Acidity: An overview, causes, and treatment
Acidity or acid reflux is quite a common problem. Read on to know all about acidity like what it is, what causes it, and its treatment.
What is acidity?
There’s an acid present in our stomach: hydrochloric acid. Its role is to break down food, split up the proteins, and aid in food digestion. For several reasons, (that we will talk about later in the article), the hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach rises slightly up in the oesophagus which causes discomfort in the form of burning in the chest. This sensation is also called heartburn.
Due to this, you feel an ache in your stomach and have a hard time eating. This is also called acid reflux. It can be caused by many reasons. And when you have acid reflux more than twice a week, you may be suffering from gastroesophageal reflux diseases (GERD), which should be diagnosed and treated by a medical professional. The only way to treat it is by introducing a base substance to the stomach which lowers the level of acid in the stomach. Antacids are a common medication used to treat these. They are also available in various flavours like Gas-O-Fast Jeera which tastes nice as well as treats acid reflux. Now let’s take a look at its causes.
Causes of acidity
The cause of acidity in the stomach is the increased production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. This can be due to:
- Unhealthy eating habits
Unhealthy eating habits like overeating, eating just before sleeping, skipping meals, and/or having sodium-rich, spicy food can cause acidity. To prevent this, it’s essential to have healthy eating habits so that your stomach does not get upset frequently.
- Excessive consumption of some Foods
If you are used to eating extremely spicy food, acidity is inevitable. Food that is rich in trans-fat like fried dishes, pizza, and doughnuts also cause acidity. Even tea, soft drinks, and coffee can also trigger the problem of acidity but only if you are having them in excess.
- Side-effects of some medication
Some medications have side effects. The term side-effect is often used with negative connotations but, medically, it has a different meaning. In the medical field, a side-effect is an effect of medication that’s not intended but is unavoidable. Not all side-effects are bad. When they become extremely bad, they are called adverse effects. Now there are some medications that can cause acidity as a side-effect. This includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin. Some antibiotics, anxiety and depression medication, and even medication for high blood pressure can also cause acidity.
Other common causes of acidity include lack of sleep, stress, and frequent smoking and/or drinking. And because is quite a common problem, it has common treatments, too.
Treatment for Acidity
One of the common medications for the treatment of acidity is antacids. These are over-the-counter medications that you can buy from any pharmacy store. Common antacids used have magnesium, calcium, or aluminium as their base. These are available in the form of powder to be mixed in water and drink, or in the form of syrups. They are also available in various delicious flavours. For instance, GasOfast Jeera is available in powder form in sachets. Just mix a sachet in a glass of cold water and down it. It will immediately start working to neutralise your stomach.