Stressful lifestyles and irregular diets make people prone to ailments that compromise the quality of life. One such condition is hyperacidity. It means hydrochloric acid (HCL) is released in excess in the stomach, which leads to ulcers.
What Causes Hyperacidity
- Eating spicy, sour, stale foods, fast foods, fizzy drinks, and heavy meals
- Specific seasons, such as the rainy and autumn season
- Untimely eating habits
- Particular climates
- Eating too much of pulses
- Suppressing urges
- Poisoning
- Anger, anxiety, and depression
- Eating white flour products frequently
- Eating leafy vegetables in surplus quantity
- Sleeping immediately after meals
- Excessive drinking of water
- Long working hours disturbing night sleep
- Intake of nicotine and caffeine products
- Carbonated drinks
- Constipation
- Foods that are high in fats, such as chocolates
- Alcohol and smoking
- Skipping breakfast and keeping stomach empty for longer periods of time
- Pregnancy, obesity, and aging
What Are The Symptoms?
- Indigestion
- Nausea
- Tiredness
- Aciditc feeling
- Heaviness in the body
- Burning sensation behind the sternum and in the throat
- Anorexia
- Upper abdomen pain after meal
- Loss of desire for 1 or 2 days
- Sour belching or heartburn
- Bloating
- Burping or belching
- Blood in stool or blood vomiting
- Sudden development of anemia
What Are The Types?
One set of symptoms indicate problems in the upper gastrointestinal tract. These include vomiting tendency, acidic feeling, bad taste, salivation, pain after meal, or burning sensation in throat and chest, in association with slight headaches and vomiting of acidic yellowish contents.
The other type of symptoms indicate problems in the lower part of the gastrointestinal tract, and this causes irregular, loose motion, skin rashes, delusion, thirst, burning sensation, giddiness, fainting, pale body coloration, sweating, and allergic patches.
What Should You Eat?
Foods recommended are wheat, barley, cucumber, rice grains that are 12 months old, pumpkin, cow’s milk, bitter gourd, pomegranate, and green banana.
Include essential fibers to aid digestion. Take a balanced diet and do not have spicy foods. Eat small meals to help digestion. Sleep after 2 to 3 hours after dinner so that you are healthy.
Avoid foods rich in oils and fats. Eating fried, junk, or fatty foods and excessive chocolates is also not right. Intake of coffee and tea in large quantities causes hyperacidity. Also avoid alcohol and smoking as they contain heavy acidic contents. Keep away from sour foods like tamarind, pickles, and vinegar. Consuming bakery or white flour products, taking chilled drinks or frozen foods, and eating again before the earlier meal has been properly digested must be avoided.
What Lifestyle Changes Should You Follow?
- Food must be fresh. It’s best to have seasonal foods.
- Eat mindfully, relishing the taste so that salivation increases and helps in digestion.
- Avoid sleeping directly after lunch or dinner.
- Walk in the morning and evening for 15 minutes.
- Control anger and anxiety.
- Avoid painkillers.
- Eat small meals at frequent intervals.
- Keep your bowels clean.
- Eating with distractions such as driving, reading books, phones, computers, or gaming devices negates the digestive process balance.
- It’s best to eat between 10 am and 2 pm so that the digestion is effective.
- Avoid working late night as your sleep becomes lesser, and this worsens hyperacidity.
Are There Any Home Remedies?
- Drink 200–500 ml coconut water to avert acidity.
- Drink coriander and cumin tea.
- Mix rice corn gruel, honey, and raw sugar equally. Take this twice every day such that one dose is 100–200 g. This will protect the stomach mucus lining.
- Drink licorice tea.
- Chew a few tulsi or holy basil leaves to avert acidic reflux.
- Eat cucumber, papaya, and watermelon in average quantities.
- Drink mint juice with peppermint oil. It is good for curing acidity and reduces gas formation after the meal.
- Chew saunf (fennel seeds) after meals.
Are There Herbal Remedies?
Amla
The best recommended herb for hyperacidity treatment is amla or Indian gooseberry. It may be taken with warm milk or can be eaten with vegetables so that the acidity is reduced.
Coriander
This herb is used in cooking, and coriander as a spice is an equally effective treatment. You can also take coriander juice with buttermilk and keep hyperacidity away.
Mint
The mint family has peppermint, basil, and spearmint whose natural oils give a great relief to heartburn symptoms.
Licorice
Prepare a herbal tea with licorice, which offers relief from burning pain and acid reflux symptoms.
Haritaki And Bhringraj
Haritaki (chebulic myrobalan) and bhringraj (false daisy) powder taken in equal quantity is recommended. Mix 3–6 gms of these powders with 12 gms of jaggery and take with warm water twice a day to help acid reflux and heartburn.
Aloe Vera
Juice or gel of aloe vera is also helpful, but peptic ulcer patients should avoid it.
What Yoga Poses Should I Try?
Morning walk is good for your health and keeps acidity under control. Walk for 2 kilometers in the morning.
Depression and anxiety cause acidity, so live a stress-free life. Meditation and yoga help patients to overcome daily stress. Some useful yoga postures are:
- Surya namaskar or sun salutation
- Vajrasana or thunderbolt pose
- Sarvangasana or shoulder stand
- Paschimottanasana or seated forward bend
- Bhujangasana or cobra pose
- Naukasana or boat pose
- Bhastrika pranayam or bellows breath
It is best to manage hyperacidity using ayurveda practices. These are simple and best when followed with diligence.
