How can i stop acidity in home?

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In this article  we will discuss GERD aka Acid reflux disease or Heartburn.

GERD happens when contents from your stomach move up into your esophagus. It’s aka acid

regurgitation or gastroesophageal reflux. At the entrance to your stomach is a valve,

which is a ring of muscles called the lower esophageal sphincter or LES. Normally, the

LES closes as soon as food passes through it. If the LES doesn't close all the way or

if it opens too often, acid produced by your stomach can move up into your esophagus. This

can cause symptoms such as a burning chest discomfort called heartburn. If acid reflux

symptoms happen more than twice a week, you may have acid reflux disease, also known as

gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

So now we know a little bit about what is acid reflux disease, let’s look at the three

main factors that lead to ARD- They are

• Poor or slow clearance of food from the stomach

• Delayed stomach emptying • Too much acid in the stomach

Slow clearance of food from the stomach can be caused by various reasons like

• Eating large meals or lying down right after a meal

• Being overweight or obese • Eating a heavy meal and lying on your

back or bending over at the waist • Snacking close to bedtime

All these habits lead to retention of food in your stomach for longer periods of time

and more chances of the acidic contents of your stomach to regurgitate into your esophagus.

Delayed stomach emptying is also known as Gastroparesis, and one of the most common

Causes that lead to Delayed stomach emptying is Diabetes. It can also be caused due to

pregnancy as the uterus can push against the bowel and stomach leading to partial mechanical

obstruction. Other causes include a lack of thyroid hormone aka hypothyroidism, Viral

stomach infections, Medications such as narcotics and some antidepressants, and it can also

happen in diseases like Parkinson's disease and Multiple sclerosis.

The third main factor that leads to Acid reflux diseases is much more common than the previous

two and that is Excessive production of acid in your stomach.

Some of the most common causes that lead to Excessive production of acid in your stomach

are • Eating certain foods, such as spicy or

fatty foods, chocolate, garlic, onions and citrus fruits.

• Drinking certain beverages, such as alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee, or tea.

• Smoking is also one of the most common causes of hypersecretion of acid in the stomach.

• Many medicines can lead to excessive acid secretions and these include pain medications

like NSAIDS like ibuprofen, Diclofenac, aceclofenac etc

• Aspirin, some blood pressure medications like nifedipine, Iron supplements and Bisphosphonates

takes for low bone density or osteoporosis. • Excessive levels of stress and people

with type A personalities also develop excess acidity in their stomachs.

So these were the three main factors which lead to GERD.

• Poor clearance of acid or food from the stomach which can be due to eating large meals

at once or lying down early after eating meals. Obesity is also an important reason for this.

• Delayed gastric emptying which is aka gastroparesis, can be due to diabetes, pregnancy,

hypothyroidism and many other factors. • The last and the most important factor

is hypersecretion of acid from your stomach which is due to eating wrong types of food

and beverages, taking too much stress, smoking and certain medications.

Other than these some structural defects can also lead to acid reflux disease and one of

The most common of them is Hiatal Hernia. The diaphragm is a muscle that separates your

stomach from your chest. Normally there is a Hole or “hiatus” in the diaphragm through

which the esophagus passes and connects to the stomach. If this hole or Hiatus enlarges,

the upper part of the stomach can partially move through the abdomen into your chest which

increases acid reflux. Weak muscles in the diaphragm can allow the stomach to move freely

into the hiatus, or inherited structural abnormalities in the diaphragm can cause a congenital hiatal

hernia, which presents at birth. Other causes include excess pressure on the abdomen or

muscle strain due to heavy coughing, constipation or intense physical exertion. Pregnancy and

Obesity is also a risk factor for hiatal hernia.

So, these were some of the causes of Acid reflux disease, now let’s look at some of

the symptoms with which this condition can present.

One of the most common symptom of Acid reflux disease is heartburn which is a burning pain

or discomfort that moves from your stomach to your abdomen or chest, or even up into

your throat. You can also experience frequent regurgitations

of food or liquids into the mouth which leaves a very sour taste on the tongue.

If you are having acid reflux for a long duration you may experience difficulty in swallowing

food and a feeling of lump in your throat, a constant dull pain in your stomach or chest

or shortness of breath can also be the presenting symptoms.

Chronic acid reflux can lead to erosions in your stomach or esophagus which may bleed

overtime. This blood is passed in your stools which appear blackish. Blood in vomiting can

also indicate bleeding in your esophagus or stomach which usually presents as fresh blood.

