Have you lately been experiencing burning sensations in your stomach and chest after a session of late-night munchies? Do you suffer from regular bouts of acidity caused due to skipped meals or an unhealthy lifestyle? If so, our home remedies for acidity and heartburn have you covered.

What You Need To Know:

What is acidity? And what does it feel like?
Common causes and symptoms of acidity
Try these home remedies for immediate relief from acidity
What if acidity is severe or won’t go away with home remedies?
Foods to avoid that trigger acidity

What is acidity? And what does it feel like?

Acidity or heartburn is a common medical condition that occurs due to excessive acid production by the stomach, which flows back into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation. The esophagus is a tube that connects the mouth to the stomach, and it is the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) which allows food and liquid to enter the stomach and closes to prevent stomach acid from backing up. However, a weakened or relaxed LES can lead the stomach acid to flow back up, causing acidity or heartburn.

The uncomfortable feeling of nausea, a bitter or sour taste in the mouth, a slow-burning sensation in the chest and overall uneasiness are what acidity usually feels like and can sometimes last for minutes to hours.

Common causes and symptoms of acidity

Unhealthy eating habits and laidback lifestyle choices can lead to regular episodes of acid reflux. Individuals experience acidity due to the following reasons:

Overeating any food, especially oily, processed, or spicy food.
Gobbling food quickly and lying down immediately after that.
Lack of exercise and sleep.
Stress and anxiety.
Smoking or consuming caffeinated beverages.

Symptoms of acidity:

Burning sensation in the chest, throat, and sometimes stomach too.
Nausea and pungent burps of bile, also known as regurgitation.
Bloating, discomfort, and pain in your abdomen.
Chest pain, which at times may be mistaken for a heart attack.

Try these home remedies for immediate relief from acidity

If heartburn is something that you deal with regularly, a change in your routine might help you in the long run. Here are some quick home remedies for acidity that may be useful:

Eat alkaline foods

More often than not, acidity treatment at home can be done by consuming alkaline foods, which help maintain the pH balance of our blood and reduce the risk of heartburn. Food items like apples, bananas, melon, watermelon, nuts, cucumber, lettuce, whole grains, coconut water, and herbal teas help keep the blood pH levels healthy and indirectly act as home remedies for acidity as well.

Chilled buttermilk

The lactic acid in buttermilk helps digest complex foods, and when combined with the coolness of coriander, it can help soothe acid reflux and give instant relief.

Mint leaves

Mint leaves are naturally very cool and have healing properties that ease the burning sensation caused by heartburn. A nice cup of mint tea can do wonders for acidity. Many people add mint leaves and slices of lemon to their regular water to keep them cool, which also helps reduce acidity.

Home-made concoctions

Some people also suggest drinking aloe vera juice as it is cool and refreshing while some prefer apple-cider vinegar or lemon juice to eliminate uneasiness.

Lifestyle choices to avoid acidity

How you sleep, what time you eat, and the right amount of water consumption also helps in reducing episodes of heartburn. Drinking plenty of water regularly is vital to keep acidity at bay. Consume your meals on time and sleep 2-3 hours after your dinner, as that will speed up the process of digestion in your body. Sleeping on your left side might help relieve some of that burning sensation if you have acidity. Yoga and incorporating Ustrasana in your routine can surely help prevent acidity and indigestion. The position requires you to bend backward while kneeling and holding onto heels.

Quick remedies – relief in 5 minutes

Your gut health is directly responsible for your overall well-being. Probiotics like curd and yogurt are essential to curb acid reflux. Curd also acts as a cooling agent and suppresses the burning sensation immediately. You can also boil basil leaves or fennel seeds in water, as both these ingredients have a cooling effect and will impart instant relief. Chewing carrom seeds can also work wonders during indigestion or acid reflux.

What if acidity is severe or won’t go away with home remedies?

However, the above mentioned home remedies for acidity may not always show a significant improvement. Since many underlying conditions result in heartburn, like stomach ulcers, medicine reactions, and perennial gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), it is advisable to consult a doctor, who may prescribe an over-the-counter medication for relief. If the condition persists, your healthcare professional may prescribe specific tests to identify the cause of acid reflux.

Foods to avoid that trigger acidity

While home remedies for acidity may relieve you momentarily, refrain from consuming unhealthy foods that trigger heartburn. These foods include processed snacks with excess sodium and spices, such as chips and crisps, greasy and fatty foods like cheesy pizzas or nachos, fried fast food, street food, processed meats like sausages, salami or bacon, carbonated beverages such as flavored soda and energy drinks, and sour foods.

Make long-term conscious lifestyle changes to stay healthy. Exercise daily to stay physically active, eat whole and fresh foods that aren’t processed, and get adequate sleep. Make way for a healthy lifestyle and say goodbye to heartburn forever.

Stay tuned to the Activ Living Community. Keep up to date with the latest health tips and trends through expert videos, podcasts, articles and much more in nutrition, fitness, mindfulness, and lifestyle conditions like Asthma, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and Diabetes.

You may also be interested in the following blogs:

Popular Searches