Acidity? Gas? Causes and Treatments | Sibia Medical Centre
Channel: Sibia Medical Centre
Date: 2021-06-05

What is Acidity: Symptoms, Treatment and Home Remedies
We often hear people say, ‘I have acidity problems.’ But have you ever wondered what they mean by it? What happened when someone says they are suffering from acidity? How is acidity caused? What can you do to relieve the suffering caused by acidity? To answer all these questions, you must first understand what acidity means.
What is acidity?
The food we eat goes into our stomach through the oesophagus. The gastric glands in your stomach create acid, which is necessary to digest the food. When the gastric glands create more acid than needed for the digestion process, you tend to feel a burning sensation below the breastbone. This condition is commonly called acidity.
Acidity, also called acid reflux, is a condition that is characterised by heartburn that is felt around the lower chest area. It is a common condition that occurs when stomach acid flows back up into the food pipe. The most common acid reflux symptom is a burning sensation in the chest, and pain. While most people suffer in pain, they do not realise that poor lifestyle choices are the main reason behind acidity.
When acidity symptoms occur more than twice a week, your doctor may diagnose you with Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. Chronic acidity may lead to serious risks that include:
 Oesophagus damage: Oesophagus is the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach. When acid moves back up and enters the oesophagus, it sets the stage for esophageal ulcers, oesophagitis, esophageal strictures, and Barrett’s Oesophagus.
 Increased risk of oesophagus cancer, which is more likely if you have a history of the condition in the family.
 Acid reflux can wear down the enamel of your teeth and lead to cavities.
Causes of acidity
Acidity is caused due to excess production of acid in the stomach by the gastric glands. Factors that cause acidity include:
1. Unhealthy eating habits
 Skipping meals or eating at irregular times
 Eating just before sleeping
 Overeating
 Consumption of spicy food
 High intake of table salt
 Diet low in dietary fiber
2. Excessive consumption of certain food
 Drinks such as tea, coffee, carbonated drinks, soft drinks
 Extremely spicy food
 Fat rich food such as pizza, doughnuts, and fried food
3. Side-effects of certain temporary medications as well as existing medications.
It includes medications such as
 Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
 Medicines for high blood pressure
 Antibiotics
 Depression and anxiety medications
4. Stomach disorder such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, tumours, peptic ulcers, among others.
5. Other causes include
 Consumption of non-vegetarian food
 Excessive stress
 Lack of sleep
 Frequent smoking
 Lack of physical exercise
 Frequent consumption of alcohol
People who suffer from medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, connective tissue disorder and such are more prone to acidity. It is also a common problem in people who are obese, pregnant women, or women who are nearing menopause.
Acidity symptoms
Acidity symptoms differ from one person to another. Most things that contribute to gas also lead to acidity meaning, gas and acidity symptoms are almost similar. While the most common acid reflux symptoms are chest pain and burning sensation below the breastbone, there are other symptoms that are uncommon. Acidity symptoms include the following:
 Burning sensation and pain in the stomach
 Burning sensation and pain in the throat
 Difficulty swallowing or the sensation of food being stuck in your throat
 Frequent burping or hiccups for no apparent reason
 Burning sensation and pain in the chest
 Regurgitation
 Post-meal heaviness
 Nausea
 Constipation
 Indigestion
Hyperacidity symptoms include:
 Heartburn: Persistent pain or discomfort that moves from your stomach to your chest and sometimes even up to your throat.
 Chronic discomfort in the upper abdomen
 Bloody or black stool often accompanied by bloody vomiting
 Wheezing, dry cough, hoarseness, or chronic sore throat
 Weight loss for no apparent reason
Acidity treatment
 Antacid that contains aluminium, calcium or magnesium.
 Histamine blocking agents (H2 receptor blockers) such as cimetidine, nizatidine, ranitidine, and famotidine
 Proton pump inhibitors 

Acidity is a common problem that most of us face at least once in our life. Most of us prefer home remedies over medications. Some of the home remedies for acid reflux include the following.
 Coconut water
 Watermelon juice
 Fresh lime juice 
 A glass of buttermilk
 Drink a glass of lukewarm water after every meal
 Include banana, cucumber and yoghurt in your diet.

The main cause of acidity is your lifestyle, and hence, the most vital remedy is lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes that may help include:
 Losing weight if you are overweight or obese
 Healthy food
 Maintaining regular eating time with dinner ending at least two to three hours before bed