What is acidity? :
Acidity can be explained as the discomfort that occurs in the stomach and makes on one feels. The food we eat has to be digested properly for that our body secrets hydrochloric acids (HCL). In certain cases the amount of acid secreted by our body will be high and the excess acid after digestion will be left behind and creates discomfort and irritation. It is not a contagious disease.
Gas trouble is caused due to the air we swallow or due to irregular meal intakes. Actually acidity causes gas trouble. .
Is acidity and gastric problems/gas trouble the same?
No, both are not the same. Acidity is due to the excess release of acid in our body an due to the consumption of food rich in acid content. Whereas gastric problems are caused due to acidity. But the preventive methods for both acidity and gas trouble are the same.
Symptoms of acidity and gastric problems :
People with acidity and gastric problems will have irritations in their stomach, will often burp or fart, indigestion, some may even have nausea and vomiting, some may even have constipation too.
How to get rid off acidity?
Acidity is a disease that has to be treated or else it will lead to various other diseases. To a certain extent, by changing our daily routine and habits, acidity can be controlled. Try the below steps and only if it is not effective, consult a doctor.
- In today's world, most of us are engaged in office jobs, henceforth our body hardly moves. Gradually we become lazy but this has lot of side effects. Gas trouble is one and the most prominent among them. Therefore we need to do daily exercises for our body to get sufficient movements. It is advisable to do exercises in the open air and preferably at the same time every day. But never undertake exercises that are too heavy for you or very light in nature. Always choose the one you are comfortable with. If you are a little aged, then I would suggest walking as the best exercise.
- Another thing you have to make a note of is, avoid drinking water along with your meals. This causes acidity. Always make it a habit to either drink water one hour prior to your meal or one hour after your meal. Drink lots of water, it's always good for you and helps with digestion
- Give proper time for the food to be digested, therefore avoid going to bed as soon as you have finished your meals. Do some light activities such as chatting, watching TV, listening to music or so for an hour or two. This gives your body ample time to digest the food you have eaten. After that you can have a sound sleep.
- Always make it a habit to eat slowly and to properly chew the food you are eating. You have to be extra careful while eating non-vegetarian food items. Never be in a hurry, instead take time and eat.
- Skipping your breakfast or any other meals is one of the reason why people get acidity, therefore never skip a meal and always take your meals in proper time as irregular meals also will lead to these problems. Never eat late night or sit hungry for too long. This will lead to gas formation in your stomach.
- Include lot of fiber rich food in your daily diet so that your bowels movements will be proper.
- Avoid taking bulky meals especially during dinner. Digestion process is slow at night.
- Stress is another reason for having acidity. Today everyone seems to be stressed either at work or at home and this gives us lot of diseases in return. Hence we should be able to reduce or control our stress level and also to divert our mind from the factors causing stress.
- Practicing Yoga is also of great relief for people with acidity. Hero's pose is one of the yoga positions followed by acidic people.
Foods to be avoided :
By changing your eating habits also, you can get rid off acidity to some extent. Some foods that are to be avoided are onion, beans, cabbage, pea sprouts, potato, tapioca, chic peas, cauliflower, pickles and so on. Also try to avoid consuming raw vegetables and the vegetables that grow under the earth. Soft drinks that contain too much of carbohydrates are also not recommended for acidic people. They should also avoid foods that are rich in fat content and junk foods too. Smoking habits, intake of drugs and alcohol has to be given up completely if you wish to get rid of this irritating disease.
Foods to be included :
By adding certain foods into your daily diet, acidity can be controlled. Some of those foods include mint, garlic, ginger, carrots, more of fruits and raisins. Therefore try to consume more of these foods. Consuming tender coconut(Ilaneer) is very good for acidity.
Treatment and Medicines :
Allopathy, Homepathy and Ayurveda has medicines for acidity and gastric problems. Homepathy or Ayurveda is the best in this case as it gives a permanent relief even though the process is gradual and slow. For the timely relief, you can try consuming "Gelllusil" a very well known medicine to fight against acidity. Continuous consumption of certain Allopatheic medicines which we normally take in as pain-killers will lead to acidity.
Summary:
Many people these days have gastric and acidity problems. Here are some steps to get rid of these :
(a) Do proper exercise and make it a habit to do it every day preferably the same time. We all are into office jobs and our body hardly moves, this is one of the reason behind these kind of diseases. Never indulge yourself in heavy exercise as it will be harmful to your body. Select the one that suits you and the one you are comfortable with. Walking is the best among them.
(b) Do not drink water along with taking meals. If you have that habit, try to get rid of it. Either drink water one hour before taking meals or drink water after one hour of having meals.
(c) Never go to bed as soon as you finish your meals. Sit and watch movie or do something else, give some time for the food to digest and drink plenty of water.
(d) Avoid taking bulky meals especially during dinner. Digestion process is slow at night. Chew your food properly while eating.
(e) You should take all your meals on proper time, never skip any or sit hungry for a long time.
Foods that are to be avoided :
Avoid food like onion, beans, cabbage, pea sprouts, cauliflower and so on.
Foods that are to be included :
Try to include more of fruits, garlic, carrots and raisins in your daily diet.
If you are current following Allopathy medicine, why don't have a shift to Homepathy or Ayurveda. Even though it is a slow process there, you can get rid off it gradually and permanently.
These are some Ayurvedic methods to cure acidity.
1. Drink water boiled with corriander and pieces of clean coconut shell.
2. Take the extract of curryleaves one teaspoon twotimes daily.
3. Dry and grind the outerpart of banana. Drink one teaspoon of it with milk.
4. Add 2 teaspoon ghee to hot milk. You can take it instead of dinner or 1 or 2 hours after dinner.
5. Avoid pickles, salt, oil, curd, fried food items, and alcohol. Include sweet fruits, green leafy vegetables etc in diet
[ Nitasha Natu ]