Other symptoms include Hiccups that don't let up, Nausea, Weight loss for no known reason,

Wheezing, dry cough, hoarseness, or chronic sore throat.

Now let’s talk about how Acid reflux disease is diagnosed.

You should see your doctor if you have acid reflux symptoms two or more times a week or

if medications don't bring lasting relief. Symptoms such as heartburn, sour eructation

in the mouth, abdominal pain and hoarseness of voice key symptoms to diagnose acid reflux

disease and most cases of acid reflux are diagnosed with clinical symptoms alone.

If your problems persist for a longer duration of time or if you are not having relief with

typical medicines your doctor may perform certain invasive tests to confirm the diagnosis

of GERD. These include X-rays of your upper digestive

system. X Rays are taken after you drink a chalky liquid that coats and fills the inside

lining of your digestive tract. This liquid which usually contains barium allows to visualize

a silhouette of your esophagus, stomach and upper intestine.

Upper GI Endoscopy In this test a thin, flexible tube equipped with a light and a camera is

inserted down your throat, to examine the inside of your esophagus and stomach. Endoscopy

can detect inflammation of the esophagus, Hiatus hernia, strictures or other complications.

The endoscope can also be used to collect a tissue sample for various tests like biopsy

or tests for H. Pylori. Another test that can be used to diagnose

GERD is the Ambulatory acid pH probe test. In this test a monitor is placed in your esophagus

to identify how frequently the acid from your stomach regurgitates in your esophagus. The

monitor connects to a small computer that you wear around your waist.

Esophageal manometry measures the rhythm of muscle contractions in your esophagus when

you swallow. It also measures the coordination and force exerted by the muscles of your esophagus.

So now we have talked about what acid reflux disease is, how it presents and how it is diagnosed.

Now let’s jump over to the Treatment part of Acid reflux disease.

Although there is a plethora of OTC and prescription Medicines available in the market to treat

acid reflux disease, the first thing you should try before medical treatment is Dietary and

Lifestyle modifications. While diet does not cause GERD, it can aggravate

or increase the reflux of acid into your esophagus causing heartburn. Certain foods compromise

the LES’s ability to prevent reflux and are best avoided. This may differ person to

person but it is usually noted that foods like Spicy, fried and fatty foods, onions,

tomatoes, chocolates, Beverages like tea, coffee and alcohol cause the most trouble.

So, it is best to completely avoid these types of foods.

Certain types of food are very helpful to reduce the symptoms of acid reflux disease.

These foods contain Curd and yoghurt, ginger, Oats, Green leafy vegetables like Spinach

and celery, fruits like watermelon, pineapple and papaya. So, try to include these foods

more often in your diet. IN the end of this article I will share two wonderful and active

home remedies for acid reflux so make sure to read this post till the end Now there are lots of Lifestyle changes too

that you can do, that will help you to avoid acid reflux.

Don’t go to bed with a full stomach. Eat meals at least two-three hours before lying down.

This will give food, the time to digest and get out of your stomach.

Don’t overeat. Eat smaller portions at mealtimes or try to eat four to five small meals instead

of three big ones. Raise the head end of your bed by placing

wood or cement blocks under the feet of your bed so that the head end is raised by six to

Nine inches. This ensures that the acid doesn’t reflux easily into the esophagus while you

are sleeping. Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight especially

due to abdominal obesity can put pressure on your abdomen, pushing up your stomach and

causing acid reflux. Avoid tight-fitting clothing. Clothes that

fit tightly around your waist put pressure on your abdomen and the lower esophageal sphincter.

Stop smoking. Smoking decreases the lower esophageal sphincter's ability to function

properly and also leads to excessive secretion of acid in your stomach.

So, these were some lifestyle and dietary modifications that you can do to prevent and

decrease the symptoms of acid reflux disease. Now let’s look at the medical treatment

of acid reflux disease and before we begin it's my duty to inform you Many of these drugs are available OTC means you don’t need a prescription

for them; however, it is important to see your doctor if you are having these symptoms

for a longer duration of time. Well, with that said, let’s look at what different

types of medicines are given in acid reflux disease.

No. One are the antacids which are the most common drugs used for ARD. As the name indicates

these are antacids which means they contain basic chemicals that neutralize the acid present

in your stomach so that there is no acid to reflux. The problem with antacids is that

their action is very short lived. They are emptied from the empty stomach quickly, in

less than an hour, and the acid then re-accumulates. The best way to take antacids, therefore,

is approximately one hour after meals, which is just before the symptoms of reflux begin

after a meal. Since the food from meals slows the emptying from the stomach, an antacid

taken after a meal stays in the stomach for longer and is more effective. Antacids are

usually aluminum, magnesium or calcium based. Aluminum-containing antacids have a tendency

to cause constipation, while magnesium-containing antacids tend to cause diarrhea. Antacids

containing both aluminum and magnesium cause less problems. 

