What are the causes of acidity?
Some causes of acidity are
- Excessive smoking or drinking/ Overindulgence
- Irregular work hours and Less or no exercise
- Being overweight
- Stress or certain medications
Some medical conditions may also be the reason. Consult your doctor if you think this is the reason for your acidity symptoms.
Making simple lifestyle changes can go a long way in reducing the risk of acidity.
Reduce the intake of coffee and tea -
Excess caffeine can irritate your gut lining and may lead to stomach acidity. Consume caffeine in moderation
Do not overindulge
Overeating can cause acidity and lead to indigestion and heartburn. Eat slowly, take small bites, and chew your food thoroughly.
Drink water
Experts recommend drinking a minimum of 4 liters of water every day, depending on factors like gender, weight, and age as it helps keep the stomach acid in check and helps eliminate the toxins from your body.
Keep away from fried foods
Bingeing on fried and greasy food makes you susceptible to bloating and acidity. When dining out, try to stay away from junk food And opt for healthier options.
Stay active
Physical activity can help keep your weight in check. Having excess weight can actually worsen the acid reflux symptoms as it pushes the stomach and affects the lower oesophageal sphincter.
Keep your stress in check
Stress can also aggravate the acidity symptoms. Excess stress has been known to deplete the amount of ‘prostaglandins’, which protect the stomach lining from the stomach acid. Hence, it is important to ‘de-stress’. You can take time out to meditate, read a book, or play a game with your family or friends.
Get enough sleep
The body repairs itself during sleep. Not getting enough shut-eye has been known to worsen acidity and GERD symptoms. Hence, it is necessary to have a fixed sleep schedule.
Fix your work hours
When working from home, it is not uncommon to work late into the night for long hours. Inconsistent work timings can affect your eating patterns, sleep schedule, and other daily activities. All of this contributes to the worsening of acidity symptoms. Hence, experts advise on fixing a work schedule and sticking to it every day irrespective of where you are working from. This disciplined approach can be healthy in the long run.
Stay up after eating
You should finish eating your meals 2-3 hours before you go to bed. While you’re standing or sitting, gravity helps keep acid in the stomach. Having late suppers or midnight snacks and going to bed straight after may result in acidity or gastric reflux.
Acidity symptoms can range from mild to debilitating. This can even interfere with your ability to complete your everyday tasks. Besides checking which acidic foods to avoid and lifestyle changes to make, consider over-the-counter acidity treatments. Try Gaviscon syrup - It rapidly forms a protective barrier over your stomach contents, which helps prevent acid coming back up. It starts working in just 3 secs and lasts upto 2X longer vs. ordinary antacids*.
*Comparing Gaviscon with select ordinary antacid
I. Chevrel B. A comparative crossover study on the treatment of heartburn and epigastric pain: Liquid Gaviscon and a magnesium--aluminium antacid gel. J Int Med Res. 1980;8(4):300-2.
II. Mandel KG etal. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2000 Jun;14(6):669-90
Article published 21 July 2021
