All of us have been hit by acidity at some point or the other. Heart burn, or gastro-esophageal-reflex-disease (GERD) is commonly referred to as ‘acidity’ in our society (one officially has GERD if one experiences acidity more than twice a week). It refers to the reflux or backflow of stomach contents and bile back up the esophagus, causing irritation and inflation that ultimately leads to scarring (which further decreases the lumen of the esophagus). Symptomatically, one experiences hoarseness of the voice, nausea and an irritating burning sensation. Acidity is no joke, because this constant wear and tear of your esophageal lining can give rise to esophageal cancer.
Oftentimes, the best thing you can do is find home remedies before spending money on an expensive physician.
It should come as no surprise that being overweight contributes to GERD. Obesity is followed by a whole host of diseases. In this case, the abdominal fat constricts the esophageal sphincter. Caffeine, nicotine, chocolate and oily, greasy foods all contribute to esophageal sphincter relaxation which exacerbates GERD. It would be best to stay away from those things, but we know that’s difficult so we have a few more options.
Drink two ounces of unprocessed aloe vera juice every day. That stuff goes a long way in curbing acidity.
Have a cup of warm water mixed with lemon juice first thing in the morning. This will settle your stomach before you start eating anything else and balance out the acid levels. It’s safe for almost anyone so you have nothing to lose by trying this out!
Go for a few teaspoons of apple cider vinegar every day. Mix it with honey if you want to improve the taste. This may sound counter intuitive, but cutting edge research has revealed that acidity is not necessarily because of an over production of acid. Often the case is that there’s not enough acid in the stomach to dissolve food, so your body produces extra. That’s why the vinegar helps.
Try out some ‘slippery elm’ in your tea, perhaps it’s a herbal supplement that soothes your GIT. It won’t cure acidity, but it’ll help with the symptoms. Similarly, chamomile or mint tea could also help soothe the stomach.
Here’s a pro tip. Studies have shown that sleeping on your LEFT SIDE helps relieve symptoms of acidity. This is because sleeping on your right side (the side of your stomach) increases the pressure on your stomach and therefore exacerbates GERD. Another sleeping tip is to elevate your head (perhaps using multiple pillows). It would be a good idea to refrain from sleeping (or lying down, really) 3 hours after having a reasonably sized meal.
A few more lifestyle modifications would include not wearing clothes that are too tight and not exercising directly after a meal.
Maximize your input of fresh ginger. Chew on it raw when you suffer from acidity, or even stew it in a cup with hot water and drink it with a spoon of honey. Honestly, even a spoon or two of ginger juice every day is a potent method of relieving heartburn.
Of course, we’d be remiss without saying, DRINK LOTS OF MILK!
I ease my acidity with podina and saunf. How do you do it? Share with us if you know any home remedy for acidity. More Home Remedies.