After the antacids the next class of drugs that are used in acid reflux disease are known

as the H two blockers. You see, there are H receptors in the cells of the wall of the stomach.

When these receptors are stimulated by histamine it leads to acid secretion. So, drugs were

developed to block these receptors. These include cimetidine, ranitidine, nizatidine

and famotidine. All four are available over-the-counter (OTC),

without the need for a prescription. However, the OTC dosages are lower than those available

by prescription. As histamine is particularly important for

the stimulation of acid after meals, Htwo antagonists are best taken thirty minutes before the meal.

The reason for this timing is so that the H two blockers will be at peak levels in the

body after the meal when the stomach is actively producing acid. H two blockers can also be taken

at bedtime to suppress the nighttime production of acid.

The third type of drugs developed specifically for acid-related diseases were proton pump

inhibitors aka as PPI’s, specifically, omeprazole. A PPI also blocks the secretion of acid into

the stomach. The advantage of a PPI over an H blocker is that the PPI shuts off acid

production completely and for a longer period of time. Not only is the PPI good for treating

the symptom of heartburn, but it is also good for protecting the esophagus from acid so

that the esophageal inflammation can heal. PPIs are used when Htwo blockers do not relieve

symptoms adequately or when complications of GERD occur. Other than omeprazole, lansoprazole,

rabeprazole, pantoprazole and esomeprazole are other PPIs that are available for treatment

of GERD. PPIs are best taken an hour before the meals.

The reason for this timing is that the PPIs work best when the stomach is most actively

producing acid, which occurs after meals. If the PPI is taken before the meal, it is

at peak levels in the body after the meal when the acid is being made.

Next category of drugs used for acid reflux disease are the Pro-motility drugs which work

by stimulating the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus & stomach.

One pro-motility drug, metoclopramide, is approved for GERD. Pro-motility drugs increase

the pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter and strengthen the contractions of the esophagus.

Both effects would be expected to reduce reflux of acid. However, these effects on the sphincter

and the esophagus is small. Therefore, it is believed that the primary effect of metoclopramide

may be to speed up emptying of the stomach, which also would be expected to reduce reflux.

Promotility drugs are most effective when taken thirty minutes before meals and again at

bedtime.

One more category of drugs that are used for acid reflux are known as Foam barriers. Foam

barriers provide a unique form of treatment for GERD. Foam barriers are tablets OR LIQUIDS

that are composed of an antacid and a foaming agent. As the tablet disintegrates and reaches

the stomach, it turns into foam that floats on the top of the liquid contents of the stomach.

The foam forms a physical barrier to the reflux of liquid. At the same time, the antacid bound

the foam neutralizes acid that comes into contact with the foam. The tablets are best

taken after meals (when the stomach is distended) and when lying down, both times when reflux

is more likely to occur. There is only one foam barrier, which is a combination of aluminum

hydroxide gel, magnesium trisilicate, and alginate.

The drugs described above usually are effective in treating the symptoms and complications

of GERD. Nevertheless, sometimes they are not. Sometimes the amount or number of drugs

that are required for satisfactory treatment are so great that drug treatment is unreasonable.

In such situations, surgery can also be done to effectively stop the acid reflux.

The surgical procedure that is done to prevent reflux is technically known as fundoplication

aka anti-reflux surgery. During the fundoplication surgery, the part

of the stomach that is closest to the entry of the esophagus known as the fundus of the

stomach is gathered, wrapped, and sutured around the lower end of the esophagus and

the lower esophageal sphincter. The gathering and suturing of one tissue to another is called

application. This procedure increases the pressure at the lower end of the esophagus and thereby

reduces acid reflux. Also, if the patient has hiatal hernia this

can also be corrected in the same surgical procedure. Fundoplication may be done using

a large incision known as laparotomy or using a laparoscope, which requires only several

small punctures in the abdomen. The advantage of the laparoscopic method is a speedier recovery

and less postoperative pain. So, this was about the lifestyle modifications,

medical and surgical treatment of acid reflux disease. In the end I would like to share

with you two very effective home remedies for acid reflux disease.

