You’re enjoying a delicious meal, savouring every bite, when suddenly, an unwelcome guest arrives – that uncomfortable burning sensation in your chest and throat. 

Acidity! Making its grand entrance, uninvited and unwelcome.

We all dread this demon. Its mere name creeps that fiery nausea, that burning sensation down our throats. Brutal sour affair. Ugh! 

We try all the remedies told and untold, run up and down the hill, just to get a pinch of relief. 

But here’s the twist – do you know why acidity happens? Why does it gate-crashes our party? 

Most people don’t. And the lack of knowledge is what invites this acidic monster wearing horns of fire. 

Healing and prevention must always start with the right knowledge. So, we’ve got you covered. We’ll dig deep into the root causes and arm you with the knowledge to fend off heartburn’s fiery advances. Get ready and focus for a while so you don’t fear acidity ever again and enjoy each meal with that pleasantness on your face. Let’s bear-hug the basics first.

The Basics of Acidity 

A survey conducted in 2021 uncovered something about acidity that would also reflect a few factors about acidity –

According to this survey, 

32% of people aged 30-44 reported having acidity. ^[1]

Older adults and seniors suffered more from it than teens and younger adults. Why was this so? We’ll look at it while understanding acidity. 

What is acidity?

Heartburn, GERD, acid reflux, dyspepsia, hyperacidity, or even indigestion – call acidity by any name, but its brutal impact remains the same. 

Acidity is when your stomach makes too much acid to digest food. This causes problems like heartburn and a burning feeling in the chest. But why does the body produce acid after all? Great question! 

Why does the human body produce acid?

Our bodies naturally create stomach acid to help break down the food we eat. This acid is essential for digestion because it helps to dissolve and digest the nutrients in our food. However, sometimes it goes a bit over the mark, or maybe much over the mark. 

To fully grasp acidity’s intricacies, we must acquaint ourselves with its trusty companion: pH levels. 

Think of pH as a scale from 0 to 14 – 0 is the most acidic, 7 is neutral, and 14 is highly alkaline. 

Our stomach operates optimally in a highly acidic environment, boasting a pH range of around 1.5 to 3.5. 

In this acidic haven, our digestive system thrives, efficiently breaking down food. And so, we feel energetic. But then, if our bodies can thrive, why do we suffer? 

We’ll learn about it in the ‘causing factor’ section, but let’s first learn the types of acidity.

Types of acidity

Acidity comes in two distinct flavours (dreadful flavours to be true):

• Respiratory Acidity: This variety stems from imbalances in the respiratory system. The excess of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream leads to this. This usually happens due to lung diseases.
• Metabolic Acidity: Metabolic acidity, on the other hand, is a result of imbalances in the body’s metabolic processes. 

What Causes Acidity?

Now, we know that our bodies produce acid to digest food. Even though it operates in a highly acidic environment, sometimes we suffer from acidity. It is when the acid is produced more than what is required. But what causes it?

The causes behind acidity are usually a few – either we eat something wrong, do something wrong, or have something wrong with our body functions. Here are the main risk factors behind acidity or heartburn.

Dietary factors

Most people suffer from acidity due to their poor diets. We eat the wrong food; wrong food eats our peace back. Here is when diet can cause or trigger acidity:

• You eat large meals – Overeating. It stretches your stomach and causes LES (the door that stops acid coming up your food pipe) to open.
• You eat foods high in spices, fats (fast and fried food), citrus fruits and vegetables (such as pineapple, tomato, etc.), or drink acidic beverages (such as coffee, carbonated drinks, etc.).
• You lie down immediately after eating. Again, this causes LES to open up and allow acid to flow back up your food pipe.

LES stands for Lower Esophageal Sphincter. It’s a muscular ring located at the junction between the esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach) and the stomach itself. The LES acts as a valve that regulates the flow of food and liquids from the esophagus into the stomach and prevents stomach contents, including acid, from flowing back up into the esophagus.

Lifestyle factors

Then come issues with lifestyle. There are certain things that people do in their lives to invite acidity. Here are a few lifestyle factors:

• Stress and anxiety – Stress can lead to the overproduction of stomach acid, contributing to acidity issues. No wonder you might have felt something in your stomach while sagging under some deadline.
• Lack of physical exercise – A physically active lifestyle promotes digestion; a lack of it demotes it. 
• Under heavy medicines – Taking large amounts of medicines can mess with the stomach acid production process. For example, intake of ibuprofen, aspirin, NSAIDs, and some antibiotics over a prolonged period can irritate the stomach lining.
• Drinking or smoking habits.

