Have you ever felt burning sensation in your chest after a heavy meal? This may be cause of acidity in your stomach.
Acidity or heartburn is a common problem occurred in different age groups. It is formed due to excess secretion of acids in gastric glands of stomach. Chronic heartburn is a diagnosis of gastro esophageal reflex disease GERD.
There are numerous enzymes along with hydrochloric acid in stomach that helps in digesting food. If there is a problem in normal functioning of digestive system, then it results in the form of Acidity. The acid in stomach turns into esophagus and results in burning sensation of chest.
To know more information about this condition read on the complete article.
Symptoms of Acidity
Following are the symptoms when you feel heartburn or acid reflux in your chest.
- Respiratory problems
- Vomiting
- Heart burn
- Chest and stomach pain
- Bad breath
- Gas formation
- Inflammation in chest
- Difficulty in swallowing food.
Other symptoms may also include
- Wheezing
- Bitter taste in the mouth
- Dry coughing
- Tightness in throat
- Coarseness in the throat.
Causes of Acidity or Heart burn
Heartburn or acid reflux may happen by certain foods and lifestyle changes. Foods like spicy, fried, raw foods, processed foods and excessive foods doesn’t allow intestine to digest, and must be avoided.
Lifestyle habits like smoking, drinking, obesity, food sensitivities, allergies and stress may also result in formation of heartburn or acidity in body.
Below are the best home remedies to get rid of heart burn or acid reflux.
Home Remedies for Acidity in Chest
Here are some of the home remedies to reduce heartburn and acid reflux.
1. Don’t Overeat
Eating too much may lead to the formation of acidity, when you eat too much the esophagus opens into the stomach and you can see ring like muscle known as esophagus sphincter.
It helps to prevent the acidic content in stomach, from going up in to the esophagus. It naturally open up when you want to swallow or vomit the food, otherwise it would stay closed.
One step to avoid acidity is by having small meals instead of large meals at once.
2. Lose Weight
Obesity is one of the major problems for acid reflux. Well, diaphragm is a muscle which helps to strengthen the lower esophagus in healthy people which is located above your stomach.
This muscle prevents excessive amount of stomach acid that leaks from the esophagus. Too much belly fat will pressure the abdomen and the lower esophagus sphincter gets pushed upward, away from the diaphragm support and leads to the formation of acidity in your chest.
Losing weight is one of the option to prevent acid reflux in your body.
3. Fennel Seeds
Fennel seeds have the ability to control heartburn and the oil found in these seeds will help you in indigestion and bloating.
What To Do
- Chew dry roasted fennel seeds, especially after having meal every day.
- Alternatively you can take it as a tea, Fennel tea helps you to maintain healthy and happy digestive track.
- Take a glass of boiling water and add two table spoons of fennel seeds steep for ten minutes.
- Strain the solution and drink it. Regulate this process until you find beneficial results.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is very effective in treating acidity, due to its anti acidic properties it triggers sphincter below the esophagus to close and stop arising of acid in stomach.
It also helps to lower the PH levels of stomach and due to its probiotics and enzymes it fights against infections that causes acid reflux.
What to Do
Take a glass of Luke warm water and add one table spoon of apple cider vinegar and a half spoon of honey.
Mix the ingredients well and drink it after every meal.
5. Ginger
The numerous properties of ginger will also help you to get relief from heart burns in two ways. It gives you relief from heart burn by absorbing the acid and calming down the nerves that contributes heart burn.
It also reduces the formation of acid in the stomach flowing up into the esophagus, inflammation due to heartburn and provides quick relief from heartburn symptoms.
What to do
- You can add this wonderful spice in cooking, eat raw ginger or drink ginger tea.
- Take one glass of boiling water and add some pieces of ginger, then steep it for few minutes.
- Strain the solution and drink this 2-3 several times in a day.
Note
Don’t take too much of ginger, because heavy amount of ginger may worsen the present situation.
6. Chewing Gum
Chewing gum provides quick relief from heartburn. It stimulates saliva in your mouth and cause the saliva to become more alkaline which neutralize the acid in your stomach.
According to a study published in the journal of dental research reports, chewing gum for half an hour after a meal will reduce the formation of acid in the stomach.
What to Do
After a meal, chew a sugar free gum for about 30 minutes to get relief from the burning sensation in your chest and stomach.
7. Garlic
Raw garlic has antibodies that is known to kill micro organisms that lead to acidity.
What to Do
- Chew a clove of garlic when you feel of heart burn.
- Alternatively store cloves of garlic in apple cider vinegar solution and drink a sip of this liquid when heart burn occurs.
8. Aloe Vera Juice
Aloe Vera juice is an excellent remedy for controlling heartburn. Aloe Vera juice extracted from aloe Vera reduces inflammation and heals the gastrointestinal track which automatically reduces heartburn.
It also removes toxins from the digestive tract and keeps you healthy. It acts as an anti inflammatory agent to reduce acid reflux in the body.
What to Do
Extract ¼ cup of aloe Vera juice from aloe Vera and drink it about 20-30 minutes before having meals.
Be careful, don’t take too much of aloe Vera, it may lead diarrhea and abdominal pain.
9. Baking Soda
Baking soda is a natural antacid; it neutralizes stomach acid and gives you relief within minutes from heartburn.
What to Do
- Take a glass of warm water and add one table spoon of baking soda.
- Drink it for instant relief.
- Alternatively, you can also add a spoon of lemon juice and drink it for three day if needed.
10. Pickles and Pickle Juice
Pickles and pickles juice are very effective in treating heartburn. As pickle juice is rich in vinegar, it helps to reduce the formation of acid in stomach. However, the fermented pickle juice contains probiotics that improve digestion.
What to Do
- Drink few sips of pickle juice after having your meal for instant relief of heartburn.
- You can also have pickle along with pickle juice.
11. Don’t Sleep on Right Side
Several studies have shown that sleeping on right side may worsen the symptoms of heartburn especially during night.
The esophagus enters the right side of the stomach and results in lower esophagus sphincter sits that are above level of stomach acid.
So whenever you sleep on right side, it increases the risk of acid leaking through esophagus sphincter and causes acid reflux.
It is recommended to sleep on your left side, to get comfortable and peaceful sleep.
Note: In spite of using the above mentioned remedies if you still feel heart burn then do consult your doctor.