No. one Drink two glasses of warm water first thing

in the morning before you eat anything. This is a wonderful tip and I have tried this on

myself and a number of patients suffering from acid reflux. The logic behind drinking

warm water first thing in the morning is that when you wake up, your stomach is completely

empty and warm water flushes the walls of your stomach and increases the blood flow

in it. This increased blood flow brings in important growth factors that heal already

existing erosions or minor ulcers in the stomach and also make the walls of the stomach and

esophagus healthy which helps in regulating acid production. Practice this tip daily and

you will observe improvement in your symptoms within ten days.

No.two Eat lots of curd. Curd is a wonder food for

people suffering from acid reflux disease. Curd is a dairy product obtained from milk.

Milk has a high amount of calcium that prevents build-up of acid by eliminating the excess

amount, making it an efficient home remedy for acid reflux.

So, this was all about acid reflux disorder and its management. 

Best acidity stop treatment in home

a few things you can do to manage acid reflux without medications.

let’s begin.

One. Eating sparingly and slowly When the stomach is very full, the pressure

inside increases. This leads to more food which tries to push

and reflux back into your oesophagus. k/a grazing.

Eat small balanced meals Eat frequently

And avoid eating large meals three times a day. This will reduce the pressure on your lower

oesophagus and helps to control reflux

Two. Avoid certain foods People with acid reflux were once instructed

to eliminate all but the blandest foods from their diets.

But that's no longer the case. People with reflux can easily manage symptoms by avoiding

not all but few very common culprits. These are foods that are more likely to trigger

reflux, These include mint, fatty foods, spicy foods,

tomatoes, onions, garlic, coffee, tea, chocolate, and alcohol.

If you eat any of these foods regularly, you might try eliminating them, to see if doing

so control your reflux, and then try adding them back one by one.

Three. Don't drink carbonated beverages The fizziness of carbonated beverages comes

from the gas that is pressurized into them. When you drink these beverages, gases are

released, which in turn make you burp, Burping sends acid into the esophagus and

worsens reflux Drink flat water instead of sparkling water

and cold drinks

Four. Stay up after eating When you're standing, or even sitting, gravity

helps keep acid in the stomach. When you lie down on a full stomach, food

pushes up into the esophagus and eventually causes reflux.

For this – make it a habit to Finish eating meals three hours before you go to bed.

I know it’s very irresistible, but to decrease your chances of reflux you should Avoid naps

After lunch, avoid late suppers and avoid midnight snacks.

Also, it's probably best to avoid vigorous exercise for a couple of hours after eating.

An after-dinner stroll or casual walk is fine, but a more strenuous workout, especially if

It involves bending over, and can send acid into your esophagus.

Five. Sleep on an incline Another way to let Gravity do its job is inclining

your bed when you sleep. When you incline your bed, gravity prevents

upward rise of food and liquid into your esophagus, essentially preventing reflux.

Ideally, your head should be six to eight inches higher than your feet.

You can achieve this by using "extra-tall" bed risers on the legs of the bed to support

the head of your bed. You can also try using a foam wedge support

for your upper body. Just ensure you provide yourself uniform support

and don’t obstruct your natural sleep.

Six. Lose weight. The muscular structure that supports the lower

esophageal sphincter, helps to keep it tight and closed.

When a person is overweight- there is stress on this muscular structure which leads to

weakness of the esophageal sphincter. This is the initiating point of reflux problems.

Studies have concluded that obesity is associated with statistically significant increase in

risk of reflux, GERD symptoms, erosive esophagitis, sore throat and esophageal cancer. They also

found that this risk progressively increases with increasing weight.

Doctors agree that it's Better to eat less, exercise more and lose weight rather than

undergo surgery or taking medications for acid reflux

Six. If you smoke, quit Nicotine, a key part of tobacco, is thought

to relax the ring of muscles in the lower esophagus that keeps acid in the stomach.

Whenever you smoke that ring relaxes and acid trickles up and causes that burning sensation.

Smoking also decreases the mucous your body normally produces.

Mucous is important to prevent acid from attacking the stomach and esophagus from the inside,

so, when mucus decreases - reflux symptoms increase.

Also, most smokers have chest related problems that make them cough more than often. Cough

increases pressure inside the abdomen, this increased pressure increases reflux. Each

when you cough, acid gets sent upwards and heartburn increases.

Nicotine gums and patches are safer bets for overall health. They will help you overcome

your habit and they are less likely to give you heartburn. One small study found no increase

in heartburn risk in people who used a nicotine patch.

I do not need to emphasise how much smoking destroys our body from inside.

So, friends, here we are with seven ways to control reflux without medications.