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Here’s how you can turn the tables around on this much-dreaded condition.
24th June, 2019
For those who have never experienced it, it may seem like no big deal. But if you have suffered from heartburn even once, then you are familiar with the slow torture that a little bit of digestive juices can do to your insides.
Acidity or heartburn—because of the burning sensation it causes in the upper chest area and near the throat—is caused by the presence of excessive acid in the stomach and/or when stomach acids are pushed upward. Acidity usually occurs due to erroneous eating habits or incorrect postures or pressure in the abdominal area.
While acidity can occur any time of the day, it strikes most people post meals, at night, while they are lying down or if there is a strain on the intra-abdominal area. This troublesome condition can be triggered by many different reasons. Fortunately, with the right tweaks in one’s lifestyle as well as diet, this problem can be kept at bay. So, if you are a victim of acidity, here’s what you need to do…
Lifestyle changes:
- If you must have your morning cuppa, make sure that you brew the tea leaves instead of boiling them.
- Stress triggers overproduction of stomach acids. Work on bringing your anxiety down with regular meditation, deep-breathing and exercise.
- If you must lie down after a meal, make sure you choose the left side.
- Avoid late night eating. Have your last meal three hours before sleeping.
- Avoid tight clothing: tight belts, waistbands, and panty hose that press on the stomach may worsen your symptoms.
- Do not overeat or eat fast. Chew slowly, allowing saliva to get properly mixed with the masticated food.
Avoid:
- Excessive consumption of alcohol, spicy and fried food, tea and coffee. Fast food, especially those containing refined wheat flour, meat, chicken etc., could also trigger acidity, so go easy on junk.
- Stress, erratic hours of sleep.
- Certain drugs like sulfa and some steroids.
- Avoid long gaps in-between meals.
- Carminatives like peppermint, cigarette smoke, and tobacco. Nicotine, one of the active ingredients in cigarettes, weakens the lower oesophageal sphincter, making it difficult to prevent the acid-containing contents in the stomach from entering the oesophagus.
Add:
- A glass of warm water with half a lemon and 1 tsp of honey should be consumed first thing in the morning.
- Don’t like lime and honey water? Soak 7-8 yellow raisins (munakkas) in water overnight and have it first thing in the morning. Raisins have high alkaline properties and balance the acid in the body when consumed.
- Eat a banana daily as this fruit contains protective properties that work against acidity and heartburn.
- Chew on basil (tulsi) leaves for instant relief from nausea and gas.
- Cold milk works wonders for many.
- Boil one cup of water. To this add 1 tsp of aniseed (saunf). Cover and leave overnight. Strain the water in the morning, add 1 tsp of honey. Have this solution at least thrice a day to get positive results.
If, however, you do not get any relief from the above mentioned tips, or if your symptoms occur frequently and persist for more than 3 to 4 weeks, you should get an evaluation done by your health professional to determine whether your acidity is an indicator of some other persistent disorder.
