Rajesh aged 30yrs young software engineer came to my clinic complaining of burning pain in chest area, poor appetite and frequent headaches for the last six months. He had already taken lot of medications and all his investigations were normal. He was tired of taking conventional medicines. When I probed gently he confided that he has irregular hours of working and because of that he was not able to take his meals on time neither was he able to sleep properly. He also gets irritable often on trivial matters. He was under tremendous stress. This is the case of acidity which we homoeopaths often see.
Acidity is commonly seen as a disease of modern times when hurry, worry and curry have become the lifestyle of people.
Acidity refers to excessive secretion of acid in the stomach, which leads to burning pain in the upper abdominal and chest area. In medical terms this condition is called as heart burn. It is very common for people to have heartburn episodes. Acidity if neglected can lead to gastro esophageal disease (GERD). Gerd is caused due to the weakening of the valve in the stomach that frequently fails to stop the food and acid to flow back into the esophagus or food pipe causing heartburn.
Common causes of acidity
There are foods known to increase the symptoms of heartburn.
Excessive consumption of spicy food, garlic ,onions, alcohol , carbonated drinks, mint flavourings ,smoking, alcohol, frequent use of painkillers, excessive consumption of tea or coffee, fasting, stress, obesity, pregnancy.
Symptoms of acidity
The main symptom of heartburn is burning pain in the lower part of mid chest usually after eating or lying down (as acid back flow is more while lying or bending over.) At times patient may even have vomiting and bitter risings of acids in their mouth.
Lifestyle modifications
Lifestyle changes that can help in reducing the symptoms of acidity are as follows
- Reduce weight. Excess weight increases pressure inside the belly, which can cause more reflux.
- Limit or avoid alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the muscle that closes off the esophagus from the stomach after we swallow and keeps acids from backing up. Alcohol also can increase the production of stomach acid and slow stomach emptying. Beverages that contain caffeine can also worsen reflux symptoms.
- Keep stress under control. Practice meditation, exercise and deep breathing which help in controlling and prevention of stress.
- Avoid foods that aggravate acidity A number of foods are common triggers of acidity symptoms, including onions, garlic, fatty and greasy foods, chocolate, and peppermint. Include more low fat foods, green vegetables and seasonal fruits.
- Don’t smoke. Cigarette smoking, like alcohol, weakens the LES and increases the likelihood of acid reflux.
- Wear loose clothing. Avoid wearing clothes that are tight around the abdomen.
- Take care of your medications. A number of common medications can make acid reflux worse, including some medications used to treat high blood pressure, asthma, depression, and anxiety. Regular use of painkillers and some birth control pills that contain progestin may worsen acidity symptoms.
- Stay upright after eating.When you lie down, it’s easier for gastric contents to flow into the esophagus (food pipe) and stay there, irritating the tissues. Take your last meal or snack at least three hours before you go to bed, and don’t overeat at dinner. You can also raise the head of your bed between 4 and 6 inches, or sleep propped up with extra pillows to help ward off reflux symptoms.
Homoeopathy for Acidity
- Homoeopathy offers a very good treatment for acidity in acute as well as chronic cases.
- The approach towards treatment is symptomatic as well as holistic.
- In acute cases of acidity homoeopathic medicines control the symptoms effectively in a gentle and rapid way.
- Homeopathic medicines will help decrease acidic build-up, rebalance pH by cleansing and restoring the digestive system, and strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter.
- In chronic cases where the problem is recurring holistic treatment is given by taking the detailed case history of the patient. In theses cases patient’s physical, mental and emotional analysis is vital to the treatment as it determines patient’s constitution and that helps in prescribing the correct medicine.
- Homoeopathy treats the underlying cause of the disease and improves overall health of the patient. While taking treatment for acidity patient experiences a general health of well being and gets relief in other complaints also such as headache in above mentioned case. He is not required to take separate treatment for headache.
- Homeopathic treatment is natural, safe, gentle and without side-effects.
- Homeopathic drugs are non-habit forming and have no addictive characteristics.
- Homoeopathy is enriched with a wide range of medicine for treatment of
- The commonly used homoeopathic medicines are carboveg, nuxvomica, robinia, iris, arsenic alb .lycopodium