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
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
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
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.
Throat burn
Regurgitation of food or sour substance
Gaseous distention/ bloating of abdomen
Pain in abdomen
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)
Complications
If not treated at the proper time or if faulty diet, regimen and habits continued, it can complicate as
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
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.