We often hear people say, ‘I have acidity problems.’ But have you ever wondered what they mean by it? What happen when someone says they are suffering from acidity? How is acidity caused? What can you do to relieve the suffering caused by acidity? To answer all these questions, you must first understand what acidity means. What is acidity? The food we eat goes into our stomach through the oesophagus. It is a common condition that occurs when stomach acid flows back up into the food pipe. The stomach contains hydrochloric acid, that helps break down food and protect against pathogens such as bacteria. The lining of the stomach is specially adapted to protect it from the powerful acid, but the food pipe is not protected. When the gastric glands create more acid than needed for the digestion process, you tend to feel a burning sensation in chest and pain. This condition is commonly called acidity. While most people suffer in pain, they do not realise that poor lifestyle choices are the main reason behind acidity.

     The following are common symptoms of Acidity: · nausea · belching · pain · a feeling of fullness, or satiety · feeling bloated · Burning sensation in stomach, chest or throat. · Post-meal heaviness · Constipation · Indigestion · Bad breath · Restlessness

Hyperacidity symptoms include:

      § Heartburn: Persistent pain or discomfort that moves from your stomach to your chest and sometimes even up to your throat. § Chronic discomfort in the upper abdomen § Bloody or black stool often accompanied by bloody vomiting § Wheezing, dry cough, hoarseness, or chronic sore throat § Weight loss for no apparent reaso

Causes

1. Unhealthy eating habits

      Irregular food timings Eating just before sleeping Overeating

2. Excessive consumption of certain food

      Drinks such as tea, coffee, carbonated drinks, soft drinks Extremely spicy food Fat rich food such as pizza, doughnuts, and fried food Excessive non-veg food Frequent consumption of Alcoho

3. Side-effects of certain medications.

      Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Medicines for high blood pressure Antibiotics Depression and anxiety medications

4. Stomach disorder such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, tumours Pepticulcer.

5. Other causes

      Excessive stress Lack of sleep Frequent smoking Lack of physical exercise People who suffer from medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, connective tissue disorder and such are more prone to acidity. It is also a common problem in people who are obese, pregnant women, or women who are nearing menopause.

      Homeopathy for Acidity Homeopathy treats patient as a whole. So, acute medicines are given to treat acute pain and burning of acidity. But emphasis is given to tap the underlined cause. So as to treat the problem from root.