Medical conditions

This is a rare case because if your diet and lifestyle are smooth and good, you rarely will suffer from health issues. However, there might be cases. For example, having a hereditary disease.

• You have a hiatal hernia – this will prevent your LES from doing its work.
• Health issues such as obesity, asthma, peptic ulcer, etc. 
• Pregnancy – Hormonal changes, delayed stomach emptying, abdominal pressure, growing uteras, etc. All these things make acid pass into the oesophagus.
• Aging – Ageing can weaken the LES and lead to delayed stomach emptying. These together induce acidity. This is why older adults and senior people suffer more from acidity. But, it can be dealt with. 

Did you find anything that could be putting your stomach and food pipe on fire? Or is it something else that you might be confusing with acidity? How do you know if you have acidity or not? 

Symptoms of Acidity

Knowing what we are suffering from is vital to its treatment. It is like misunderstanding the cries of an infant caused by inner injury due to hunger. So, how do you know if you have acidity or something else?

• A burning sensation starts from your stomach and rises up to your chest and throat. 
• You have a bitter or sour taste at the back of your mouth.
• Your stomach is throwing back food or liquid into your mouth.
• You have a bloated stomach and a feeling of indigestion.
• And rare cases such as bad breath, hoarse voice, etc. 

The more symptoms you have (mainly the top 4) the higher the chances that you have been possessed by this acidic demon.

Now, if this problem is chronic and is not leaving you for long, you need a medical diagnosis as well. Your doctor might do some tests such as a 24-hour pH probe, oesophagram, upper endoscopy, oesophagal manometry, etc. to confirm it and provide relevant treatment.

So, let’s learn how it must be tackled and defeated. 

How to Prevention and Cure Acidity?

In our quest to demystify the enigma of acidity, we’ve so far uncovered the fiery horrors it can unleash and learned how it sneaks into our lives uninvited. Now, let’s arm ourselves with the knowledge that can help us prevent and combat this relentless adversary.

They say that prevention is better than cure, and so, we’ll start with preventive measures first. 

How to prevent yourself from acidity?

Most of the problems in the world can easily be tackled if only we introspect. Poor diet and lifestyle are something that can push into into a volcano of sickness. So, we first have to make the necessary dietary and lifestyle changes:

• Practice mindful eating – Don’t jump onto your food. Relax. Food, if not respected, can curse us a million times more. Try to control your portion size to avoid overeating. The rule of thumb is to eat only until 80% of your stomach is full. 

Avoid overeating: Eat till you are 80% full.

This can only happen when you eat slowly. So, eat slowly. It will prevent you from swallowing air while eating, which causes bloating. 

Doing all this will take away the distension (extra pressure) on your stomach and let LES do its work.

• Eat on time – You surely might have laughed away your elders when they asked you to eat on time. “Come on maa, there is no such thing. You eat when you feel hungry.” Well, your mother might listen to this but your evolutionary body might not. Our bodies are wired to function in a way after millions of years of evolution. It releases digestive juices at certain times.
  • Establish a regular meal schedule for consistency.
  • Start your day with a nutritious breakfast within an hour or two of waking up.
  • Have your most substantial meal, lunch, around midday (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM).
  • Dinner should be lighter and eaten a few hours before bedtime (6:00 PM – 7:00 PM).
  • Choose healthy snacks if needed between meals.
  • Limit fluid intake during meals; stay hydrated between meals.
  • Listen to your body’s hunger signals, and eat when genuinely hungry.
  • Avoid eating close to bedtime to prevent acid reflux.
  • Customize meal timing to fit your individual schedule while prioritizing efficient digestion.
• Do a post-meal stroll – And we don’t mean a run. Rather, have a gentle walk after you’ve had your food. This aids digestion and prevents stomach acid from sloshing back into your oesophagus. Don’t lie down for at least 2-3 hours after your meal.
• Observe your body – Keep a note of what you eat and how your body reacts to eating. If you have foods that trigger acidity, avoid them and look for alternatives. 
• Choose the right foods – Avoid that junk and spice and all that unnecessary fat. It will only hurt your stomach and your life, even though it tantalizes your tongue for a minute. Rather, which I’d strongly suggest, opt for alkaline-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. These can help balance your body’s pH levels. 

A high-fiber diet aids in managing acidity, notably acid reflux and heartburn. 

High-fibre foods like whole grains, millet, multigrain atta, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds can enhance digestion, minimize acid reflux, and promote gastrointestinal health. 

