly referred to as  pudina , mint leaves are known for lowering the acid content and improve digestion.
  If you feel that an acid attack is imminent, you can chop down a few mint leaves and boil it in water and drink the solution for eliminating bloating problems.

These few Ayurvedic remedies can help in soothing acidity along with its other symptoms.

Acidity - 6 Amazing Home Remedies That Can Help!

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 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!

4 Superfoods and home remedies to get rid of acidity

Excessive secretion of stomach acids brings about the problem of acidity with heartburn and dyspepsia being its common symptoms. There are foods as well as home remedies that can help you to get rid of this problem.

Some of them are:

1. Bananas - Being an excellent source of potassium, this fruit helps to keep acid production in balance. Moreover, certain elements in bananas aid in increasing the production of stomach mucus that helps to protect the organ from adverse effects of excessive acid production. Even its high fiber content promotes digestion, preventing the occurrence of acidity once again.

2. Ginger - Consuming ginger can help to bring about a significant improvement in digestion, superior absorption as well as proper assimilation of important nutrients. This root is helpful in protecting your body from stomach ulcers by enabling mucus production, thereby decreasing the negative effects of acid on the stomach.

3. Melons - Melons are also extremely good for fighting acidity. They have a pH of 6.1 and can be had as whole or as fruit juice. Whether it is watermelons or honeydew, these are refreshing fruits filled with nutrients. Each bite of a watermelon, for instance, contains high levels of Vitamins A, C, and B6, amino acids, antioxidants and lycopene as well as potassium.

4. Mint leaves - Even mint leaves are helpful in slowing down the acid buildup in the stomach while improving digestion. Its cooling effect can help to cut down the pain as well as burning sensation associated with acid reflux.

In addition to having these foods, there are certain home remedies that you can try for fighting acidity:

- It's wise to have your last meal about 2-3 hours before your bedtime to allow time for digestion of the food matter.
- You should always have your meals at regular fixed intervals. Keeping too wide a gap between meals can cause you to suffer from acidity.
- To curb instances of acidity, it's best to avoid spicy foods and caffeinated beverages.
- Having a glass of lukewarm water daily can also help in combating acidity.

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

4 Superfoods to Get Rid of Acidity + 4 Home Remedies

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