• Ease down your stress – Stress is the killer of all your joys. Here is how it fires up the stomach and chest and life at last –
  • With stress, the body enters fight-or-flight mode;
  • Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline are released in your bloodstream;
  • The digestive process is slowed down to divert energy toward dealing with the ‘object of stress’;
  • The body relaxes the LES and slows down the stomach emptying;
  • With this, acid gets built up and pushed into the food pipe (oesophagus).

So, deal with your stress by doing stress-relaxing exercises such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing, art, etc.

• Prioritize your sleep – Please! A good night’s sleep is a natural stress buster. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to help your body recover and recharge.
• Avoid drinking or smoking habits.
• Exercise regularly – Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week.
• And, hydrate regularly – Water not only will help maintain pH balance but also aid in digestion. Sip water in between meals and avoid excessive consumption during or immediately after meals. as it can dilute stomach acid.

Elevating your head while sleeping helps in preventing acid from coming up.

But what if you already have acidity? You can’t want to read a whole book and see your chest on fire. So, here are some quick home remedies to counter the acidity immediately.

Remedies to get instant relief from acidity

For ages, humans have always embraced nature for health and healing. Before there was allopathy, nature was our ally against ailments. 

Kitchen, especially the Asian kitchen, stays packed with functional food items And here is what you can use to calm down your acidity:

• Cumin Seeds – These seeds induce saliva production, which thus neutralizes the acid in the stomach.
• Carom seeds and black salt – Prepare a mixture of carom seeds (Ajwain) and black salt and gulp down a spoon with water.
• Jaggery – Suck on a piece of jaggery as it contains potassium and magnesium. Where potassium is known to neutralize stomach acid, magnesium strengthens the digestive system.
• Fennel seeds – Chew on a teaspoon of fennel seeds after meals. They help in digestion and provide relief from acidity.
• Tulsi (Holy Basil) Leaves – Chewing on a few tulsi leaves or making tulsi tea can alleviate acidity symptoms.
• Cloves – Cloves contain compounds that help relax the gastrointestinal tract, reducing the symptoms of heartburn.
• Chewing gum – Chewing on a piece of gum can help you salivate. This saliva neutralizes the acid.
• Non-fat milk – Drinking non-fat milk can provide instant relief. Just make sure you don’t buy full-fat (full cream) milk.
• Buttermilk – Have a glass of skimmed buttermilk, add black salt and cumin powder, and gulp it down after your meal. 
• Aloe vera – A small amount of aloe vera juice can help reduce acidity too. ^[2]
• Clove – Chew on a piece of clove and it might provide some quick relief. 
• Baking Soda – works by neutralising stomach acid when mixed with water, providing rapid relief. However, it should be used sparingly and under guidance, as excessive use can lead to side effects like increased blood pressure.
• Licorice – Licorice stimulates the production of mucin, a natural protective barrier in the stomach.

Now, natural remedies might not work all the time. There, you need the touch of medicines. 

Medications for acidity 

The first step is always to prevent the fire, then you think about stopping it using natural ingredients. If none of these work, your doctor might suggest certain medicines for temporary relief. 

• Antacids and Over-the-counter Medications – When the fiery wrath of acidity strikes, antacids and over-the-counter (OTC) medications are often our first line of defence. However, it is essential to use them with some sanity still intact. Because its overuse can lead to acid rebound, which means that your body will produce even more acid to compensate. 
• Prescription Medications – Know that these medicines can and should only be bought after taking a proper prescription from your doctor. 

Again, medicines should only be taken after consulting a doctor. 

The thing to know is that acidity must be timely treated because once it crosses that line, it becomes life-threatening. Which you’d never want. 

Conclusion

As we conclude this odyssey into the world of acidity, remember, that knowledge is power. Armed with insights into its causes, symptoms, and prevention strategies, you’re now equipped to face the acidic demon head-on. 

Remember, the first step is always to prevent acidity. And this preventive wand shows its magical spell only when you work on your diet and lifestyle.

Eat healthy foods, practice stress-calming activities such as yoga, avoid too much spice, fat, fried and fast foods, and hydrate yourself. Our bodies love water, and water they must get. Enough of it. At least 8 glasses per day. 

However, sometimes, acidity kicks in. Take help from your kitchen. 

Acidity must never be left ignored. Because once it sets its foot and spreads its roots through your guts, it is going to invite mayhem of diseases. 

So, my fellow gastronomic adventurers, let’s embrace life’s banquet without fear of a fiery revolt and enjoy a happy tummy!

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